Evaluation of tear film and the morphological changes of meibomian glands in young Asian soft contact lens wearers and non-wearers

Background The aim of this study was to explore the differences in terms of tear film and meibomian glands (MGs) between young Asian soft contact lens (CL) wearers and non-wearers. Methods A prospective, cross-sectional observational study was conducted using 148 subjects (63 non-wearers, and 85 soft CL wearers who had been wearing CLs for more than 1 year) recruited from a clinic in Tianjin, China. All subjects first responded to an Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and then underwent a standardized dry eye examination, which included measuring tear meniscus height (TMH), non-invasive tear breakup time (NIBUT), and corneal fluorescein staining (CFS). The MGs were evaluated via ImageJ, distorted MG count and the MG dropout were recorded. Results Compared to the control group (non-wearers), the CL group recorded higher OSDI and CFS scores, lower TMH and NITBUT values, a larger distorted MG count, and larger MG dropout (all P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis found a correlation between MG dropout and the duration of CL use (r = 0.440, P < 0.001), OSDI (r = 0.298, P = 0.006), and CFS scores (r = 0.442, P < 0.001). Conclusion CL wearers showed higher MG dropout and reduced TMH and NITBUT, which likely contributes to severe CL-related dry eye symptoms. CL use may lead to a higher MG dropout rate, and the extent of the MG dropout presumably influences the tear film status in CL wearers.