AIM: To explore the effect of artificial tears combined with recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor(rbFGF)on ocular surface function and inflammatory factors in patients with cataract complicated with xerophthalmia.

METHODS: A total of 118 cataract patients(118 eyes)with dry eyes treated in our hospital from February 2019 to February 2020 were randomly divided into control group(n=59)and observation group(n=59). The control group was treated with artificial tears before operation and the observation group was treated with artificial tears combined with rbFGF before operation. The clinical symptom score, ocular surface function index \〖ocular surface disease index(OSDI)questionnaire score, break up time(BUT), schirmer Ⅰ test(SⅠt), fluorescein stain test(FL)\〗, inflammatory factors in tears \〖interleukin-6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α)\〗 and oxidative stress indexes \〖malondialdehyde(MDA), lipid peroxide(LPO), superoxide dismutase(SOD), total antioxidant capacity(TAC)\〗 were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. The random walking model was used to evaluate the ocular surface function and the level of inflammatory factors in tears of the two groups.

RESULTS: Before treatment, there was no significant difference in clinical symptom score, OSDI, BUT, SⅠt, FL, IL-6, TNF-α, MDA, SOD, LPO and TAC between the two groups. Thirty days after treatment, the clinical symptom score, OSDI, FL, TNF-α, IL-6, MDA and LPO levels in two groups were significantly decreased, while the levels of BUT, SⅠt, SOD and TAC were significantly increased. The improvement of clinical symptom score, ocular surface function, inflammatory factors and oxidative stress in the observation group were significantly better than that in the control group.

CONCLUSION: Preoperative intervention with artificial tears combined with rbFGF can significantly improve the ocular surface function of cataract patients with xerophthalmia, reduce the level of inflammatory factors in tears, improve the symptoms of xerophthalmia, and provide reference for the clinical treatment of cataract with xerophthalmia.