Effect of sulindac on the permeability of the blood-retinal barrier in early diabetic retinopathy

J. G. Cunha-Vaz, C. C. Mota, E. C. Leite, J. R. Abreu and M. A. Ruas

To study the effect of sulindac on the alteration of the blood-retinal barrier, 24 insulin-dependent diabetic patients with minimal or no retinopathy were randomly assigned to receive either oral sulindac (200 mg twice daily) or a placebo for a period of six months. All patients underwent fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and vitreous fluorophotometry before treatment and after 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment. Vitreous fluorophotometry data showed that there were fewer alterations of the blood-retinal barrier in the sulindac group compared with the placebo group during the six-month study period.