AIM: To investigate the effect of Mingmu Yanggan Pills combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops on the clinical efficacy of patients with dry eye(DE)in perimenopausal women and the influence on the levels of IL-33 and IL-6 in tears.

METHODS: Eighty patients(160 eyes)with perimenopausal women with dry eye were enrolled in this study. They were randomly divided into observation group(n=40)and control group(n=40). The control group was given sodium hyaluronate eye drops. The observation group was given Mingyu yanggan Pill on the basis of the control group. The curative effect of the two groups were observed. The changes of ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score, tear film break-up time(BUT), tear secretion test(SⅠt)and corneal fluorescein staining(FL)and IL-33 and IL-6 levels in tears before and after treatment were compared.

RESULTS: The total score of OSDI for the two groups after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment(P<0.01). SⅠt and BUT were significantly higher than those before treatment(P<0.01). The indicators in the observation group were better than those in the control group(P<0.01). After treatment, the levels of IL-33 and IL-6 in tears of the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment. The levels of IL-33 and IL-6 in tears of the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group(P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 87.5%, which was higher than 65.0% in the control group, with significant difference(χ²=5.591, P=0.018).

CONCLUSION: Mingmu Yanggan Pills combined with sodium hyaluronate eye drops has a good curative effect on the treatment of dry eye in perimenopausal women, which may be related to the decrease of IL-33 and IL-6 levels in tears.