Comparison of the Influence of Two Types of Silicone Hydrogel Daily Disposable Contact Lenses on Clinical Signs of Allergic Conjunctivitis Symptoms.

PURPOSE: Contact lens (CL) wear can exacerbate allergic conjunctivitis. This study compared the effects of narafilcon A and verofilcon A on clinical signs of allergic conjunctivitis in CL wearers. Our previous studies using the same crossover cohort examined subjective CL comfort and related symptoms and tear-film stability and surface wettability. In contrast, the present study specifically evaluated objective clinical signs of allergic conjunctivitis, which were not the primary outcomes of those previous studies.

METHODS

The study included 62 CL wearers, comprising 124 eyes, who experienced CL discomfort. Participants were randomized to a cross-over design, wearing narafilcon A and verofilcon A each for 2 weeks. Ten clinical signs associated with allergic conjunctivitis related to the palpebral conjunctiva, bulbar conjunctiva, corneal limbus, and cornea were scored on a 4-point scale (0-3) according to the Japanese guidelines for allergic conjunctival diseases (3rd edition). The total score was calculated by summing the scores of the 10 items (0-30, with lower scores indicating better outcomes).

RESULTS

No participants discontinued narafilcon A or verofilcon A due to intolerance during the study period. Compared to baseline, there was no significant worsening of the mean total allergic conjunctivitis score for either narafilcon A or verofilcon A. Furthermore, the mean total score was significantly lower for verofilcon A (1.8 ± 1.4) compared to narafilcon A (4.1 ± 3.0, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that verofilcon A may be associated with more favorable clinical signs of allergic conjunctivitis than narafilcon A in CL wearers with CL discomfort.