title: Minocycline controls clinical outcomes and inflammatory cytokines in moderate and severe meibomian gland dysfunction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess clinical outcomes and tear cytokine levels in patients with moderate and severe meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) after treatment with oral minocycline and artificial tears versus artificial tears only.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty eyes of 60 patients with stage 3 or 4 meibomian gland dysfunction were enrolled. We evaluated the tear film break-up time, Schirmer test results, corneal and conjunctival fluorescein staining results, biomicroscopic examination results of lid margins and meibomian glands, and tear cytokine levels before and after 1 month and 2 months of oral minocycline and artificial tears (group 1) or artificial tears only (group 2). Tear samples were collected and analyzed using a BD Cytometric Bead Array (BD Bioscience, San Jose, California, USA) for detection of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-12p70, IL-17α, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Mann-Whitney U test, generalized linear model, and linear mixed model were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in group 1 showed statistically significant improvement in all clinical signs and symptoms after 1 month and 2 months of treatment. Patients of group 1 showed more significant improvement compared with those in group 2. Patients in group 1 also showed statistically significant reductions in IL-6, IL-1β, IL-17α, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-12p70 after 2 months of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral minocycline can provide clinical benefits in treating moderate and severe meibomian gland dysfunction by reducing inflammatory cytokine levels.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Eung Kweon
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae-Im
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015590:Fluorophotometry; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008537:Meibomian Glands / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D008911:Minocycline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D005136:Eye Proteins; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; C042434:tear proteins; D008911:Minocycline