Clinical Comparison and Analysis of Decoction of Traditional Chinese Medicine Combined with Ear Acupoint Application and Simple Artificial Tears in the Treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical comparison and analysis of decoction of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) combined with ear acupoint application and simple artificial tears in the treatment of dry eye syndrome. METHODS:A total of 62 patients(124 eyes) with dry eye syndrome treated in the Department of Ophthalmology of The 4th People's Hospital of Shenyang from July 2017 to March 2018 were selected and equally divided into 2 groups according to the admission order. The observation group received the combination therapy of TCM decoction and ear acupoint application, while the control group was given the simple artificial tears. The symptom score after 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks as well as the indicators including break-up time(BUT), Schirmer I test(SIT) and fluorescein(FL) were recorded and compared between groups. RESULTS: The symptom scores had no difference before treatment(P > 0.05), and were better in the observation group than those in the control group after treatment(P < 0.05). At 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after the treatment, the amelioration level of BUT, SIT, and FL indicators in the observation group was better than that of the control group(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with the artificial tears treatment method, the TCM decoction combined with ear acupoint application can significantly ameliorate the tear film stability, tear secretion, and reduce ocular surface damage for dry eye patients.

Analyze interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-αlevels in dry eye and the therapeutic effect of cyclosporine A

BACKGROUND Dry eye is a common eye disease.Artificial tears supplements are widely used for the treatment of dry eyes.However,multiple adverse effects have been observed in patients receiving long-term treatment with artificial tears,which may affect the therapeutic effect.AIM To analyze the characteristics of interleukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6),and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α)levels in patients with dry eye and the therapeutic effect of artificial tears combined with cyclosporine A.METHODS A total of 124 dry eye patients treated at The First People’s Hospital of Xining from April 2020 to April 2022 were selected as the observation group,while 20 healthy individuals served as the control group during the same period.Levels of inflammatory markers,including IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α,were analyzed.The observation group was further divided into a study group and a control group,each consisting of 62 patients.The control group received artificial tears,whereas the study group received a combination of artificial tears and cyclosporine A.Inflammatory markers,Schirmer’s test(SIT),tear break-up time(TBUT),corneal fluorescein staining(CFS),National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25(NEI-VFQ-25)scores,and adverse events(AEs)were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The observation group exhibited significantly elevated serum levels of IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-αin comparison to the healthy group.Following treatment,the study group demonstrated substantial reductions in IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-αlevels relative to the control group.Moreover,after treatment,the study group experienced a marked decrease in CFS scores and significant increases in both SIT and BUT levels when compared to the control group.Additionally,significant improvements were observed in the primary symptom of dry eye and secondary symptoms such as photophobia,foreign body sensation,fatigue,red eye,and burning sensation within the study group.Furthermore,post-treatment NEI-VFQ-25 scores across all dimensions exhibited significant enhancements in the study group compared to the control group(P<0.05).It is noteworthy that significant AEs were reported in both groups throughout the treatment period.CONCLUSION Cyclosporine A combined with artificial tears is effective in treating dry eye,yielding enhanced outcomes by improving SIT and TBUT levels,reducing CFS scores,and ameliorating vision-related quality of life.

Randomized controlled trial on the efficacy and safety of autologous serum eye drops in dry eye syndrome

BACKGROUND Autologous serum eye drops(ASEDs),a novel treatment derived from blood serum,have emerged as a groundbreaking solution for managing dry eye syndrome(DES).These drops have shown significant promise in relieving the distressing symptoms of DES.This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ASEDs compared to traditional treatments,which often prove inadequate or result in unwanted side effects,particularly in individuals with moderate-to-severe DES.AIM To evaluate whether ASEDs are safer and more effective than conventional artificial tears in the treatment of moderate-to-severe DES.METHODS This multi-centered randomized controlled trial included 240 patients with moderate-to-severe DES from three ophthalmology clinics in China.They were randomly assigned to receive either ASEDs or artificial tears for 12 wk.The primary outcome was the change in the ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score,with secondary outcomes including tear break-up time(TBUT),Schirmer I test,corneal fluorescein staining(CFS),and conjunctival impression cytology(CIC).Statistics analysis was performed using an analysis of covariance with adjustments made for baseline values.RESULTS Our findings revealed that both ASEDs and artificial tears significantly improved the OSDI score,TBUT,Schirmer I test,CFS,and CIC from baseline to week 12.The ASEDs group showed significantly greater improvement in all these measures than the artificial tears group(all P values<0.05).The average difference in the OSDI score between the two cohorts was-10.3(95%confidence interval:-13.6 to-7.0),indicating a substantial improvement in the ASEDs group.The occurrence of adverse events was comparable between cohorts,with no reports of severe adverse events.CONCLUSION ASEDs are more effective and safer than artificial tears for mitigating symptoms of moderate-to-severe DES.ASEDs could be an alternative/supplementary therapy for patients with DES less responsive to traditional treatments.

鱼腥草滴眼液联合人工泪液治疗干眼的临床观察

目的:研究鱼腥草滴眼液联合人工泪液治疗干眼的效果。方法:干眼患者130例244眼随机分为对照组和试验组,以人工泪液和生理盐水滴眼为对照,鱼腥草滴眼液联合和人工泪液治疗为试验组,患者自觉症状、泪膜破裂时间(breaking up time,BUT)、泪液分泌时间(schirmerⅠtest,SⅠt)的变化,并采用结膜印迹细胞学检查(conjunctival impression cytology,CIC)观察眼表结构的改善情况。结果:两组治疗后患者自觉症状均有不同程度改善,对照组BUT较治疗前虽有延长(P<0.05),但SⅠt和CIC评分无明显好转;试验组治疗后BUT,SⅠt及CIC评分较治疗前均有明显改善,且改善程度优于对照组(P<0.01)。结论:鱼腥草滴眼液联合人工泪液治疗干眼依从性好,疗效高。

Effects of auricular point sticking on dry eye in myopia patients after SMILE surgery:a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial

Objective:To observe the intervention effect of auricular point sticking on dry eye in myopia patients after small-incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)surgery.Methods:This was a prospective randomized controlled study conducted among the myopia patients who received SMILE surgery at Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University.The post-SMILE operation patients who screened by the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomized into a control group and a treatment group.Patients in the control group were given 0.1%fluorometholone and 0.5%carboxymethylcellulose sodium eye drops,while the treatment group was given additional unilateral auricular point sticking for 1 month.The patients were estimated using ocular surface disease index(OSDI),Schirmer tear test-1(STT-1),tear film break-up time(TF-BUT),corneal fluorescein staining(CFS)score,corneal sensitivity(CS)and visual quality(VQ)at 1 d,1 week and 1 month after surgery;the changes in anxiety and depression were also observed in the patients.Results:Compared with the first day after operation,CS in the nasal region was improved in the treatment group,and the VQ score increased in the control group patients at 1 week after operation(both P<0.05);at 1 month after operation,the TF-BUT increased,CFS score decreased,CS in the central and nasal regions increased(all P<0.05),and VQ score increased(P<0.01)in the treatment group,and the CS in the central,upper,lower and nasal regions were improved(all P<0.05),and VQ score increased(P<0.01)in the control group.The between-group comparison showed that the differences in the change of TF-BUT were statistically significant at 1 week and 1 month after surgery,respectively(both P<0.05).Conclusion:Auricular point sticking therapy can increase the TF-BUT and accelerate the repair of ocular surface function in post-SMILE patients.