Table 4.

Characteristics of isolated bacterial flora in control and different MGD severity

Objectives	Control (n=58)	Mild (n=8)	Moderate (n=55)	Severe (n=19)	P-value
Positive isolation, n (%)
With S.e.	27 (46.6%)	5 (62.5%)	32 (58.2%)	17 (89.5%)#,¶	0.012
Without S.e.	9 (15.5%)	1 (12.5%)	14 (25.5%)	12 (63.2%)#,Δ,¶	<0.001*
Types of isolated bacteria, mean ± SD
With S.e.	0.62±0.697	0.75±0.707	0.89±0.975	1.42±0.961#,¶	0.005*
Without S.e.,	0.16±0.365	0.13±0.354	0.38±0.758	0.84±0.834#,Δ,¶	<0.001*

Notes:

^*P<0.05;

^#P<0.05 compared to control;

^ΔP<0.05 compared to mild MGD;

^¶P<0.05 compared to moderate MGD.

Abbreviation: MGD, Meibomian gland dysfunction; n (%): number of eyes (percentage in the groups of control and MGD severity); S.e.: Staphylococcus epidermidis.