Elucidation of the pathogenesis of the ocular surface diseases associated with meibomian gland lipids, commensal bacteria and sex steroid hormones

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K11295
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ophthalmology
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Tomo 京都府立医科大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 客員講師 (30613236)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 木下 茂 京都府立医科大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (30116024) ; 山本 順寛 東京工科大学, 応用生物学部, 教授 (60134475) ; 出来尾 格 東京女子医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (80338128)
• Research Collaborator: Nagahara Takeichirou ; Maeda Kazuhiro
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: マイボーム腺 / マイボーム腺機能不全 / 性ホルモン / 脂質分析 / ドライアイ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Meibomian gland secretions (meibum) of 6 healthy males and females of 30s and 60s and 10 patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) were collected and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). As a result of principal component analysis (PCA), 36 samples were classified into two groups on PC1 (contribution rate: 81.0%). One consisted of the first half of the menstrual cycle of women in 30s, in which the lipid component of meibum seemed to have changed, and another consisted of the latter half of the menstrual cycle of them as well as men in 30s, men and women in 60s. The fatty acid composition of meibum significantly changed before ovulation. It was suggested that sex hormones influence on the lipid biosynthesis pathway of meibum.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ドライアイの原因の約6割を占めると言われるMGDであるが、未だその病因は明らかではない。健常者では若年女性のみ、月経周期に伴い（特にエストロゲン濃度が高くなる時期に）meibumの脂肪酸組成が有意に変化し、同様の脂肪酸組成の変化が閉塞性MGD患者にもみられることから、マイボーム腺における脂質生合成（”meibogenesis”）に性ホルモンが関与し、女性におけるMGDの発症、ひいては蒸発亢進型ドライアイの発症に関与している可能性があると考えられた。今後、MGDおよびドライアイの新規治療法への開発へと繋げられる可能性がある。