Molecular Vision: Matsumoto, Mol Vis 2008; 14:1263-1271. Table 1

Table 1. Comparison of age, gender, tear quantity, tear stability, lipid layer interferometry, tear evaporation rate, vital staining scores and clinical meibomian gland status between normal controls and MGD patients.

	Controls (n=15)	MGDs (n=20)	p value
Age (years)	56.8±13.6	65.9±15.5	p=0.074
Gender (% of female)	53.3	70.0	p=0.51
Schirmer test (mm)	12.7±9.6	9.3±7.2	p=0.11
BUT (s)	8.5±3.7	4.9±2.4	p=0.0001
DR-1 grading	2.3±0.8	3.6±0.8	p=0.0001
TEROS (10⁻⁷ g/cm²/s)	4.30±3.82	6.37±3.72	p=0.029
FS score (points)	0.5±0.9	2.4±2.8	p=0.0001
RB score (points)	0.2±0.6	1.1±1.7	p=0.0067
MG expressibility grading	0.3±0.5	2.2±0.9	p=0.0001
MG dropout grading	0.4±0.6	1.6±0.5	p=0.0001

Note the absence of significant age and sex differences between the controls and MGD patients. The Schirmer test value (tear quantity) was also not significantly different in MGD patients when compared to controls. Note that the mean tear stability (BUT), DR-1 lipid layer interferometry grade, tear evaporation rate, vital staining scores (FS and RB scores), MG expressibility, and drop out grades were significantly worse in patients with MGD when compared with controls. Data are given as mean±SD. p values denote the statistical comparison between controls and MGDs. MG=meibomian gland, MGD=meibomian gland dysfunction, BUT=tear film break-up time, TEROS=tear evaporation rate from ocular surface, DR-1=tear film lipid layer interferometry, FS=fluorescein, RB=Rose Bengal.