Table 1.
All clinical estimated mean outcomes at baseline, 1 month after the last treatment (week 7), and 2 months after the last treatment (week 11).
| Outcome (95% confidence interval) | Group | Baseline | 1 month after the last treatment | 1 month vs baseline | QMR vs Sham (1 month) | 2 months after the last treatment | 2 months vs baseline | QMR vs Sham (2 months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OSDI score (0–100) | QMR | 27.01; [24.00, 30.02] | 19.34; [16.24, 22.45] | P = 0.002* | P = 0.161 | 17.84; [14.83, 20.86] | P < 0.001* | P = 0.999 |
| Sham-QMR | 27.80; [24.79, 30.82] | 20.13; [16.99, 23.27] | P = 0.002* | 18.63; [15.61, 21.67] | P < 0.001* | |||
| TMH (mm) | QMR | 0.24; [−0.001, 0.47] | 0.27; [0.03, 0.51] | P = 1.000 | P = 0.979 | 0.43; [0.19, 0.66] | P = 0.893 | P = 0.979 |
| Sham-QMR | 0.12; [−0.11, 0.37] | 0.16; [−0.09, 0.41] | P = 1.000 | 0.32; [0.08, 0.56] | P = 0.893 | |||
| NITBUT (s) | QMR | 9.24; [8.11, 10.37] | 9.01; [7.85, 10.17] | P = 1.000 | P = 1.000 | 10.00; [8.87, 11.14] | P = 0.944 | P = 1.000 |
| Sham-QMR | 9.06; [7.93, 10.20] | 8.83; [7.65, 10.02] | P = 1.000 | 9.83; [8.68, 10.97] | P = 0.944 | |||
| Bulbar conjunctival hyperemia (JENVIS scale, 0–4) | QMR | 1.25; [1.06, 1.45] | 1.43; [1.23, 1.64] | P = 0.847 | P = 0.940 | 1.23; [1.03, 1.43] | P = 1.000 | P = 0.940 |
| Sham-QMR | 1.37; [1.17, 1.57] | 1.55; [1.34, 1.76] | P = 0.847 | 1.35; [1.15, 1.55] | P = 1.000 | |||
| Tear film lipid layer thickness (nm) | QMR | 54.86; [49.40, 60.32] | 56.92; [51.33, 62.51] | P = 0.996 | P = 1.000 | 53.01; [47.54, 58.48] | P = 0.997 | P = 1.000 |
| Sham-QMR | 55.31; [49.84, 60.77] | 57.36; [51.67, 63.07] | P = 0.996 | 53.45; [47.95, 58.96] | P = 0.997 | |||
| Tear osmolarity (mOsm/L) | QMR | 297.70; [294.40, 300.99] | 302.15; [298.76, 305.54] | P = 0.169 | P = 0.998 | - | - | - |
| Sham-QMR | 298.09; [294.82, 301.35] | 302.54; [299.05, 306.03] | P = 0.169 | - | - | |||
| Sodium fluorescein staining score (0–15) | QMR | 2.12; [1.79, 2.44] | 1.42; [1.09, 1.75] | P = 0.114 | P = 0.610 | 1.24; [0.92, 1.57] | P = 0.013* | P = 0.036* |
| Sham-QMR | 1.85; [1.52, 2.18] | 1.89; [1.54, 2.24] | P = 1.000 | 2.06; [1.73, 2.39] | P = 0.975 | |||
| Schirmer’s test (mm) | QMR | 14.55; [12.39, 16.71] | 14.54; [12.33, 16.77] | P = 1.000 | P = 0.999 | 15.25; [13.09, 17.41] | P = 0.999 | P = 0.545 |
| Sham-QMR | 16.47; [14.30, 18.63] | 13.77; [11.46, 16.08] | P = 0.686 | 12.07; [9.88, 14.26] | P = 0.121 | |||
| Telangiectatic vessel (pixel) | QMR | 30,732.69; [28,188.34, 33,277.04] | 29,755.25; [27,177.81, 32,332.70] | P = 0.997 | P = 0.297 | 26,259.85; [23,646.30, 28,873.40] | P = 0.231 | P = 0.008* |
| Sham-QMR | 28,600.29; [26,082.36, 31,118.22] | 34,406.38; [31,793.07, 37,019.69] | P = 0.039* | 33,839.81; [31,155.88, 36,523.75] | P = 0.102 | |||
| Lid margin thickening grade (0–2) | QMR | 1.23; [1.10, 1.35] | 0.75; [0.63, 0.88] | P < 0.001* | P = 0.070 | 0.76; [0.64, 0.89] | P < 0.001* | P = 0.885 |
| Sham-QMR | 1.23; [1.10, 1.35] | 1.06; [0.92, 1.19] | P = 0.602 | 0.89; [0.76, 1.01] | P = 0.009* | |||
| Lid margin irregularity grade (0–2) | QMR | 1.04; [0.88, 1.20] | 1.06; [0.90, 1.22] | P = 1.000 | P = 0.769 | 0.98; [0.82, 1.14] | P = 0.997 | P = 0.769 |
| Sham-QMR | 1.18; [1.02, 1.34] | 1.20; [1.03, 1.37] | P = 1.000 | 1.12; [0.96, 1.28] | P = 0.997 | |||
| MG plugging grade (0–3) | QMR | 2.40; [2.14, 2.66] | 1.72; [1.45, 1.98] | P = 0.009 | P = 0.017* | 1.71; [1.45, 1.97] | P = 0.007 | P = 0.054 |
| Sham-QMR | 2.36; [2.10, 2.62] | 2.44; [2.16, 2.71] | P = 0.999 | 2.33; [2.07, 2.59] | P = 1.000 | |||
| Superior lid meiboscale (0–4) | QMR | 1.78; [1.69, 1.88] | 1.65; [1.55, 1.75] | P = 0.454 | P = 0.027* | 1.66; [1.56, 1.75] | P = 0.475 | P = 0.011* |
| Sham-QMR | 1.80; [1.70, 1.90] | 1.91; [1.81, 2.02] | P = 0.653 | 1.93; [1.83, 2.03] | P = 0.460 | |||
| Inferior lid meiboscale (0–4) | QMR | 1.23; [1.17, 1.28] | 1.20; [1.15, 1.25] | P = 0.987 | P = 0.658 | 1.18; [1.12, 1.23] | P = 0.772 | P = 0.020* |
| Sham-QMR | 1.24; [1.19, 1.29] | 1.27; [1.22, 1.33] | P = 0.957 | 1.31; [1.26, 1.37] | P = 0.323 | |||
| Meibum quality score (0–24) | QMR | 16.16; [15.15, 17.17] | 13.79; [12.75, 14.82] | P = 0.034* | P = 0.193 | 14.16; [13.15, 15.17] | P = 0.116 | P = 0.008* |
| Sham-QMR | 16.30; [15.28, 17.30] | 15.86; [14.78, 16.94] | P = 0.996 | 17.06; [16.03, 18.08] | P = 0.939 | |||
| Meibum expressibility grade (0–3) | QMR | 0.79; [0.51, 1.08] | 0.62; [0.33, 0.91] | P = 0.970 | P = 0.761 | 0.40; [0.11, 0.68] | P = 0.411 | P = 0.761 |
| Sham-QMR | 1.03; [0.75, 1.31] | 0.85; [0.56, 1.15] | P = 0.970 | 0.63; [0.35, 0.92] | P = 0.411 | |||
| Tear Cytokine (log-pg/ml) | ||||||||
| IL-6 level | QMR | 3.23; [2.95, 3.52] | 2.73; [2.44, 3.02] | P = 0.016 | P = 0.146 | - | - | - |
| Sham-QMR | 3.10; [2.82, 3.38] | 3.05; [2.74, 3.35] | P = 0.806 | - | - | |||
| IL-1Ra level | QMR | 12.45; [12.20, 12.70] | 12.33; [12.06, 12.59] | P = 0.498 | P = 0.106 | - | - | - |
| Sham-QMR | 12.39; [12.14, 12.64] | 12.64; [12.06, 12.59] | P = 0.194 | - | - | |||
IL interleukin, NITBUT noninvasive tear break-up time, OSDI Ocular Surface Disease Index, TMH tear meniscus height
* P < 0.05