An observational study in Meibomian Gland Dysfunction, Dry Eye Syndromes and Rheumatoid Arthritis, sponsored by Assiut University. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-09.
Sponsored by Assiut University · Observational
This observational study aims to assess the frequency and severity of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and associated ocular surface changes in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases compared with healthy volunteers.
Meibomian glands are specialized glands in the eyelids that produce the lipid layer of tears, preventing tear evaporation. Systemic inflammation in rheumatologic conditions may affect these glands, leading to dry eye symptoms and ocular surface damage.
A total of 150 participants (120 rheumatologic patients and 30 healthy controls) will be evaluated in a single cross-sectional examination. Rheumatologic diagnoses include Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Sjogren's Syndrome, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Psoriatic Arthritis.
Participants will undergo a standardized series of non-invasive and minimally invasive eye examinations, including:
The study also examines how meibomian gland alterations correlate with systemic disease activity scores and inflammatory blood markers.
172 studies on the registry are indexed under Meibomian Gland Dysfunction; 23 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 150 is above the median of 65 across 25 observational studies indexed under Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
Browse Meibomian Gland Dysfunction studies →Assiut University is the lead sponsor of 5,078 studies on the registry; 2,178 are open to participants now.
Of its 14 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 0 (0%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Adult patients attending outpatient rheumatology services at Assiut University and Al-Azhar University with confirmed diagnoses of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Sjogren's Syndrome, Ankylosing Spondylitis, or Psoriatic Arthritis), alongside age- and sex-matched healthy control volunteers from the same geographic region with no systemic autoimmune disease or active ocular surface complaints.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Autoimmune disease
A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.
Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Adult patients (aged 18 years or older) with an established diagnosis of one of five systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: Rheumatoid Arthritis (2010 ACR/EULAR criteria), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (2019 EULAR/ACR criteria), Primary Sjogren's Syndrome (2016 ACR/EULAR criteria), Ankylosing Spondylitis (modified New York criteria), or Psoriatic Arthritis (CASPAR criteria) (n = 120). Participants undergo non-invasive meibography, non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT), tear meniscus height (TMH), slit-lamp examination, corneal fluorescein staining, and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire.
Age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects (aged 18 years or older) with no history of systemic autoimmune diseases and no active ocular surface complaints (n = 30). Participants undergo the same standardized ophthalmic assessment battery, including non-invasive meibography, non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT), tear meniscus height (TMH), slit-lamp examination, corneal fluorescein staining, and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire.
Meibomian Gland Loss Assessed by Meiboscore
Meibomian gland drop-out is evaluated using non-contact infrared meibography and graded according to the Meiboscore scale for each eyelid (upper and lower): Grade 0 (no loss of meibomian glands), Grade 1 (gland loss involving less than one-third of the total area), Grade 2 (gland loss involving between one-third and two-thirds of the total area), and Grade 3 (gland loss involving more than two-thirds of the total area). Scores for the upper and lower eyelids are summed to yield a total Meiboscore per eye ranging from 0 to 6, where higher scores indicate greater meibomian gland loss and atrophy.
Time frame: Baseline
No study locations are listed for this record.
Start is estimated for Oct 2026; primary completion for Oct 2027, 12 months later.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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