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Two cases of GVHD with severe dry eyes are reported where conventional therapy failed to control ocular signs and symptoms. Autologous serum tears, however, resulted in a beneficial clinical effect with marked attenuation of the symptoms. This therapy proved to be safe during 10 months of treatment. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2000) 25, 1101–1103. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry eye is a multifactorial condition that results in a dysfunctional lacrimal functional unit. Evidence suggests that inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Changes in tear composition including increased cytokines, chemokines, metalloproteinases and the number of T cells in the conjunctiva are found in dry eye patients and in animal models. This inflammation is responsible in part for the irritation symptoms, ocular surface epithelial disease, and altered corneal epithelial barrier function in dry eye. There are several anti-inflammatory therapies for dry eye that target one or more of the inflammatory mediators/pathways that have been identified and are discussed in detail.

The localization of lipids in the endometrium of virgin and 6- to 9-day-pregnant mice was detected by histochemical methods. Total lipids (as shown by staining with Sudan black) and phospholipids containing choline (PCC) were detected. Sections subjected to reactions that have been proposed for the demonstration of vitamins E and D and cholesterol gave negative results. In the virgin animals, lipids were found in epithelial cells but not in the endometrial storma. On the other hand in the pregnant animals, the endometrial stroma contained both Sudan-black-stained lipids and PCC. Maximal staining was reached on day 8 of pregnancy. The staining was more conspicuous in the more differentiated decidual cells adjacent to the embryos than in the less differentiated predicidual cells. The nondecidualized stroma, situated peripherally near the myometrium did not stain for lipids. In the cytoplasm of decidual cells the reaction for PCC was observed in the form of granules, which were often arranged in groups surrounding the nuclei. We suggest that decidual cells store PCC to be mobilized as a precursor for mediators of decidualization, such as prostaglandins, that would act as paracrine inducers of the decidual reaction.