Allogeneic serum eye drops: time these became the norm?
- 1New Zealand Blood Service, Christchurch, New Zealand
- 2Dr Malcolm McKellar Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Correspondence to Dr Krishna G Badami, New Zealand Blood Service, 87 Riccarton Road, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand; krishna.badami{at}nzblood.co.nz
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Contributors Both authors made substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, drafting the article and revising it critically for important intellectual content and finally approved the version to be published.
Serum eye drops contain growth and neurotrophic factors, fibronectin and vitamin A that promote corneal epithelialisation and nerve healing and are a well-established treatment for ocular surface disorders.1 Though normally derived from autologous blood, not all patients can be donors for reasons such as infancy, poor venous access and comorbidities. Also, autologous serum from some patients could potentially contain concentrations of drugs,2 or possibly, inflammatory mediators, harmful to the eye. Allogeneic drops are an alternative in such circumstances.
Complex mechanisms make the eye an immunologically privileged site.3 Cornea and conjunctiva bear ABO antigens and some HLA.4 Serum contains antibodies and complement. Nevertheless, successful treatment with ABO-unselected allogeneic serum is …
