AIM: To investigate the clinical effect of carbomer eye gel combined with polyethylene glycol eye drops on the treatment of dry eye.

METHODS: Totally 120 dry eye patients(240 eyes)were randomly divided into the observation group(n=60 cases)and the control group(n=60 cases). Two groups were given the polyethylene glycol eye drops. On the basis of this, the observation group were given the carbomer eye gel. The course of treatment was 1mo. The levels of IL-1β and TNF-α, eye symptom score \〖ocular surface disease index(OSDI), break-up time(BUT), Schirmer Ⅰ test(SⅠt), corneal fluorescein staining(FL)\〗, efficacy and adverse reactions in two groups were compared.

RESULTS: After treatment, the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α, OSDI and FL in two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment and BUT and SⅠT were significantly higher than those before treatment, showing statistically significant differences(P<0.05). Moreover, the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α, OSDI, BUT, SⅠT, FL in the observation group were improved better than those in the control group(P<0.05). The total effective rate of the control group was significantly lower than that of the observation group, indicating statistically significant difference(χ²=5.065, P=0.024). There were no ocular symptoms and drug intolerance in two groups.

CONCLUSION: Carbomer eye gel combined with polyethylene glycol eye drops has obvious curative effect on dry eye, which is better than that treated by polyethylene glycol eye drops, and this combination does not increase the adverse reactions.