Abstract
Many studies have shown that gut microbial dysbiosis is a major factor in the etiology of autoimmune diseases but none have suggested that the ocular surface (OS) microbiome is associated with Sjögren’s syndrome (SS). In this prospective study, we analyzed bacterial distribution on the OS in patients with primary SS. Among the 120 subjects included in this study, 48 patients (group A) had primary SS, whereas 72 subjects (group B) had dry eye symptoms that were unrelated to SS. We evaluated clinical dry eye parameters such as the OS disease index, ocular staining score (OSS), Schirmer’s I test, and tear break-up time (TBUT). Conjunctival swabs were used to analyze the microbial communities from the two groups. Bacterial 16S rRNA genes were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform, and the data were analyzed using the QIIME 1.9.1 program. The Shannon index was significantly lower in group A than in group B microbiota (p < 0.05). An analysis of similarity using the Bray–Curtis distance method found no difference in beta-diversity between the two groups (p > 0.05). In group A, Actinobacteria at the phylum level and Corynebacteria at the genus level exhibited low abundance than group B, but the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). SS apparently decreases the diversity of the OS microbial community. These observations may be related to the pathophysiology of SS and should be investigated in future studies.
Highlights
Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands such as salivary and lacrimal glands, resulting in dry eye disease and dry m outh[1]
Of the 120 subjects included in this study, 48 subjects were diagnosed with SS according to American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism diagnostic criteria; the remaining 72 subjects did not have SS
There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of clinical parameters for dry eyes such as ocular staining score (OSS), ocular surface (OS) disease index (OSDI), tear break-up time (TBUT), and Schirmer’s test
Summary
Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands such as salivary and lacrimal glands, resulting in dry eye disease and dry m outh[1]. Deep sequencing of bacterial DNA has shown that various species of commensal microorganisms are present on the OS8. It is unclear whether the species distribution of commensal microorganisms on the OS is altered in patients with SS. Crohn’s disease suppresses the function of regulatory T cells, which play an important role in immunological homeostasis[10]. Bacterial dysbiosis may be an important pathological consequence of Crohn’s disease, and restoring the microbial balance is one method of treating the d isease[11,12]. Group A (M:F = 11:37)) Group B (M:F = 4:68) p value knockout mice In this SS mouse model, the commensal gut bacteria and their metabolites may have an immunoregulatory function that protects the exocrine g lands[14]. We assess the composition of the OS microbial communities and evaluate the significance of the diversity and abundance of bacterial strains
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