title: Treatment of dry eye by autologous serum application in Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of autologous serum application for the treatment of dry eye in Sjögren's syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The stability of essential components (EGF, vitamin A, and TGF-beta) in preserved serum were examined following preservation at 4 degrees C and -20 degrees C. In a primary clinical trial, 12 patients with Sjögren's syndrome were treated with autologous serum (diluted to 20% with sterile saline) for 4 weeks, and vital staining of the ocular surface was compared before and after treatment. The effects of serum on mucin (MUC-1) expression were observed in cultured conjunctival epithelial cells in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EGF, vitamin A, and TGF-beta were well preserved for up to 1 month in the refrigerator at 4 degrees C and up to 3 months in the freezer at -20 degrees C. Rose bengal and fluorescein scores improved significantly from the initial scores of 5.3 and 5.6 to 1.7 and 2.5 after 4 weeks, respectively. The additive effect of human serum for cultured conjunctival epithelial cells showed significant MUC-1 upregulation on the cell surface.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autologous serum application is a safe and efficient way to provide essential components to the ocular surface in the treatment of dry eye associated with Sjögren's syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsubota
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimmura
mesh_terms: D001769:Blood; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000628:therapy*; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D013666:Tears / Q000737:chemistry; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000032:analysis; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018396:Mucin-1; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014801:Vitamin A; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor