Surgical Services, Department of Ophthalmology, Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1201 NW 17th Street, Miami, FL 33125, USA.
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Miami, 900 NW 17th Street, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Biomolecules. 2024 Mar 20;14(3):376. doi: 10.3390/biom14030376.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) generate pro- and anti-inflammatory eicosanoids via three different metabolic pathways. This study profiled tear PUFAs and their metabolites and examined the relationships with dry eye (DE) and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) symptoms and signs. A total of 40 individuals with normal eyelids and corneal anatomies were prospectively recruited. The symptoms and signs of DE and MGD were assessed, and tear samples (from the right eye) were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Mann-Whitney U tests assessed differences between medians; Spearman tests assessed correlations between continuous variables; and linear regression models assessed the impact of potential confounders. The median age was 63 years; 95% were male; 30% were White; and 85% were non-Hispanic. The symptoms of DE/MGD were not correlated with tear PUFAs and eicosanoids. DE signs (i.e., tear break-up time (TBUT) and Schirmer's) negatively correlated with anti-inflammatory eicosanoids (11,12-dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (11,12 DHET) and 14,15-dihydroxyicosatrienoic acid (14,15, DHET)). Corneal staining positively correlated with the anti-inflammatory PUFA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). MGD signs significantly associated with the pro-inflammatory eicosanoid 15-hydroxyeicosatetranoic acid (15-HETE) and DHA. Several relationships remained significant when potential confounders were considered. DE/MGD signs relate more to tear PUFAs and eicosanoids than symptoms. Understanding the impact of PUFA-related metabolic pathways in DE/MGD may provide targets for new therapeutic interventions.
多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFAs）通过三种不同的代谢途径生成促炎和抗炎类二十烷酸。本研究分析了泪液 PUFAs 及其代谢产物，并探讨了其与干眼（DED）和睑板腺功能障碍（MGD）症状和体征的关系。共前瞻性招募了 40 名具有正常眼睑和角膜解剖结构的个体。评估了 DED 和 MGD 的症状和体征，并通过质谱法分析了泪液样本（右眼）。使用 Mann-Whitney U 检验评估中位数之间的差异；Spearman 检验评估连续变量之间的相关性；线性回归模型评估潜在混杂因素的影响。中位年龄为 63 岁；95%为男性；30%为白人；85%为非西班牙裔。DED/MGD 症状与泪液 PUFAs 和类二十烷酸无相关性。DED 体征（即泪膜破裂时间（TBUT）和 Schirmer 试验）与抗炎类二十烷酸（11,12-二羟基二十碳三烯酸（11,12-DHET）和 14,15-二羟基二十碳三烯酸（14,15-DHET））呈负相关。角膜染色与抗炎性 PUFAs，二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）呈正相关。MGD 体征与促炎类二十烷酸 15-羟二十碳四烯酸（15-HETE）和 DHA 显著相关。当考虑潜在混杂因素时，有几个关系仍然具有统计学意义。DED/MGD 体征与泪液 PUFAs 和类二十烷酸的相关性大于症状。了解 PUFA 相关代谢途径在 DED/MGD 中的作用可能为新的治疗干预提供靶点。
