TY - JOUR
T1 - Ocular surface microbiota in patients with aqueous tear-deficient dry eye
AU - Andersson, Jasmine
AU - Vogt, Josef Korbinian
AU - Dalgaard, Marlene D.
AU - Pedersen, Oluf
AU - Holmgaard, Kim
AU - Heegaard, Steffen
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Purpose: An altered ocular surface microbiota may contribute to the pathophysiology of dry eye disease. The aim of the study was to explore potential differences in microbiota diversity and composition in aqueous tear-deficient dry eye (with and without ocular graft-versus-host disease) compared with controls. Methods: Swab samples from the inferior fornix of the conjunctiva were obtained from patients with aqueous tear-deficient dry eye with and without ocular graft-versus-host disease (n = 18, n = 21, respectively) and controls (n = 28). Isolated bacterial DNA from swabs were analyzed with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Results: Decreased microbiota diversity was observed in patients with aqueous tear-deficient dry eye (p ≤ 0.003) who also showed a difference in microbiota composition compared with controls (p = 0.001). Although several genera were less abundant in aqueous tear-deficient dry eye, a minimal core ocular surface microbiota comprising five genera was shared by >75% of the study participants: Enhydrobacter, Brevibacterium, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Cutibacterium. Pseudomonas was identified as a bacterial biomarker for controls and Bacilli for patients with aqueous tear-deficient dry eye. Conclusions: Ocular surface microbiota in patients with aqueous tear-deficient dry eye was characterized by an aberrant microbiota composition in comparison to controls, with decreased diversity and reduced relative abundances of several genera. Additionally, a few genera were present in most of the study population, indicating that a minimal core ocular surface microbiota may exist.
AB - Purpose: An altered ocular surface microbiota may contribute to the pathophysiology of dry eye disease. The aim of the study was to explore potential differences in microbiota diversity and composition in aqueous tear-deficient dry eye (with and without ocular graft-versus-host disease) compared with controls. Methods: Swab samples from the inferior fornix of the conjunctiva were obtained from patients with aqueous tear-deficient dry eye with and without ocular graft-versus-host disease (n = 18, n = 21, respectively) and controls (n = 28). Isolated bacterial DNA from swabs were analyzed with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Results: Decreased microbiota diversity was observed in patients with aqueous tear-deficient dry eye (p ≤ 0.003) who also showed a difference in microbiota composition compared with controls (p = 0.001). Although several genera were less abundant in aqueous tear-deficient dry eye, a minimal core ocular surface microbiota comprising five genera was shared by >75% of the study participants: Enhydrobacter, Brevibacterium, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Cutibacterium. Pseudomonas was identified as a bacterial biomarker for controls and Bacilli for patients with aqueous tear-deficient dry eye. Conclusions: Ocular surface microbiota in patients with aqueous tear-deficient dry eye was characterized by an aberrant microbiota composition in comparison to controls, with decreased diversity and reduced relative abundances of several genera. Additionally, a few genera were present in most of the study population, indicating that a minimal core ocular surface microbiota may exist.
KW - Dry eye
KW - Ocular surface microbiota
KW - 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing
KW - ADDE
KW - Bacterial biomarker
KW - Bacilli class
U2 - 10.1016/j.jtos.2020.09.003
DO - 10.1016/j.jtos.2020.09.003
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 32931939
SN - 1542-0124
VL - 19
SP - 210
EP - 217
JO - Ocular Surface
JF - Ocular Surface
ER -