PURPOSE To identify the lineage that contributes to the morphogenesis of the meibomian gland. METHODS To examine which cell lineage gives rise to the meibomian gland, the expression of Pax6 as well as that of various cytokeratin markers, including keratin 14 (Krt14), Krt15, Krt4, and Krt10, was examined with immunofluorescent staining of C57BL/6J mouse eyelids from P2 to P11 pups and adult mi...

Scientists have been interested in studying the secretions of the meibomian glands for many years, and diseases associated with the meibomian glands (e.g., cancers, posterior blepharitis) have been noted in the medical literature since at least the early part of the 20th Century. However, the term “meibomian gland dysfunction” (MGD) was only introduced by Korb and Henriquez in 1980. The termino...

Citation: Craig JP, Chen Y-H, Turnbull PRK. Prospective trial of intense pulsed light for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2015;56:1965– 1970. DOI:10.1167/iovs.14-15764 PURPOSE. To evaluate the effect of intense pulsed light (IPL) applied to the periocular area for meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) in a prospective, double-masked, placebo-controlled, pair...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether aging is associated with significant alterations in the polar and neutral lipid profiles in human meibomian gland secretions. METHODS Meibomian gland secretions were collected from both eyes of younger and older men and women. Samples were processed for high-performance liquid chromatography or mass spectrometry and for the analysis of associated spectra of frag...

PURPOSE Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a primary cause of dry eye disease. One of the risk factors for MGD is exposure to 13-cis retinoic acid (13-cis RA), a metabolite of vitamin A. However, the mechanism is not well understood. We hypothesize that 13-cis RA inhibits cell proliferation, promotes cell death, alters gene and protein expressions, and attenuates cell survival pathways in hum...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether androgen receptors affect the fatty acid profiles of neutral and polar lipids in human meibomian gland secretions. METHODS Meibomian gland secretion samples were obtained from both eyes of (1) women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, a condition characterized by dysfunctional androgen receptors, and (2) age-matched female and male controls. Samples w...

PURPOSE To investigate meibomian gland and tear film function in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS This prospective study compared changes in meibomian gland and tear film function in type 2 diabetic patients with nondiabetic patients. Meibomian gland function was evaluated by measuring lipid layer thickness (LLT), grading of meibomian gland loss, lid margin abnormalities, and expression...

PURPOSE In prior work, it has been found that the meibomian gland is an androgen target organ, that androgens modulate lipid production within this tissue, and that androgen deficiency is associated with glandular dysfunction and evaporative dry eye. This study's purpose was to test the hypothesis that the androgen control of the meibomian gland involves the regulation of gene expression. MET...

PURPOSE Meibomian gland epithelial cells are essential in maintaining the health and integrity of the ocular surface. However, very little is known about their physiological regulation. In this study, the cellular control mechanisms were explored, first to establish a defined culture system for the maintenance of primary epithelial cells from human meibomian glands and, second, to immortalize t...

PURPOSE We hypothesize that sex steroids induce sex-specific and/or opposite effects in the lacrimal and meibomian glands and that these actions may influence the prevalence of dry eye syndrome. The objective of this study was to begin to test this hypothesis. METHODS Lacrimal and meibomian glands were obtained from ovariectomized mice that had been treated with testosterone or control vehicl...