Biophysical behaviour of the infant Meibomian lipid layer. 1994

T Kaercher, and D Möbius, and R Welt
Augenklinik Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Infants have been known occasionally to stare without blinking for almost a minute. This puts great demands on the stability of their tear-film. To verify the stability of infant tears, we performed biophysical experiments on Meibomian gland secretion, which forms the outermost layer of the tear-film. The secretion was taken from infants belonging to one of three age-groups (1.5 years, 4-5 years, 7-10 years). Under in vitro conditions we determined the surface pressure and the surface potential of the film by spreading the secretion over a water surface and subsequently compressing and decompressing it. Sufficient amounts of Meibomian gland secretion were expressed in all age-groups. The surface pressure and the surface potential of the tears in infants corresponded to those in healthy adults. It was also found that the younger the patient was, the better was the consistency of the surface potential under repeated periods of compression and expansion. In comparison with the secretion of healthy adults, the infant Meibomian gland secretion showed better biophysical characteristics and a correspondingly higher stability in the tear-film.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D008055 Lipids A generic term for fats and lipoids, the alcohol-ether-soluble constituents of protoplasm, which are insoluble in water. They comprise the fats, fatty oils, essential oils, waxes, phospholipids, glycolipids, sulfolipids, aminolipids, chromolipids (lipochromes), and fatty acids. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed) Lipid
D008537 Meibomian Glands The sebaceous glands situated on the inner surface of the eyelids between the tarsal plates and CONJUNCTIVA. Glandulae Tarsales,Tarsal Glands,Gland, Meibomian,Gland, Tarsal,Meibomian Gland,Tarsal Gland
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001703 Biophysics The study of PHYSICAL PHENOMENA and PHYSICAL PROCESSES as applied to living things. Mechanobiology
D013666 Tears The fluid secreted by the lacrimal glands. This fluid moistens the CONJUNCTIVA and CORNEA. Meibomian Lipids,Meibum,Lipid, Meibomian,Meibomian Lipid,Tear
D055592 Biophysical Phenomena The physical characteristics and processes of biological systems. Biophysical Concepts,Biophysical Processes,Biophysical Phenomenon,Biophysical Process,Biophysical Concept,Concept, Biophysical,Concepts, Biophysical,Phenomena, Biophysical,Phenomenon, Biophysical,Process, Biophysical,Processes, Biophysical

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