title: Treatment of persistent corneal epithelial defect by autologous serum application.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of autologous serum application for the treatment of persistent epithelial defect.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, clinical, noncomparative case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 16 eyes were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Autologous serum was prepared from the patients and diluted to 20% by saline. The patients were instructed to use the autologous serum six to ten times a day. The concentration of vitamin A, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) was measured at 1 week and 1 month stored in the refrigerator and 1 month and 3 months in the freezer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Time to closure of epithelial defect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin A, EGF, and TGF-beta were stable during the 1 month in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer. Among 16 persistent epithelial defects, 7 (43.8%) healed within 2 weeks, 3 (18.8%) healed within 1 month, and the remaining 6 (37.5%) did not respond within 1 month. No apparent side effect of autologous serum application was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autologous serum application healed 43.8% of persistent defect within 2 weeks and 62.5% within 1 month.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Oral Health Center, Tokyo Dental College, Ichikawa-shi, Chiba, Japan. kazuo@eyebank.or.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsubota
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimmura
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shimazaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001769:Blood; D002465:Cell Movement; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000150:complications; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000097:blood; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014801:Vitamin A; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor