Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34147078›Full record

ArticleBMC ophthalmology2021

In vivo confocal microscopy assessment of meibomian glands microstructure in patients with Graves' orbitopathy.

Shengnan Cheng, Yueqi Yu, Jin Chen, Lin Ye, Xinghua Wang, Fagang Jiang

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC ophthalmology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Shengnan ChengDepartment of Ophthalmology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
Yueqi YuDepartment of Ophthalmology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
Jin ChenDepartment of Ophthalmology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
Lin YeDepartment of General Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
Xinghua WangDepartment of Ophthalmology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China. xinghua_wang@hust.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5608-0607
Fagang JiangDepartment of Ophthalmology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China. fgjiang@hotmail.com.
Union Hospital · CN

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 81900912
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo evaluate microstructural changes in the meibomian glands (MGs) in patients with active and inactive Graves' orbitopathy (GO), using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM), and to investigate the correlations between clinical and confocal findings.

methodsForty patients (80 eyes) with GO (34 eyes with active GO, 46 eyes with inactive GO), and 31 age- and sex-matched control participants (62 eyes) were enrolled consecutively. A researcher recorded the clinical activity score (CAS) for each patient. A complete ophthalmic examination was then performed, including external eye, ocular surface and MGs. IVCM of the MGs was performed to determine the MG acinar density (MAD), MG longest and shortest diameters (MALD and MASD), MG orifice area (MOA), MG acinar irregularity (MAI), meibum secretion reflectivity (MSR), acinar wall inhomogeneity (AWI), acinar periglandular interstices inhomogeneity (API), and severity of MG fibrosis (MF).

resultsAll confocal microscopy assessments of MGs significantly differed among groups (all P = 0.000). Compared to controls, GO groups showed lower MOA (1985.82 ± 1325.30 μm

conclusionsIVCM effectively revealed microstructural changes of MGs in eyes with GO and provided strong in vivo evidence for the roles of obstruction and inflammation in the ocular surface disease process. Furthermore, it revealed discernible patterns of MG abnormalities in eyes with active GO and inactive GO, which are not easily distinguishable by typical clinical examinations.

Indexed as

Graves OphthalmopathyFibrosisHumansMeibomian GlandsMicroscopy, ConfocalTearsGraves’ orbitopathyIn vivo confocal microscopyMeibomian glandsMicrostructure

Identifiers

PMID34147078
PMCPMC8214770
OpenAlexW3175651214

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.