Does endogenous serum oestrogen play a role in meibomian gland dysfunction in postmenopausal women with dry eye?
Aim To explore the relationship between serum concentration of sex hormones and dry eye symptoms and signs in postmenopausal women. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was undertaken. Subjects were 46 postmenopausal women with dry eye (mean age 64.4±5.2 years, 13.7±6.4 years since menopause; no...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/52736/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/52736/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/52736/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/52736/1/Br%20J%20Ophthalmol-2016-Golebiowski-bjophthalmol-2016-308473.pdf |
| Summary: | Aim To explore the relationship between serum
concentration of sex hormones and dry eye symptoms
and signs in postmenopausal women.
Methods A cross-sectional analysis was undertaken.
Subjects were 46 postmenopausal women with dry eye
(mean age 64.4±5.2 years, 13.7±6.4 years since
menopause; not undergoing hormone replacement
therapy). Ocular symptoms (Ocular Surface Disease Index
(OSDI) and Ocular Comfort Index (OCI)), tear function
(tear osmolarity, non-invasive tear break-up time, tear
secretion), corneal and conjunctival staining, and
meibomian gland (MG) appearance, were recorded.
Venous blood was collected and serum concentrations of
17β-oestradiol (E2), 3-α-androstanediol-glucuronide
(3α-diol-G), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS)
were determined using ELISA. Multiple linear
regression analysis was used to examine predictors of
dry eye symptoms and signs.
Results Mean serum concentration of E2, 3α-diol-G
and DHEA-S was 9.02±13.40 pg/mL, 1.59±1.02 ng/mL
and 0.74±0.53 μg/mL, respectively. Ocular symptoms
were elevated (mean scores 27.0±18.1 (OSDI) and 40.3
±8.4 (OCI)) but signs were within normal ranges. Higher
serum E2 concentration along with capped glands, lid
telangiectasia and older age was a significant predictor
of worse MG secretion quality (p<0.001, R2
adj=0.75).
Serum hormones were not significant predictors of ocular
symptoms in multivariate analysis (p>0.05).
Conclusion Serum oestrogen appears to be a key
factor in MG signs. Although serum hormone levels did
not contribute significantly to dry eye symptoms in this
study, it is possible that oestrogen plays a role through
its effect on meibum secretion. These findings suggest
that MG dysfunction underpins dry eye symptoms in
non-Sjögren’s dry eye in postmenopausal women |
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