Development of a dry eye index as a new biomarker of dry eye disease.

Purpose: To evaluate signs and symptoms in patients diagnosed with dry eye disease (DED), divided into dry eye (DE) groups, in order to find a new biomarker that allows an accurate diagnosis, management and classification of DED.

Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study included 71 DED subjects. Subjective symptoms, visual quality and DE signs were assessed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), the Quality of Vision (QoV) questionnaire, best corrected distance visual acuity (VA), functional visual acuity (FVA), contrast sensitivity (CS), high- and low-order corneal aberrations (HOA and LOA, respectively), tear break-up time (TBUT), Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), Schirmer test, corneal staining, lid wiper epitheliopathy (LWE) and meibography.