title: Meibomian gland dysfunction determines the severity of the dry eye conditions in visual display terminal workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) may determine the severity of dry eye conditions in visual display terminal (VDT) workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, case-control study carried out in China.106 eyes of 53 patients (VDT work time >4 hour per day) were recruited as the Long time VDT group; 80 eyes of 40 control subjects (VDT work time ≤ 4 hour per day) served as the Short time VDT group. A questionnaire of Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and multiple tests were performed. Three dry eye tests: tear film breakup time (BUT), corneal fluorescein staining, Schirmer I test; and three MGD parameters: lid margin abnormality score, meibum expression assessment (meibum score), and meibomian gland dropout degree (meiboscore) using Keratograph 5 M.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OSDI and corneal fluorescein score were significantly higher while BUT was dramatically shorter in the long time VDT group than the short time VDT group. However, the average of Schirmer tear volumes was in normal ranges in both groups. Interestingly, the three MGD parameters were significantly higher in the long time VDT group than the short time one (P<0.0001). When 52 eyes with Schirmer <10 mm and 54 eyes with Schirmer ≥ 10 mm were separated from the long time VDT workers, no significant differences were found between the two subgroups in OSDI, fluorescein staining and BUT, as well as the three MGD parameters. All three MGD parameters were positively correlated with VDT working time (P<0.0001) and fluorescein scores (P<0.0001), inversely correlated with BUT (P<0.05), but not correlated with Schirmer tear volumes in the VDT workers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that a malfunction of meibomian glands is associated with dry eye patients in long term VDT workers with higher OSDI scores whereas some of those patients presenting a normal tear volume.
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Huping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Yuqian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Nuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Zhirong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Xumin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008537:Meibomian Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism; D014985:Xerophthalmia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult