title: Association of blepharitis with Demodex: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To conduct a meta-analysis to confirm the association between Demodex infestation and blepharitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of relevant published case-control studies which were found from the ISI Web of Knowledge, MEDLINE and CNKI from January 1950 to December 2010. Meta-analysis was applied for 13 of these and included matched data sets, using odds ratio (OR) as the effect indicator. Sensitivity was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven articles (13 matched data sets) covering four different countries and reporting 4741 participants (2098 blepharitis and 2643 controls) were eligible. The pooled OR in random effect models was 4.89 (95% confidence interval, 3.00-7.97). Sensitivity analysis showed that results of pooled ORs in different effect models, language, sample size, and control groups were completely consistent, which demonstrated a stable association between Demodex infestation and blepharitis by meta-analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between Demodex infestation and blepharitis was statistically significant. The conclusion implies that when conventional treatments for blepharitis fail, examination of Demodex mites and acaricidal therapy should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Pathogen Biology, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Shaanxi, China. zhaoyae@mail.xjtu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Ya-E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Li-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ji-Ru
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001762:Blepharitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015822:Eye Infections, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D008924:Mite Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D008925:Mites; D016017:Odds Ratio