Clinical efficacy of using autocytokines in surgery for bullous keratopathy

Purpose: to study clinical efficacy of a surgical modality of treatment for bullous keratopathy (BK), which is based on cell technology and involves intrastromal injection of autologous mononuclear leukocytes suspension, in comparison with medical therapy. Material and Methods. All patients with BK in this study were divided into two groups: treatment group, which consisted of 14 subjects who underwent intrastromal injection of autologous mononuclear leukocyte suspension; and control group, which included 13 subjects who received conservative treatment. Results. In treatment group corneal edema significantly subsided 1 month after treatment, which was accompanied by a decrease in corneal thickness by 24% and a 3.4-fold increase in visual acuity. After 6 months pachymetry index decreased by 32.8% from the initial value, visual acuity increased 10-fold from the initial value as well, and these parameters remained stable for 8 months. In control group, biomicroscopic pattern and pachymetry index had unstable dynamics, which was accompanied by only a 2.7-fold maximum increase in visometry after 1 month with a gradual decrease observed later on. Conclusion. Our method of surgical treatment for BK which involves injection of suspension of autologous mononuclear leukocytes into a posterior third of corneal stroma leads to a faster relief of corneal syndrome symptoms, restoration of normal corneal thickness within reference values and to a significant and stable increase in visual acuity when compared to a course of medical treatment.