rss
Br J Ophthalmol 2008;92:116-119 doi:10.1136/bjo.2007.126144
  • Original Article
    • Laboratory science

Differences in meibomian fatty acid composition in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction and aqueous-deficient dry eye

  1. C Joffre1,
  2. M Souchier2,
  3. S Grégoire1,
  4. S Viau1,
  5. L Bretillon1,
  6. N Acar1,
  7. A M Bron2,
  8. C Creuzot-Garcher2
  1. 1
    Eye and Nutrition Research Group, National Institute for Research on Agronomy, Dijon, France
  2. 2
    Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Dijon, France
  1. C Joffre, INRA, FLAVIC—Eye and Nutrition Research Group, 17 rue Sully, BP 86510, F-21065 Dijon cedex, France; cjoffre{at}dijon.inra.fr
  • Accepted 11 September 2007

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the differences in meibomian fatty acid composition in healthy subjects and in patients suffering from meibomian gland dysfunction or aqueous-deficient dry eye.

Methods: We collected meibomian oil using a sterile Schirmer paper in healthy individuals (n = 20), dry eye patients (aqueous-deficient) (n = 32) and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) patients (n = 25) after gentle massage of the lid margin. Meibomian fatty acids were directly transmethylated and analysed using gas chromatography (GC) and GC mass spectrometry.

Results: Meibomian fatty acids were similar in healthy individuals and in dry eye patients but were different in MGD patients, who showed significantly higher levels of branched-chain fatty acids (29.8% vs 20.2%) (p<0.0001) and lower levels of saturated fatty acids (9.3 vs 24.6%) (p<0.0001), in particular lower levels of palmitic (C16) and stearic (C18) acids.

Conclusion: The increase in branched-chain fatty acids may reflect greater quantities of wax and cholesterol esters and triglycerides in meibomian gland excreta. Since wax and cholesterol esters are the main lipids of meibum, these differences may have physical consequences for tear-film lipid-layer fluidity and stability. Meibomian fatty acid composition and particularly the increase in branched chains could be a marker for meibomian gland dysfunction.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None.

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.