Table 2.
The pMDs and Corresponding 95% CIs of Lf Concentration Between Groups of Healthy Controls and DE Subjects by Strata of Potential Sources of Heterogeneity
| Strata | N | MD | 95% CI | I2 | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tear sampling methods | |||||
| Capillary tubes | 9 | 0.60 | (0.28 to 0.91) | 97.92% | 0.6780 |
| Paper strips | 5 | 0.76 | (0.04 to 1.49) | 92.35% | |
| Methods to quantify Lf concentration | |||||
| Gel electrophoresis | 6 | 0.55 | (−0.03 to 1.13) | 98.49% | 0.7971 |
| ELISA* | 3 | 0.45 | (−0.88 to 1.77) | 91.55% | |
| Other | 5 | 0.80 | (0.21 to 1.39) | 92.12% | |
| Diagnostic criteria | 0.2215 | ||||
| Signs, symptoms, clinical evaluation | 6 | 0.45 | (0.16 to 0.73) | 91.56% | |
| Signs, symptoms, clinical evaluation, and/or tear test | 8 | 0.82 | (0.30 to 1.34) | 98.17% | |
| Age, years | |||||
| ≤48 | 5 | 0.47 | (0.14 to 0.80) | 95.59% | 0.9915 |
| >48 | 5 | 0.47 | (−0.09 to 1.02) | 97.43% | |
| Females, % | |||||
| ≤76 | 5 | 0.54 | (−0.01 to 1.09) | 97.42% | 0.5931 |
| >76* | 4 | 0.76 | (−0.30 to 1.81) | 89.88% | |
| Country | |||||
| Asia | 5 | 0.59 | (0.26 to 0.93) | 96.59% | < 0.0001 |
| Europe | 5 | 1.07 | (0.60 to 1.55) | 96.25% | |
| US | 4 | −0.03 | (−0.25 to 0.18) | 0.00% | |
| Sample size | |||||
| ≤62 | 7 | 0.23 | (0.01 to 0.44) | 91.47% | 0.0005 |
| >62 | 7 | 0.85 | (0.57 to 1.14) | 87.90% |
*
CIs calculated using the Hartung Knapp Sidik Jonkman method.