4213 Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in corneal storage. Media protects endothelial cells from damage caused by toxic agents

Logistic regression methods were used to analyse the influence of donor and storage factors on the quality of c~meas stored by organ culture in the Bristol eve bank in 1991. Averaae donor a(18 was 57 vears fsd 22. n=2770) -and time from death to en~cleation v& 8 hours (&I 7, n&782): Corneas were placed into organ culture within 27 houra (sd 10, n+2550) of donor death and were stored for 22 days (sd 7, n=2716). Preliminary results ,showed that 126 of 2744 corneas (4.5%) we10 discarded through contamination. The risk of contamination increased with inauasing death to enucleation time (p<O.O37), but corneas from CVA donors were less likely to be contaminated (p<O.O03). Overall, 27% of corneas wwre not suitable for PKP because of endotheliel defects. Corneas storud for more than 4 weeks or corneas from donors over 80 years old were less likely to be suitable for PKP (both pcO.0001). But the likelihood of onneas having high endothelial cell densities (~2500 cells/mm2) was reduced with donors over 20 years old (p<O.OOl), with storage times more than 2 weeks (p<O.O04), or when corneas came from donors that died of cancer (p<O.O4) or respiratory disease (p<O.O20). Corneas from CVA donors, however, were more likely to be suitable for PKP (P<O.O05). Analyses such as this are important for monitoring donor procurement practices and the efficacy of eye banking techniques.