Ocular Surface Microbiome Analysis: Exploring Dry Eye Disease
Journal of Ophthalmic and Optometric Sciences,
Vol. 5 No. 3 (2021),
15 Esfand 2023,
Page 1-13
https://doi.org/10.22037/joos.v5i3.39690
Background: The human body's microbiome having a powerful impact on many diseases, it was necessary to study the relationship between DED and the ocular microbiome, and the purpose of this study is to examine the existence of this connection.
Material and Methods: Two datasets of the ocular surface microbiome in dry eye patients were used for this research, one with data of patients before and after treatment with intense pulsed light (IPL), while the other only holds information on cases suffering from a dry eye condition.
Results: The first dataset of both eyes of 20 patients with dry eye symptoms before and after IPL therapy was analyzed entirely. Bacteroidales (in 61 percent of the patients), Actinomycetales (in 60 percent of patients), Lactobacillales (in 61 percent of patients), and Erysipelotrichales (in 61 percent of patients) declined after the treatment. Still, the total difference between patient populations and treatment was not statistically proven (P value > 0.05). The second dataset contained data from 87 patients with dry eye disease, and it demonstrated that Burkholderiales, Actinomycetales, Pseudomonadales, and Clostridiales are among the most abundant bacteria in this group, in contrast to the first dataset, which was occupied by Clostridiales, Burkholderiales, Actinomycetales, Bacteroidales, Bacillales, and Lactobacillales.
Conclusion: This study showed there are multiple bacterial orders that have increased or decreased after the patients received their treatment with IPL, stating a potential connection between the mentioned orders and DED. More research is necessary to indicate a solid relationship between these two.