INTRODUCTION. The treatment of
dry eye by autologous serum is a simple and inexpensive treatment option. It is particularly effective in severe forms of
dry eye as well as for chemical
eye injuries, and it is justified by the presence of essential tear components which are not found in preparations of
artificial tears. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of autologous serum
therapy in the patients with
dry eye. MATERIAL AND METHODS. We monitored the effect of one-month treatment of
dry eye by autologous serum (used with
artificial tear preparations) in 50 rheumatology patients (23 men and 27 women) aged 26-65 years at the Department of Ophthalmology, Clinical Center Nis. We analyzed ocular discomfort and the values of objective parameters for the evaluation of tear film at baseline and one month later (Schirmer I, Tears Break Up Time and
Rose Bengal). RESULTS. A statistically significant reduction of subjective complaints was found in the patients after the treatment by autologous serum (p<0.05), along with a minimal improvement of objective tests for checking the tear film quality. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION. The use ofautologous serum in
dry eye therapy should provide benefit to the patients, relieve symptoms and improve objective parameters for the evaluation of
dry eye. Both doctors and patients should be adequately informed, and proper screening of potential users of this method should be done. Not only additional tests of
therapeutic effect of autologous serum (as well as of umbilical cord serum or autologous plasma) are needed but also parallel clinical and histopathological examination and analysis of the effects of this type of treatment of
dry eye.