Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40048020›Full record

ReviewJournal of ophthalmic inflammation and infection2025

Efficacy and safety of water-free topical cyclosporine for moderate to severe dry eye disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ahmed Hamed Rehan, Hassan El-Masry, Roaa Abdultawab, Manahil Ahmed, Rawan Ashraf Kasem, Mohammad Al Diab Al Azzawi, Shree Rath

RetractedAbstract readReviewRetracted Publication
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of ophthalmic inflammation and infection, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It has been retracted, and should not be counted. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ahmed Hamed RehanKasr Alainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. ahmed_ham_rayhan@students.kasralainy.edu.eg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2057-6878
Hassan El-MasryFaculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-6177-3697
Roaa AbdultawabFaculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-5327-776X
Manahil AhmedJinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), Karachi, Pakistan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-0899-9609
Rawan Ashraf KasemFaculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5447-076X
Mohammad Al Diab Al AzzawiFaculty of Medicine, The National Ribat University, Khartoum, Sudan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-6776-6467
Shree RathAll India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-4273-0827

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDry eye disease (DED) is a widely prevalent ocular symptom, with an estimated global prevalence of around 12%. The increasing prevalence of this disease among adults poses a significant morbidity burden. The aim of this study is to analyze the efficacy and safety of water-free cyclosporine, a new intervention suggested to be more effective in treating DED.

methodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted using databases as PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus and Web of Science. Keywords used include "dry eye", "water-free cyclosporine", and "DED" among others. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the use of water-free cyclosporine in patients with dry eye disease were included.

resultsA total of 4 RCTs were included in our analysis, consisting of 1,471 participants. Primarily, efficacy outcomes were evaluated such as total and central corneal fluorescence staining score (tCFS and cCFS) and dryness score. Our secondary outcomes evaluated the safety of these drugs by considering the treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) reported. Water-Free cyclosporine showed no significant improvement in tCFS (MD: -1.08; 95% CI, -3.48 to 1.32) and cCFS (MD: -0.21, 95% CI, -0.50 to 0.08). However, water free cyclosporine showed statistically and clinically significant results in improving the dryness score (MD, -7.48; 95% CI, -14.5 to -.082). Pooled analysis of total participants reporting TEAEs, ocular and serious TEAEs was not significant.

conclusionOur meta-analysis analyzed the safety and efficacy of water-free topical 0.1% cyclosporine eye drops for the treatment of moderate to severe DED. A significant reduction in dryness scores provides hope for further development of this drug, potentiated with the little to no significant increase in risk of adverse events. There is a need for diverse trials with a greater population to validate these results and generate rigorous evidence.

Indexed as

cCFSDEDDry Eye DiseasetCFS; Dryness ScoreWater-Free Cyclosporine

Identifiers

PMID40048020
PMCPMC11885208

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.