It has been revealed that the eyes of patients with dry eye syndrome harbor a greater abundance of specific microbes compared to those of healthy individuals. The research team has identified this difference in microbial composition as a potential new cause of dry eye syndrome.
A research team led by Professor Alexandra van Kley of Stephen F. Austin State University in the U.S. announced that Acinetobacter bacteria are particularly abundant among the microbes in the eyes of dry eye patients. These findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, held in San Antonio, USA, from March 23 to 26.
"We have confirmed that, among various organs, the microbes living in the eye also affect ocular function," the research team stated. "This could provide clues for preventing and treating eye diseases."
The experiment to identify the composition of ocular microbes was conducted with 30 volunteers, comprising individuals with healthy eyes and those suffering from dry eye syndrome. Microbes were collected from their eyes using swabs. To accurately identify the types of microbes in these samples, the '16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA)' next-generation sequencing method was used. This analytical method identifies microbial species by sequencing a specific region of their ribosomal RNA.
The analysis revealed that in healthy individuals, the microbes Streptococcus and Pedobacter were most abundant. In contrast, in patients with dry eye syndrome, Acinetobacter microbes accounted for a larger proportion of the microbial ecosystem.
The research team hypothesizes that metabolites produced by Acinetobacter living in the eyes of dry eye patients are the cause of the condition. They plan to investigate the pathways through which these microbial metabolites affect the eye in follow-up research.
