Evaluation of serum vitamin D and lipid profile levels in patients with chronic blepharitis due to obstructive meibomian gland dysfunction

In this prospective comparative study, 35 patients diagnosed with obstructive meibomian gland dysfunction (OMGD) who applied to the Department of Ophthalmology at Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine Hospital between April 2023 and October 2023 and 35 age- and gender-matched healthy participants who applied for routine ophthalmological examinations were included. All participants underwent a detailed ophthalmological examination, including the ocular Surface Damage Index (OSDI) test, tear breakup time (TBUT), and shirmer test. Ocular surface staining (corneal and conjunctiva staining) was evaluated according to the Oxford scheme. The quality of the main Meibomian secretion, morphological differences at the lid margin, and the degree of contamination of the Meibomian secretion, which directly indicates Meiboimian gland dysfunction, were evaluated. The lipid profile values of the patients in the OMBD group were median triglyceride TG (168±118), total cholesterol (183±49), high-density lipoprotein HDL (53±9), and low-density lipoprotein LDL (123±31). In the healthy control group, the average lipid profile values were triglyceride TG (150±75), total cholesterol (175±39), high-density lipoprotein HDL (52±8), and low-density lipoprotein LDL (117±28). No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL. The difference between the two groups was significant only due to triglyceride (TG) values (p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in serum vitamin D between the OMBD group and the healthy control group (p = 0.112). There was no significant difference in the distribution of serum vitamin D levels (deficient, inadequate, and optimal) between the two groups (p = 0.273).