Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (895 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A chronic dysfunction of meibomian glands characterized by altered tear film stability and function due to a decrease or alteration in lipid quality/content in meibum. It is often associated with evaporative-type dry eye syndrome.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Dysfunction, Meibomian Gland; Meibomian Gland Dysfunctions; MG Dysfunction; MG Dysfunctions.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Eyelid Diseases
Related concepts
- Meibomian Glands
- Dry Eye Syndrome
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 632 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Meibomian Gland Dysfunction” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 577 of them (91.3%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2020 onward with 577 records.
Reviews account for 100 records (15.8%) and meta-analyses for 25. Randomized controlled trials number 91 (14.4%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up a comparatively large share of this literature, which means many treatment questions have been tested directly.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 0 |
| 2000-2009 | 0 |
| 2010-2019 | 61 |
| 2020 onward | 577 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 100 | 15.8% |
| Meta-analyses | 25 | 4.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 91 | 14.4% |
Method: PubMed query "Meibomian Gland Dysfunction"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in eye, ear, nose and throat
Eye, hearing, nose and throat studies rely on specialist tests (visual acuity, eye pressure, audiograms, scopes) and on patient-reported symptoms, which vary between people and with age. Some conditions improve without treatment, so comparison groups matter. Nothing on this page is advice about diagnosis or treatment; sudden loss of sight or hearing needs urgent care from a qualified clinician. Check how the outcome was tested, the age of the people studied and how long they were followed.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: What Have Animal Models Taught Us? [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Studies have estimated that currently 344 million people worldwide and 16.
- Closing excerpt
- Herein, we provide a bibliographic review on the various animal models that have been used to study Meibomian gland development, Meibomian gland homeostasis and MGD, primarily focusing on publications between 2000 and 2020.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (198 words)
Studies have estimated that currently 344 million people worldwide and 16.4 million adults in the US have some form of dry eye disease (DED). It is believed that approximately 70% of DED cases are due to some form of evaporative dry eye, for which Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is the major cause. Unfortunately, currently there is no effective treatment for MGD, and solely palliative care is available. Given the importance of MGD in DED, there has been a growing interest in studying Meibomian gland development, homeostasis and pathology, and, also, in developing therapies for treating and/or preventing MGD. For such, animal models have shown to be a vital tool. Much of what is known today about the Meibomian gland and MGD was learnt from these important animal models. In particular, canine and rabbit models have been essential for studying the physiopathology and progression of DED, and the mouse model, which includes different knockout strains, has enabled the identification of specific pathways potentially involved in MGD. Herein, we provide a bibliographic review on the various animal models that have been used to study Meibomian gland development, Meibomian gland homeostasis and MGD, primarily focusing on publications between 2000 and 2020.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 33233466 · DOI · PMC7700490
Intense pulsed light improves signs and symptoms of dry eye disease due to meibomian gland dysfunction: A randomized controlled study [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- PurposeTo compare the safety and efficacy of intense pulsed light (IPL) followed by meibomian gland expression (MGX), against monotherapy of MGX.
- Closing excerpt
- Future studies are needed to elucidate if and how such improvements can be generalized to different severity levels of MGD.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (276 words)
PurposeTo compare the safety and efficacy of intense pulsed light (IPL) followed by meibomian gland expression (MGX), against monotherapy of MGX.MethodsPatients with moderate to severe meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) were 1:1 randomized to 4 sessions of intense pulse light + MGX at 2-week intervals, or 4 sessions of Sham + MGX at 2-week intervals. Both patients and examiners were blinded to the allocation. Outcome measures, evaluated at the baseline (BL) and at a follow-up (FU) conducted 4 weeks after the last IPL session, included fluorescein tear breakup time (TBUT) as the primary outcome measure, OSDI (Ocular Surface Disease Index) questionnaire, Eye Dryness Score (EDS, a visual analog scale (VAS)-based questionnaire), Meibomian gland score (MGS, a score of meibum expressibility and quality in 15 glands on the lower eyelid), daily use of artificial tears, and daily use of warm compresses. In addition, during each treatment session, the number of expressible glands was counted in both eyelids, the predominant quality of meibum was estimated in both eyelids, and the level of pain/discomfort due to MGX and IPL was recorded.ResultsTBUT increased from 3.8±0.2 (μ±standard error of mean (SEM)) to 4.5±0.3 seconds in the control arm, and from 4.0±0.2 to 6.0±0.3 in the study arm. The difference between arms was statistically significant (P ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that, in patients with moderate to severe symptoms, combination therapy of intense pulse light (IPL) and meibomian gland expression (MGX) could be a safe and useful approach for improving signs of dry eye disease (DED) due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Future studies are needed to elucidate if and how such improvements can be generalized to different severity levels of MGD.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 35737696 · DOI · PMC9223330
Analysis of tear inflammatory molecules and clinical correlations in evaporative dry eye disease caused by meibomian gland dysfunction [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- PurposeTo compare the levels of inflammatory molecules in tear samples between patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)-related evaporative dry eye (EDE) and healthy subjects and to analyze the correlations between the levels of tear inflammatory molecules and ocular surface parameters.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings suggested that inflammation played an important role in MGD-related EDE, and several inflammatory molecules could be used in the diagnosis and the treatment of MGD-related EDE.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (240 words)
PurposeTo compare the levels of inflammatory molecules in tear samples between patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)-related evaporative dry eye (EDE) and healthy subjects and to analyze the correlations between the levels of tear inflammatory molecules and ocular surface parameters.MethodsA total of 30 MGD-related EDE patients (48 eyes) and ten healthy volunteers (15 eyes) were enrolled. Dry eye-related examinations and questionnaires were obtained from all participants. The levels of nine inflammatory molecules were determined through multiplex bead analysis.ResultsInflammatory molecules including ICAM-1, IFN-γ, CXCL8/IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-12p70 were detected in 100% of the patients, while IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-10 were detected in 56.25%, 13.60% and 45.83% of the patients, respectively. Moreover, ICAM-1, IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-12p70 and IFN-γ were detected in 86.67-100% of the healthy subjects, and the detection rates of IL-10, IL-1α and IL-1β were below 50%. The levels of IL-8, IL-6, IFN-γ and ICAM-1 were significantly higher in the patient group compared with the control group. In addition, IL-8 and IL-6 were negatively correlated with Schirmer I test. Besides, IFN-γ was negatively correlated with tear film breakup time. Furthermore, ICAM-1 and IL-6 were positively correlated with meibography score.ConclusionsCollectively, patients with MGD-related EDE had higher levels of inflammatory molecules in their tears, and some molecules were correlated with ocular surface parameters. These findings suggested that inflammation played an important role in MGD-related EDE, and several inflammatory molecules could be used in the diagnosis and the treatment of MGD-related EDE.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 32601963 · DOI · PMC7550292
DHCR24 Deficiency Drives Age-Related Meibomian Gland Dysfunction by Regulating Lipid Metabolic Imbalance and Cytosolic mtDNA-Induced cGAS-STING Activation [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Dysregulated lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation are hallmarks of aging, yet their interplay in age-related tissue disorders remains poorly defined.
- Closing excerpt
- Our findings establish DHCR24 as a dual-target regulator that maintains cholesterol metabolic homeostasis while suppressing mtDNA-driven inflammation via the cGAS-STING pathway, highlighting its therapeutic potential for ARMGD and related disorders characterized by lipid-inflammatory imbalance.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (181 words)
Dysregulated lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation are hallmarks of aging, yet their interplay in age-related tissue disorders remains poorly defined. In the ocular surface, age-related meibomian gland dysfunction (ARMGD) is highly prevalent but mechanistically unclear, leading to significant visual impairment without targeted therapies. To identify key molecular drivers of ARMGD, we performed integrated multi-omics screening of aging mouse meibomian glands (MGs) and identified DHCR24, a key cholesterol metabolism enzyme, as a critical regulator of gland homeostasis. Single-cell sequencing identified age-associated downregulation of Dhcr24 predominantly in meibocytes. Based on this finding, we generated a meibocyte-specific Dhcr24 knockout (cKO) model, which exhibited typical ARMGD pathology including glandular atrophy, disrupted lipid homeostasis, and inflammatory activation. Further in vitro studies using SZ95 sebocytes demonstrated that DHCR24 deficiency induces mitochondrial dysfunction and cytosolic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) leakage, triggering cGAS/STING-dependent inflammatory senescence. Notably, AAV-mediated restoration of DHCR24 in mice reversed age-related gland pathology. Our findings establish DHCR24 as a dual-target regulator that maintains cholesterol metabolic homeostasis while suppressing mtDNA-driven inflammation via the cGAS-STING pathway, highlighting its therapeutic potential for ARMGD and related disorders characterized by lipid-inflammatory imbalance.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42003925 · DOI · PMC13086210
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Management of meibomian gland dysfunction: a review [5]
- Research article Prevalence and Incidence of Dry Eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Global Prevalence of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [7]
- Research article TFOS DEWS III: Management and Therapy [8]
- Research article Intense pulsed light treatment in meibomian gland dysfunction: A concise review [9]
- Research article A Review on Evidence-Based Treatments for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction [10]
References
- Sun M, Moreno IY, Dang M, Coulson-Thomas VJ. Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: What Have Animal Models Taught Us?. . 2020. PMID 33233466 · DOI · PMC7700490
- Toyos R, Desai NR, Toyos M, Dell SJ. Intense pulsed light improves signs and symptoms of dry eye disease due to meibomian gland dysfunction: A randomized controlled study. . 2022. PMID 35737696 · DOI · PMC9223330
- Wu X, Chen X, Ma Y, Lin X, Yu X, He S, et al.. Analysis of tear inflammatory molecules and clinical correlations in evaporative dry eye disease caused by meibomian gland dysfunction. . 2020. PMID 32601963 · DOI · PMC7550292
- Cai Y, Zhou T, Sun J, Cai X, Shi W, Chen J, et al.. DHCR24 Deficiency Drives Age-Related Meibomian Gland Dysfunction by Regulating Lipid Metabolic Imbalance and Cytosolic mtDNA-Induced cGAS-STING Activation. . 2026. PMID 42003925 · DOI · PMC13086210
- Sabeti S, Kheirkhah A, Yin J, Dana R. Management of meibomian gland dysfunction: a review. Surv Ophthalmol. 2020. PMID 31494111 · DOI
- McCann P, Abraham AG, Mukhopadhyay A, Panagiotopoulou K, Chen H, Rittiphairoj T, et al.. Prevalence and Incidence of Dry Eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2022. PMID 36301551 · DOI · PMC9614673
- Hassanzadeh S, Varmaghani M, Zarei-Ghanavati S, Heravian Shandiz J, Azimi Khorasani A. Global Prevalence of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2021. PMID 32589483 · DOI
- Jones L, Craig JP, Markoulli M, Karpecki P, Akpek EK, Basu S, et al.. TFOS DEWS III: Management and Therapy. Am J Ophthalmol. 2025. PMID 40467022 · DOI
- Tashbayev B, Yazdani M, Arita R, Fineide F, Utheim TP. Intense pulsed light treatment in meibomian gland dysfunction: A concise review. Ocul Surf. 2020. PMID 32629039 · DOI
- Lam PY, Shih KC, Fong PY, Chan TCY, Ng AL, Jhanji V, et al.. A Review on Evidence-Based Treatments for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Eye Contact Lens. 2020. PMID 31834043 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.