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Umbilical cord blood serum therapy for the management of persistent corneal epithelial defects
Elif Erdem1, Meltem Yagmur1, Inan Harbiyeli2
1Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Saricam, Adana 01380, Turkey.
Insights
Umbilical cord blood serum (CBS) eye drops effectively treated persistent corneal epithelial defects (PED) in 75% of patients. Healing time varied by disease grade, indicating CBS therapy is a safe and effective option for PED management.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Corneal Disease Research
Background:
- Persistent corneal epithelial defects (PED) pose a significant clinical challenge.
- Conventional treatments for PED can be ineffective in some cases.
- Novel therapeutic approaches are needed for refractory PED.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of umbilical cord blood serum (CBS) eye drops for treating persistent corneal epithelial defects (PED).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 14 patients (16 eyes) with PED resistant to conventional therapy.
- Treatment involved 20% umbilical cord serum eye drops.
- Data collected included corneal lesion grade, epithelial defect size over time, and treatment duration.
Main Results:
- Umbilical cord serum (CBS) therapy was effective in 75% (12/16) of eyes.
- Complete epithelial healing occurred by day 7 in 12.5%, by day 14 in 25%, and by day 21 in 75% of treated eyes.
- Healing time was longer in Grade III corneal lesions (ulcer with stromal melting) compared to Grade I or II.
Conclusions:
- Umbilical cord blood serum (CBS) eye drops demonstrate safety and effectiveness in managing persistent corneal epithelial defects (PED).
- The severity of the corneal lesion (disease grade) appears to influence the healing time with CBS therapy.
Aim:
To evaluate the role of umbilical cord blood serum (CBS) therapy in cases with persistent corneal epithelial defects (PED).
Methods:
Sixteen eyes of 14 patients with PED who were resistant to conventional treatment were treated with 20% umbilical cord serum eye drops. Patients were followed-up weekly until epithelization was complete. The collected data included the grade of corneal lesion (Grade I: epithelial defect+superficial vascularization, Grade II: epithelial defect+stromal edema, Grade III: corneal ulcer+stromal melting), the size of epithelial defect (pretreatment, 7(th), 14(th) and 21(st) days of treatment), and follow-up time was evaluated retrospectively.
Results:
The mean size of epithelial defect on two perpendicular axes was 5.2×4.6-mm(2) (range: 2.5-8×2.2-9 mm(2)). Mean duration of treatment was 8.3±5wk. CBS therapy was effective in 12 eyes (75%) and ineffective in 4 eyes (25%). The epithelial defects in 4 ineffective eyes were healed with amniotic membrane transplantation and tarsorrhaphy. The rate of complete healing was 12.5% by 7d, 25% by 14d, and 75% by 21d. The healing time was prolonged in Grade III eyes in comparison to eyes in Grade I or Grade II.
Conclusion:
The results of the current study indicated the safety effectiveness of CBS drops in the management of PED. The grade of disease seems have a role on the healing time.
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