The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy and safety of autologous serum eye drops in people with recalcitrant dry eye.
A group of selected dry eye patients from the Singapore National Eye Centre who have exhausted the usual treatment options (lubricants, topical immunosuppressive and punctal occlusion) and not keen for tarsorrhaphy will be recruited. After informed consent, they will undergo plasmapheresis and start on daily autologous serum eyedrops for a period of 4 months. Clinical monitoring for standard dry eye parameters such as punctate corneal keratitis, Schirmers testing, tear break up time as well as severity and frequency of dry eye symptoms will be conducted. Tear inflammatory proteins captured on Schirmers paper pre and post treatment will be analysed as well.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
10
3 times a day for the duration of the study
Singapore National Eye Centre
Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Staining
Grading of punctate corneal staining in the worse eye (second visit relative to first visit)
Time frame: 4 months
Symptoms
The change in Visual Analog Score (Schaumberg D et al Ocular Surface 2009). The global score is calculated from 2 scores, the frequency and severity of dry eye symptoms. From .
Time frame: 4 months
Tear-production
Schirmers test result
Time frame: 4 months
Tear-proteins
Tear protein analysis
Time frame: 4 months
Tear-stability
Tear break up time
Time frame: 4 months
Cornea
other corneal findings such as scarring, vascularisation, filaments etc
Time frame: 4 months
Conjunctiva
Documentation of conjunctival hyperemia, chemosis, scarring
Time frame: 4 months
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