Optometry and Vision Science (OVS)Autologous Serum Eye Drops for Dry Eye: Systematic Review

The review was conducted on five databases and three registries up to September 30, 2022.

Dry eye, a prevalent global condition, has been the subject of numerous studies exploring potential treatments. One such treatment under investigation is autologous serum eye drops (AS).

Key Points:

• Autologous serum eye drops (AS) have been proposed as a potential treatment for dry eye.
• Six randomized clinical trials (RCTs) with 116 participants were included in the review.
• Four trials compared AS with artificial tears, while two trials compared AS with saline.
• Low-certainty evidence suggests that AS may improve symptoms after two weeks of treatment compared to saline.
• Very low-certainty evidence suggests that Rose Bengal staining may slightly improve after four weeks of treatment compared to saline.

Additional Points:

• The outcomes of corneal staining, conjunctival staining, tear break-up time, Schirmer’s test were inconclusive.
• None of the trials reported outcomes of corneal topography, conjunctival biopsy, quality of life, economic outcomes, or adverse events.
• The use of all data was limited due to unclear reporting.

Conclusion:

• The effectiveness of AS as a treatment for dry eye is uncertain based on current data. Symptoms and staining scores showed slight improvement with AS compared to artificial tears and saline, respectively. However, no benefit was identified for other measures.

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Did You Know?
Dry eye affects up to a third of the population, making the search for effective treatments a global health priority.