J Korean Med Sci.  2009 Aug;24(4):701-707. 10.3346/jkms.2009.24.4.701.

Preliminary Effects of Oral Uridine on the Ocular Surface in Dry Eye Patients

• Chang KC
• Oh JY
• In YS
• Kim MK
• Shin KC
• Wee WR
• Lee JH
• Park MG

• KMID: 1779207
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2009.24.4.701

Abstract

We designed a randomized, double blinded, 3-months controlled prospective clinical study to investigate effects of oral uridine on the ocular surface in dry eye patients. Twenty-seven patients who diagnosed as dry eye with lower than 5 mm of wetting in the Schirmer strip, with corneal epithelial erosion and who completely followed-up till 3 months were enrolled. Corneal-conjunctival fluorescein staining, non-anesthetic Schirmer test, impression cytology, and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) were evaluated in the experimental and placebo groups at the baseline, 1 and 3 months after start of medication in a double blinded manner. Fluorescein stain score of the cornea was markedly decreased in oral uridine group compared to the placebo group at 3 months after medication (P=0.032, Mann-Whitney U test). The Schirmer wetting score for the oral uridine group was significantly increased (P=0.001, Wilcoxon signed rank test) at 3 months and its difference between two groups was statistically significant (P=0.030, Mann-Whitney U test). OSDI scores were significantly decreased at 1 and 3 months in treatment group. Oral uridine is effective in treatment of dry eyes.

Keyword

Cornea; Dry Eye Syndromes; Uridine; OSDI

MeSH Terms

Administration, Oral
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Conjunctiva/pathology
Cornea/pathology
Double-Blind Method
Dry Eye Syndromes/*drug therapy
Female
Fluorescent Dyes/pharmacology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Severity of Illness Index
Uridine/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Change within each group of oral uridine and placebo in conjunctival and corneal fluorescein staining (A), aqueous tear production (B), conjunctival goblet cell density (C) and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) (D). Data are expressed as mean±SD. *P<0.01; †P=0.044 (Wilcoxon signed rank test).

• 

  Fig. 2 Change of ratio of the values at 1 and 3 months of treatment to the values at baseline of treatment. This is for comparison of efficacy between two groups in conjunctival and corneal fluorescein staining (A), aqueous tear production (B), conjunctival goblet cell density (C) and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) (D). Data are expressed as meanmean±SD. *P=0.032; †P=0.030 (Mann-Whitney U test).

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