Alterations in the composition of meibomian gland secretions in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction based on Raman spectroscopy

作者：Shangkun Ou, Lingli Zhang, Lingli Zhang, Yiming Wu, Dan Yang, Naikun Jiang, Ting Mao, Xueer Zheng, Hao Gu, Liying Zhang, Liying Zhang · 发表于：Frontiers in Medicine · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fmed.2025.1717118 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Ocular Surface and Contact Lens、Advancements in Transdermal Drug Delivery、Skin Protection and Aging

Purpose: To investigate biochemical alterations in meibum from patients with obstructive meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) using Raman spectroscopy, with a focus on lipid saturation, molecular conformation, and lipid-protein composition. Methods: Meibum samples from healthy individuals and MGD patients with obstructive MGD were collected by eyelid expression, smeared onto gold-coated silicon slides, stored at low temperature, and analyzed within 2 h. Raman band-intensity ratios were used to quantify lipid unsaturation (I1659/I1438, I3013/I2860), lipid molecular conformation (I2888/I2860), and lipid-to-protein balance (I1659/I1161, I3013/I1161). Raman mapping was used to assess spatial distribution of biochemical components. Results: Meibum was lipid-rich in both groups. Ratios associated with lipid unsaturation (I1659/I1438 and I3013/I2860) were significantly lower in MGD samples than in healthy controls, indicating reduced unsaturated lipids. Ratios reflecting lipid-to-protein balance (I1659/I1161 and I3013/I1161) were significantly higher in MGD, suggesting a relative reduction in protein content. The symmetric-to-asymmetric lipid ratio (I2888/I2860) also differed significantly between groups, though with a small absolute effect size. Raman mapping further revealed a heterogeneous spatial distribution of lipids and proteins in MGD meibum. Conclusion: Compared with healthy meibum, MGD meibum exhibits reduced unsaturated lipid content, altered lipid-protein balance, and incre...