Function and Morphology of the Meibomian Glands Using a LipiView Interferometer in Rotating Shift Medical Staff

Jing Zhang,Zhengzheng Wu,Xin-Hua Liu,Liangnan Sun

doi:10.1155/2020/3275143

Abstract

Purpose To investigate the function and morphology of meibomian glands (MG) in night shift medical staff (MS). Methods Sixty-two eyes of 31 patients in the MS group and 59 eyes of 31 patients in the control group were consecutively enrolled. All participants completed Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and Standard Patient Dry Eye Evaluation (SPEED) questionnaires for dry eye severity, as well as Schirmer I and tear break-up time (TBUT) tests. LipiView® II Ocular Surface Interferometer was used for lipid layer thickness (LLT), MG dropout, and partial blink (PB) rate tests. MG expression was measured with an MG evaluator. Results The OSDI score in the MS group was 22.39 ± 13.42, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (9.87 ± 6.64 Z = −3.997, P=0.001). The SPEED score in the MS group was 7.94 ± 3.81, which was significantly higher than in the control group (3.65 ± 2.11, Z = −4.766, P=0.001). There was no significant difference in Schirmer I test between the MS group and control group (Z = −1.346, P=0.178). TBUT in MS group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (Z = −5.201, P=0.001). The mean LLT of the MS group was 55.02 ± 21.17 nm significantly thinner than that of the control group 72.76 ± 21.62 nm (Z = −4.482, P=0.001). MG loss occurred in 45.16% of affected eyes in the MS group and 16.13% of affected eyes in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2 = 14.352, P=0.001). MG yielding liquid secretion and MG yielding secretion score were significantly lower in the MS group than in the control group (Z = −3.641, P=0.001; Z = −3.146, P=0.001, resp.). There was a negative correlation between mean LLT and SPEED score (Spearman r = −0.363, P=0.045). Conclusions Night shift MS had a higher incidence of MGD compared to day workers.

Highlights

Dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most common ocular surface diseases [1]
Correlation of Ocular Surface Parameters. e right eyes of the medical staff (MS) were selected to study the correlations of the ocular surface parameters. e cumulative days of night shift work in the MS group were 142.26 ± 112.07 (36,480) days, which were not correlated with SPEED score, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score, Tear break-up time (TBUT), Schirmer I value, mean Lipid layer thickness (LLT), and MG loss (Spearman r 0.141, 0.274, 0.195, −0.241, 0.042, 0.192, all P > 0.05). e mean LLT was negatively correlated with SPEED score (Spearman r −0.363, P > 0.045) but not significantly correlated with Schirmer I, TBUT, or OSDI score and MG loss (Spearman r 0.142, −0.044, −0.346, 0.042, P 0.447, 0.815, 0.057, 0.823, all P > 0.05)
MS working night shifts were slightly older than day workers, the participants were all young adults aged 18–36 years

Summary

Introduction

Dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most common ocular surface diseases [1]. Ere are several overlapping risk factors between DED and MGD, including female gender, topical medications, contact lens wear, refractive surgery, and demodicosis [7]. Occupational conditions of exposure to adverse environments (including driving, smoking, air conditioning/heating, dust, and cooking fumes) account for more than half of dry eye patients in the hospital’s underlying population [8]. Rotating night shifts is a requirement for the majority of medical staff (MS). Previous studies have shown that shift work leads to circadian rhythm disturbances and several cardiovascular risk diseases, such as hypertension, high triglyceride levels, and metabolic syndrome [10]

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Results

Conclusion