Dry eye is a complex disease caused by multiple factors which pathogenesis is complex and diverse. At present, the tear film instability, the increase of tear osmotic pressure, ocular surface inflammation and neurological abnormalities are recognized as the pathogenesis of dry eye. Particularly, inflammation has been confirmed as the key mechanism for the pathogenesis of the dry eye. In this case, this study focuses on discussing the role of critical factors and cell mediators related to dry eye and the anti-inflammatory treatments for it to understand the inflammatory cascade of the dry eye more comprehensively.