Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (476 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Each of the upper and lower folds of SKIN which cover the EYE when closed.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Eyelid.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Eye
- Narrower topics
- Eyelashes; Conjunctiva; Meibomian Glands
- See also
- Nictitating Membrane
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 39,441 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Eyelids” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 6,962 of them (17.7%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 16,798 records.
Reviews account for 2,464 records (6.2%) and meta-analyses for 109. Randomized controlled trials number 1,216 (3.1%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 16,798 |
| 2000-2009 | 6,549 |
| 2010-2019 | 9,132 |
| 2020 onward | 6,962 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 2,464 | 6.2% |
| Meta-analyses | 109 | 0.3% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 1,216 | 3.1% |
Method: PubMed query "Eyelids"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identification of Meibomian gland stem cell populations and mechanisms of aging | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 23 | cc by PMID 39955307 · DOI · PMC11830078 |
| Akkermansia muciniphila outer membrane protein Amuc_0904 modulates intestinal homeostasis by promoting goblet cell differentiation | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 12 | cc by PMID 41424360 · DOI · PMC12810044 |
| Real-world performance of the inflammadry test in dry eye diagnosis: an analysis of 1,515 patients | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 12 | cc by PMID 40042683 · DOI · PMC12238174 |
Identification of Meibomian gland stem cell populations and mechanisms of aging [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Meibomian glands secrete lipid-rich meibum, which prevents tear evaporation.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings suggest new approaches to treat aging-associated Meibomian gland loss.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (154 words)
Meibomian glands secrete lipid-rich meibum, which prevents tear evaporation. Aging-related Meibomian gland shrinkage may result in part from stem cell exhaustion and is associated with evaporative dry eye disease, a common condition lacking effective treatment. The identities and niche of Meibomian gland stem cells and the signals controlling their activity are poorly defined. Using snRNA-seq, in vivo lineage tracing, ex vivo live imaging, and genetic studies in mice, we identify markers for stem cell populations that maintain distinct regions of the gland and uncover Hedgehog (Hh) signaling as a key regulator of stem cell proliferation. Consistent with this, we show that human Meibomian gland carcinoma exhibits increased Hh signaling. Aged glands display decreased Hh and EGF signaling, deficient innervation, and loss of collagen I in niche fibroblasts, indicating that alterations in both glandular epithelial cells and their surrounding microenvironment contribute to age-related degeneration. These findings suggest new approaches to treat aging-associated Meibomian gland loss.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39955307 · DOI · PMC11830078
Akkermansia muciniphila outer membrane protein Amuc_0904 modulates intestinal homeostasis by promoting goblet cell differentiation [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Akkermansia muciniphila is recognized as a promising probiotic that improves the symptoms of a variety of diseases.
- Closing excerpt
- muciniphila-mediated intestinal homeostasis recovery and provides a bioactive molecule with the potential to treat intestinal disorders.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (146 words)
Akkermansia muciniphila is recognized as a promising probiotic that improves the symptoms of a variety of diseases. However, the role and mechanism of A. muciniphila in regulating intestinal homeostasis remain to be explored. Here, we discovered that A. muciniphila was dramatically increased during colitis recovery, and its colonization greatly increased goblet cells to protect the intestinal barrier in mice. Amuc_0904, a previously uncharacterized A. muciniphila outer membrane protein, was identified to induce goblet cell differentiation. Mechanistically, Amuc_0904 directly interacted with MET and decreased its phosphorylation in epithelia, leading to decreased Wnt/β-catenin signaling and enhanced oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial function. Furthermore, Amuc_0904 and engineered probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 expressing Amuc_0904 were demonstrated to protect mice from colitis and colitis-associated colorectal cancer. The study reveals a previously unknown mechanism of A. muciniphila-mediated intestinal homeostasis recovery and provides a bioactive molecule with the potential to treat intestinal disorders.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41424360 · DOI · PMC12810044
Real-world performance of the inflammadry test in dry eye diagnosis: an analysis of 1,515 patients [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- PurposeTo assess the diagnostic performance of the InflammaDry test in diagnosing dry eye disease (DED) using different diagnostic criteria and across varying severities.
- Closing excerpt
- While valuable for detecting inflammation, routine use for DED diagnosis may lead to false negatives, especially in milder cases.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (176 words)
PurposeTo assess the diagnostic performance of the InflammaDry test in diagnosing dry eye disease (DED) using different diagnostic criteria and across varying severities.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on 1,515 patients. Subjects were categorized into three groups: Group (1) DED based on Dry Eye Workshop-II (DEWS-II): Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) ≥ 13 and at least one abnormal clinical sign (non-invasive tear break-up time [NIBUT] 308 mOsm/L, or corneal/conjunctival staining). Group (2) DED based on criteria used in prior clinical trials: OSDI > 13, Schirmer Results1,363 patients were included in Group 1, 401 in Group 2, and 152 in Group 3. Sensitivity was 81.30% in the population diagnosed using previous clinical trial criteria but decreased to 69.99% when applying the DEWS-II criteria. Specificity was 38.16% in both groups, with 409/467 false negatives respectively.ConclusionInflammaDry shows good sensitivity in detecting DED in highly symptomatic cases with multiple clinical signs, but its performance decreases when broader criteria like DEWS-II are used. While valuable for detecting inflammation, routine use for DED diagnosis may lead to false negatives, especially in milder cases.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40042683 · DOI · PMC12238174
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Revisiting the vicious circle of dry eye disease: a focus on the pathophysiology of meibomian gland dysfunction [4]
- Research article Mucins and the Microbiome [5]
- Research article Goblet cells of the conjunctiva: A review of recent findings [6]
- Research article Advances in dry eye disease treatment [7]
- Research article Management of meibomian gland dysfunction: a review [8]
- Research article Conjunctival fibrosis following filtering glaucoma surgery [9]
References
- Zhu X, Xu M, Portal C, Lin Y, Ferdinand A, Peng T, et al.. Identification of Meibomian gland stem cell populations and mechanisms of aging. . 2025. PMID 39955307 · DOI · PMC11830078
- Yang L, Yang J, Kong X, Tang Q, Song R, Zhou K, et al.. Akkermansia muciniphila outer membrane protein Amuc_0904 modulates intestinal homeostasis by promoting goblet cell differentiation. . 2026. PMID 41424360 · DOI · PMC12810044
- Mejía-Salgado G, Rojas-Carabali W, Cifuentes-González C, Zárate-Pinzón L, Rodríguez-Rodríguez CA, Marroquín-Gómez G, et al.. Real-world performance of the inflammadry test in dry eye diagnosis: an analysis of 1,515 patients. . 2025. PMID 40042683 · DOI · PMC12238174
- Baudouin C, Messmer EM, Aragona P, Geerling G, Akova YA, Benítez-del-Castillo J, et al.. Revisiting the vicious circle of dry eye disease: a focus on the pathophysiology of meibomian gland dysfunction. Br J Ophthalmol. 2016. PMID 26781133 · DOI · PMC4789719
- Hansson GC. Mucins and the Microbiome. Annu Rev Biochem. 2020. PMID 32243763 · DOI · PMC8442341
- Gipson IK. Goblet cells of the conjunctiva: A review of recent findings. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2016. PMID 27091323 · DOI · PMC4992623
- O'Neil EC, Henderson M, Massaro-Giordano M, Bunya VY. Advances in dry eye disease treatment. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2019. PMID 30883442 · DOI · PMC6986373
- Sabeti S, Kheirkhah A, Yin J, Dana R. Management of meibomian gland dysfunction: a review. Surv Ophthalmol. 2020. PMID 31494111 · DOI
- Schlunck G, Meyer-ter-Vehn T, Klink T, Grehn F. Conjunctival fibrosis following filtering glaucoma surgery. Exp Eye Res. 2016. PMID 26675404 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.