Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2016 Sep 30;89(3):325-330.
eCollection 2016 Sep.

Human Microbiota and Ophthalmic Disease

Louise J Lu  1 , Ji Liu  1
Affiliations
Review

Human Microbiota and Ophthalmic Disease

Louise J Lu et al. Yale J Biol Med. .

Abstract

The human ocular surface, consisting of the cornea and conjunctiva, is colonized by an expansive, diverse microbial community. Molecular-based methods, such as 16S rRNA sequencing, has allowed for more comprehensive and precise identification of the species composition of the ocular surface microbiota compared to traditional culture-based methods. Evidence suggests that the normal microbiota plays a protective immunological role in preventing the proliferation of pathogenic species and thus, alterations in the homeostatic microbiome may be linked to ophthalmic pathologies. Further investigation of the ocular surface microbiome, as well as the microbiome of other areas of the body such as the oral mucosa and gut, and their role in the pathophysiology of diseases is a significant, emerging field of research, and may someday enable the development of novel probiotic approaches for the treatment and prevention of ophthalmic diseases.

Keywords: genomics; infection; microbiome; microbiota; ocular surface; ophthalmic disease; ophthalmology.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Anatomy of the eye.(© 2016 American Academy of Ophthalmology)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Gevers KR, Petrosino JF, Huang K. et al. The Human Microbiome Project--A Community Resource for the Healthy Human Microbiome. PLoS Biology. 2012;10(8):e1001377. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Qin J. et al. A human gut microbial gene catalogue established by metagenomic sequencing. Nature. 2010;464:59–65. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Khor B, Gardet A, Xavier RJ. Genetics and pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Nature. 2011;474:307–317. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Serrano NC, Millan P, Paez MC. Non-HLA associations with autoimmune diseases. Autoimmun Rev. 2006;5:209–214. - PubMed
    1. Scher JU, Abramson SB. he microbiome and rheumatoid arthritis. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2011;7:569–578. - PMC - PubMed

Substances