Metagenomic analysis of microbiological changes on the ocular surface of diabetic children and adolescents with a dry eye

Zhangling Chen; Ying Xiao; Yan Jia; Qiurong Lin; Yu Qian; Lipu Cui; Zhaoyu Xiang; Mingfang Li; Chenhao Yang; Haidong Zou

doi:10.1186/s12866-023-03013-6

Metagenomic analysis of microbiological changes on the ocular surface of diabetic children and adolescents with a dry eye

BMC Microbiol. 2023 Oct 6;23(1):286. doi: 10.1186/s12866-023-03013-6.

Authors

Zhangling Chen^{1

2}, Ying Xiao³, Yan Jia³, Qiurong Lin⁴, Yu Qian⁵, Lipu Cui⁵, Zhaoyu Xiang⁵, Mingfang Li², Chenhao Yang⁶, Haidong Zou^{7

8

9

10

11

12}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Shanghai, China.
² Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Songjiang District Central Hospital, Shanghai, China.
³ Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Shanghai Eye Diseases Prevention & Treatment Center/Shanghai Eye Hospital, Shanghai, China.
⁵ Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
⁶ Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. ychben@hotmail.com.
⁷ Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Shanghai, China. zouhaidong@sjtu.edu.cn.
⁸ Shanghai Eye Diseases Prevention & Treatment Center/Shanghai Eye Hospital, Shanghai, China. zouhaidong@sjtu.edu.cn.
⁹ Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. zouhaidong@sjtu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Fundus Diseases, Shanghai, China. zouhaidong@sjtu.edu.cn.
¹¹ National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai, China. zouhaidong@sjtu.edu.cn.
¹² Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Diseases, Shanghai, China. zouhaidong@sjtu.edu.cn.

Abstract

Background: Microbiome changes on the ocular surface may cause dry eyes. A metagenome assay was used to compare the microbiome composition and function of the ocular surface between diabetic children and adolescents with dry eye, diabetic children and adolescents without dry eye, and normal children.

Materials and methods: Twenty children and adolescents aged 8 to 16 with diabetes were selected from the Shanghai Children and Adolescent Diabetes Eye Study. Ten healthy children and adolescents belonging to the same age group were selected from the outpatient clinic during the same period. The participants were classified into the dry eye group (DM-DE group, n = 10), the non-dry eye group (DM-NDE group, n = 10) and the normal group (NDM group, n = 10). A conjunctival sac swab was collected for metagenomic sequencing, and the relationship between the microbiome composition and functional gene differences on the ocular surface with dry eye was studied.

Results: The classification composition and metabolic function of the microorganisms on the ocular surface of children in the 3 groups were analyzed. It was found that children's ocular microbiota was composed of bacteria, viruses and fungi. There were significant differences in α diversity and β diversity of microbial composition of ocular surface between DM-DE group and NDM group(P<0.05). There were significant differences in α and β diversity of metabolic pathways between the two groups(P<0.05). The functional pathways of ocular surface microorganisms in diabetic children with dry eyes were mainly derived from human disease, antibiotic resistance genes, carbohydrate, coenzyme and lipid transport and metabolism-related functional genes; In normal children, the functional pathways were mainly derived from replication, recombination, repair, signal transduction and defense-related functional genes.

Conclusion: The DM-DE group have unique microbial composition and functional metabolic pathways. The dominant species and unique metabolic pathways of the ocular surface in the DM-DE group may be involved in the pathogenesis of dry eye in diabetic children.

Keywords: Children and adolescents; Diabetes mellitus; Dry eye; Metagenome; Microecology; Ocular surface.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child
China
Diabetes Mellitus* / genetics
Dry Eye Syndromes*
Humans
Metagenome
Microbiota* / genetics