Effects of autologous serum eye drops on corneal wound healing after superficial keratectomy in rabbits.

PURPOSE

: To study the effects of topically applied autologous serum on the wound healing process of mechanically produced corneal ulcers.

METHODS

: A superficial keratectomy was done in 1 eye from each of 28 rabbits, using a corneal trephine. Four groups of 7 rabbits were treated topically 4 times a day with nondiluted autologous serum; diluted autologous serum (20%); unpreserved pharmaceutical tear substitute; and physiologic saline. The saline-treated group served as a control. The healing of the ulcers was followed on a slit-lamp biomicroscope regarding its size, infiltration, and neovascularization on alternate days up to day 10 with and without fluorescein staining.

RESULTS

: Autologous serum significantly accelerated the corneal wound healing process in both concentrations compared with either the unpreserved pharmaceutical tear substitute or physiologic saline solutions, but the process was faster with the nondiluted concentration.

CONCLUSION

: Autologous serum eye drops could be used as a corneal wound healing adjuvant in mechanical corneal ulcers. To accelerate the wound healing process, the blood-derived factors were brought externally to the avascular cornea through autologous serum eye drops. The importance of the vascular supply on the wound healing process of vascular tissues is well known, and this study considers the benefit of blood-derived factors on the healing process of cornea.