The microbiomes of the eyelid and buccal area of patients with uveitic glaucomaOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
This study analysed whether eyelid and buccal microbiomes differ in uveitic glaucoma compared with healthy people. It used next-generation 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing of the V3-V4 regions. Eyelid margin swabs represented the ocular microbiome and buccal swabs represented a gut-type microbiome. Diversity analysis and differential expression analysis identified taxa differences. Subgroup analysis by age (cutoff 62 years) tested whether age influenced the results.
Who was studied?
The cohort was 34 patients with uveitic glaucoma and 25 control participants, recruited across multiple centres in Korea from March 2019 to October 2020. The uveitic glaucoma group included 6 with ankylosing spondylitis, 6 with Posner-Schlossman syndrome, and 22 with uveitis of unknown systemic disease. All buccal samples passed DNA quality control, but 14 eyelid samples from the uveitic glaucoma group failed and were not sequenced.
What were the most important findings?
Alpha-diversity was significantly lower in uveitic glaucoma than controls in both the eyelid and buccal microbiomes (p = 0.0019 and p = 2.9e-4). Beta-diversity was generally higher in the uveitic glaucoma group. In the eyelid, Paenibacillus and Dermacoccus were enriched, while Morganella, Psychrobacter, and Lactococcus were depleted in uveitic glaucoma. In the buccal area, Lactococcus was depleted while Faecalibacterium, Sedimenticola, and Pseudomonas were enriched. Lactococcus, an anti-inflammatory genus, fell at both sites.
What are the greatest implications of this study?
The distinct eyelid and buccal microbiomes in uveitic glaucoma raise concern about environmental influences on the disease. Depleted Lactococcus at both sites suggests loss of anti-inflammatory bacteria may accompany uveitic glaucoma. The study cannot establish causation. Differences may be secondary to anti-glaucoma and anti-inflammatory medications, preservatives in eye drops, or the inflammation itself. The uveitic glaucoma group was also younger than controls.