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SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE · MED

Meibum Lipid Saturation Related to Dry Eye, Age, and Sex Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci · 2026-03-01

DOI: 10.1167/iovs.67.3.60PMID: 41910524

Open accessResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; research-article; Journal ArticleOriginal source ↗

Research overview

The text below is the source article’s original abstract under a verified reuse license. cc by

PurposeThe degree of unsaturation in hydrocarbon chains (HCunsat) is likely to play an important role in determining the stability, order, and fluidity of lipids in the tear film lipid layer. The HCunsat of meibum lipids was investigated in relationship with age, sex, dry eye, Sjögren's syndrome, Parkinson's disease, and treatment for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.MethodsMeibum was expressed and HCunsat was measured using 1H-NMR resonances at 5.33 and 2.00 ppm. HCunsat levels were normalized to the level of wax esters, cholesteryl esters, and hydrocarbons.ResultsHCunsat levels, normalized to lipid esters, were found to be 20% to 40% lower in individuals aged >50 years compared with those ConclusionsMeibum HCunsat decreases with age and is lower with dry eye, Sjögren's syndrome, and Parkinson's disease cohorts compared with a cohort without dry eye. This decrease in HCunsat is expected to contribute to lipid aggregation, decreased lipid spreading, and meibomian gland outflow. ¹H-NMR was effective for quantifying major meibum lipids.

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