Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40967644›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Comparison of treatment efficacy between topical insulin and autologous serum in persistent epithelial defects: a randomised controlled trial protocol in Spain.

Pedro Arriola-Villalobos, Barbara Burgos-Blasco, Ana Ascaso-Del-Rio, Lydia Medina-Ramírez, Ana Belen Rivas, Natalia Pérez-Macías, David Diaz-Valle, Antonio Portolés-Pérez

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Pedro Arriola-VillalobosHospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Barbara Burgos-BlascoHospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain bburgos171@hotmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2178-6164
Ana Ascaso-Del-RioInstituto de Investigacion Sanitaria Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Lydia Medina-RamírezLa Fundacion para la Investigacion Biomedica del Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Ana Belen RivasUICEC, La Fundacion para la Investigacion Biomedica del Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Natalia Pérez-MacíasInstituto de Investigacion Sanitaria Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
David Diaz-ValleHospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Antonio Portolés-PérezInstituto de Investigacion Sanitaria Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPersistent epithelial defect (PED) management can be challenging. First line of treatment includes lubrication, bandage contact lenses and punctal plugs. The second line of treatment includes autologous serum (AS). Topical insulin has been shown to be safe for topical use and improve corneal epithelial healing. Therefore, a controlled clinical trial (control group with current standard treatment, ie, AS) multicentre, randomised and with a blind third observer will be conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the use of insulin eye-drops in the treatment of PED. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A preselection of patients with epithelial defect after 1 week of treatment will be made and blood tests will be obtained in order to dispense AS if necessary. After 2 weeks of standard treatment, if the PED persists and the patient meets criteria, patients will be enrolled after signing an informed consent form. Patients will be randomly allocated to receive either insulin (1 UI/mL, 4 times a day) or AS (20%, 5-6 times a day) eye-drops for 3 months. 234 patients will be included, 117 in each treatment group. The main variable (PED size) will be obtained from slit-lamp photographs, an objective and easily quantifiable variable which will be evaluated by a blinded investigator (third observer). Patients will be examined every 3-5 days until week 4 of study treatment and once a week until 6 weeks, to continue with a visit every 2 weeks until reaching 3 months of follow-up. Primary endpoints are: complete epithelialisation, epithelialisation rate (initial defect area/days until epithelialisation) and time until complete closure. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained from Hospital Clinico San Carlos in Madrid and Agencia Española del Medicamento y Productos Sanitarios (AEMPS). The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and presentations at meetings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: EudraCT 2022-003589-19.

Indexed as

Corneal DiseasesEpithelium, CornealInsulinSerumAdministration, TopicalAdultFemaleHumansMaleMulticenter Studies as TopicOphthalmic SolutionsRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSpainTreatment OutcomeInsulinOphthalmic SolutionsCorneal and external diseasesMedical ophthalmologyOPHTHALMOLOGY

Identifiers

PMID40967644
PMCPMC12458728

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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.