The ocular microbiome and microbiota and their effects on ocular surface pathophysiology and disorders.

Pasquale Aragona, Christophe Baudouin, Jose M Benitez Del Castillo, Elisabeth Messmer, Stefano Barabino, Jesus Merayo-Lloves, Francoise Brignole-Baudouin, Leandro Inferrera, Maurizio Rolando, Rita Mencucci, Maria Rescigno, Stefano Bonini, Marc Labetoulle

Journal: Survey of ophthalmology 2022;66(6):907-925

PMID: 33819460

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Abstract

The ocular surface flora perform an important role in the defense mechanisms of the ocular surface system. Its regulation of the immunological activity and the barrier effect against pathogen invasion are remarkable. Composition of the flora differs according to the methods of investigation, because the microbiome, composed of the genetic material of bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, and eukaryotes on the ocular surface, differs from the microbiota, which are the community of microorganisms that colonize the ocular surface. The observed composition of the ocular surface flora depends on harvesting and examining methods, whether with traditional culture or with more refined genetic analysis based on rRNA and DNA sequencing. Environment, diet, sex, and age influence the microbial flora composition, thus complicating the analysis of the baseline status. Moreover, potentially pathogenic organisms can affect its composition, as do various disorders, including chronic inflammation, and therapies applied to the ocular surface. A better understanding of the composition and function of microbial communities at the ocular surface could bring new insights and clarify the epidemiology and pathology of ocular surface dynamics in health and disease. The purpose of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of knowledge about this topic.

Address: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ophthalmology Clinic, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].; Quinze-Vingts National Eye Hospital, IHU ForeSight, Paris Saclay University, Paris, France.; Departamento de Oftalmología, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Clínica Rementeria, Instituto Investigaciones Oftalmologicas Ramon Castroviejo, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.; Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.; Ocular Surface and Dry Eye Center, Ospedale L. Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.; Instituto Universitario Fernández-Vega, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.; Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMR_S968, CNRS UMR7210, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France; CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, Laboratoire de Biologie Médicale, Paris, France; Université de Paris, Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Département de Chimie-Toxicologie Analytique et Cellulaire, Paris, France.; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ophthalmology Clinic, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.; Ocular Surface and Dry Eye Center, ISPRE Ophthalmics, Genoa, Italy.; Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), Eye Clinic, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.; Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Humanitas University Department of Biomedical Sciences, Milan, Italy.; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Rome Campus Biomedico, Rome, Italy.; Ophthalmology Départment, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Sud, APHP, Université Paris-Saclay, IDMIT Infrastructure, Fontenay-aux-Roses Cedex, France.

DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2021.03.010