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Impact of Antiandrogen Treatment on the Fatty Acid Profile of Neutral Lipids in Human Meibomian Gland Secretions¹

Schepens Eye Research Institute (B.D.S., K.L.K., M.R.D., D.A.S.), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (M.R.D.), Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School (B.D.S., M.R.D., D.A.S.), and New England College of Optometry (K.L.K.), Boston, Massachusetts 02114; and Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center for Mental Retardation (J.E.E.), Waltham, Massachusetts 02452

Address correspondence and requests for reprints to: David A. Sullivan, Ph.D., Schepens Eye Research Institute, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114. E-mail: sullivan{at}vision.eri.harvard.edu

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of antiandrogen medications is associated with significant alterations in the fatty acid (FA) profiles of neutral lipids in human meibomian gland secretions. Meibomian gland secretions were obtained from both eyes of patients receiving antiandrogen therapy and from age-related controls. Samples were processed for high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and an evaluation of the mass/charge ratios of neutral lipid FA. Our results demonstrate that antiandrogen therapy is associated with significant and consistent alterations in the mass/charge ratios of neutral lipid fractions of meibomian gland secretions. Patients taking antiandrogen medications had significant changes in the occurrence of numerous diglyceride, triglyceride, and wax/cholesterol ester FA products, compared with age-matched controls. Statistical analyses of data within groups demonstrated very high correlation coefficients, and cross-correlation analyses revealed characteristic shifts in FA patterns between groups. Our findings show that antiandrogen use is paralleled by significant changes in the FA profiles of neutral lipid fractions in meibomian gland secretions.

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