Clinical Analysis: Aqueous-Deficient and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction in Patients With Primary Sjogren`s Syndrome (Frontiers in Medicine)

Objective: To examine the time course of aqueous-deficient and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) in patients with primary Sjogren`s Syndrome (pSS).Methods: This prospective study was conducted on pSS female patients in the Department of Rheumatism of the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University. The age-matched MGD female patients without pSS (non-SS-MGD) were recruited as MGD controls from the Eye Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University. After providing written informed consent, the patients underwent an eye examination and completed an Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire that assessed the symptoms of dry eye disease. The subjects were evaluated using Schirmer I test (SIt), tear meniscus height (TMH), noninvasive keratographic break-up time (NIKBUT), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), and meibomian gland evaluation (meibomian gland infrared, lid margin score, expressible meibomian glands number and the secretions quality). The patients were divided into two groups: early stage (