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MGD patients with Sjögren’s biomarkers benefit from thermal pulsation
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Thermal pulsation treatment for meibomian gland dysfunction patients who were positive for novel biomarkers of Sjögren’s syndrome showed improvement in the signs and symptoms of dry eye, according to researchers in Clinical Ophthalmology.
A total of 102 eyes from 59 patients with dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) were tested for novel biomarkers for Sjögren’s and underwent a single 12-minute LipiFlow thermal pulsation (TearScience) procedure.
Twenty-three patients tested positive for novel biomarkers of Sjögren’s, and 36 patients tested negative.
At baseline, meibomian gland secretion scores, Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness (SPEED) questionnaire and tear break-up time (TBUT) of both Sjögren’s-positive and -negative patients were equivalent.
Eight weeks after treatment, mean MGD score was 13.0, SPEED was 12.5, and TBUT was 9.6 in Sjögren’s-positive patients.
In Sjögren’s-negative patients the mean scores were 15.9, 10.0 and 8.3, respectively.
“A significant improvement in MGD, TBUT and SPEED scores with add-on LipiFlow treatment is in alignment with the current knowledge that to optimize the health of the ocular surface, meibomian gland function must be rehabilitated,” the researchers wrote.
Patients with Sjögren’s should be evaluated for MGD and, if present, treatment should be considered, they concluded. – by Abigail Sutton
Disclosures: Epitropoulos is a consultant to TearScience. Please see the full study for remaining authors’ financial disclosures.
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