Use of Autologous Serum Tears for the Treatment of Ocular Surface Disease From Patients With Systemic Autoimmune Diseases

Abstract Purpose To describe the safety and efficacy of autologous serum tears (AST) in managing ocular surface disease resistant to conventional therapy in patients with systemic autoimmune disease(s). Design Retrospective, interventional case series. Methods Records of patients from 2009 to 2015 with systemic autoimmune disease treated with AST (20-50%) for chronic surface disease were analyzed. Standardized measures of subjective dry eye symptoms, objective dry eye staining of the cornea, and slit lamp findings including punctate epithelial erosion (PEE), filamentary keratopathy (FK) and corneal epithelial defects (KED) were compared during first and last visit. We attempted to standardize outcomes by creating a scale from 1 to 4 for subjective and objective components: worsening (1), no improvement (2), partial improvement (3), and complete resolution (4). Results 51 patients (101 eyes) were included. The mean age was 59.8 ± 13.2 years old (72.5% female). Average use of AST was 14.3 ± 11.7 months. Complete objective improvement of initial slit lamp findings was achieved in 30% and partial improvement in 55% of eyes. Presence of PEE, FK and KED decreased from 92.1% to 52.5% (p Conclusions AST are a safe and effective adjunct therapy in improving both objective signs and subjective symptoms of ocular surface disorders associated with systemic autoimmune disease(s).