Author(s)

Diaz-Llopis Manuel^1,2,3,4,5, Pinazo-Duran Maria Dolores^2,3,6,7, Diaz-Guiñon Loreto⁵, Rahhal-Ortuño Miriam⁸, Gallego-Pinazo Roberto⁹, Dolz-Marco Rosa⁹, Diaz-Guiñon Teresa⁵, Diaz Maria⁵, Romero Francisco Javier⁴

¹University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
²Ophthalmology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
³Molecular Ophthalmology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
⁴Consellería de Sanitat (Valencian Regional Health Ministry), Valencian Autonomous Government, Valencia.
⁵IOVA-Valencia Ophthalmology Institute, Valencia, Spain.
⁶Doctor Peset University Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
⁷Santiago Grisolía Eye Research Laboratory, FISABIO, Valencia, Spain.
⁸Department of Ophthalmology, La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
⁹IMED Hospital, Valencia, Spain.

Purpose: Prospective study to evaluate the anti-inflammatory efficacy of isotonic seawater solution on metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) levels in the tears of patients with dry eye disease (DED). Methods: A total of 50 patients were included, with the following dry eye criteria in both eyes: InflammaDry^? test initially positive, ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score ≥ 12 and <33, tear film breakup time (TBUT) ≤ 10 seconds, Shirmer I test result ≤ 10 mm/5 minutes, corneal staining ≥ 1. Additionally, all the patients selected corresponded to a dry eye type 2 - 3 severity degree - mild and moderate - Dry Eye Workshop Study (DEWS) classification. The InflammaDry test is used to measure levels of MMP9 at the beginning and the end of the study. All patients were treated exclusively with isotonic seawater solution 5 times a day for 3 weeks. Results: The InflammaDry test was positive in 100% of the patients (n = 50) and in 100% (n = 100) of the eyes before treatment. In 14 (28%) patients the test became negative in both eyes, and in 15 (30%) it was negative in one of the eyes. In 43% (n = 43) of the positive eyes, MMP-9 became undetectable in the tear fluid following treatment with isotonic seawater. This change was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The washes with ophthalmic isotonic seawater solution have a significant impact on inflammation of the ocular surface in dry eye disease, with an ability to make MMP-9 levels negative in 43% of cases.

Dry Eye, Inflammadry Test, MMP-9, Ocular Surface Inflammation, Ophthal-mic Isotonic Seawater Solution

Manuel, D. , Dolores, P. , Loreto, D. , Miriam, R. , Roberto, G. , Rosa, D. , Teresa, D. , Maria, D. and Javier, R. (2020) Efficacy of Isotonic Seawater Solution on Inflammation of the Ocular Surface in Matrix Metalloproteinase MMP-9-Positive Dry Eye Disease Patients. Open Journal of Ophthalmology, 10, 211-219. doi: 10.4236/ojoph.2020.103023.