Abstract: Objective: To investigate the infection of demodex folliculorum in patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS), and to determine the correlative relationship between demodexin eyelashes and the ocular surface characteristics. Methods: In this case control study, 22 patients (44 eyes) with SS (SS group, study group) and 21 dry eye patients (42 eyes) without SS (non-SS group, control group) were recruited from Peking University People's Hospital from January to June 2019. The 5-item dry eye questionnaire (DEQ-5), ocular surface disease index, non-invasive tear meniscus height, non-invasive break up time, corneal staining score, the drop out of the upper meibomian gland and the number of demodex in eyelashes were examined in both groups. A t test was used to compare the continuous variables differences between the two groups, a Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare the categorical variables between the two groups, and Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between the continuous variables of the 2 different groups. Results: The number of mites in the non-SS group was significantly higher than that of the SS group (Z=-2.41, P=0.021). The number of mites in the SS group was correlated with the score on the DEQ-5 scale (r=0.40, P=0.02) and the drop out of the upper meibomian gland (r= -0.70, P=0.02), while the number of mites in the non-SS group was only correlated with the score on the DEQ-5 scale (r=0.63, P=0.04). There was a significant difference in the drop out of the upper meibomian gland between the Demodex positive group and Demodex negative group (Z=3.214, P=0.002). Conclusions: The number of demodex in the SS group is lower than that in the non-SS group. The score on the DEQ-5 scale and the drop out of the upper meibomian gland are correlated with demodex in the eyelashes.
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