Can Gut Microbiota Affect Dry Eye Syndrome? by Moon et al.

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Can Gut Microbiota Affect Dry Eye Syndrome? by Moon et al.

“Can Gut Microbiota Affect Dry Eye Syndrome?” by Moon et al

Fishman comments: The microbiome of the gut is proving to be a very exciting new frontier in medicine in general, and in ophthalmology in particular. This paper is an excellent review highlighting how the microbiome of the gut can affect the eyes. From the highlighted paper by Moon et al., “Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota may be related with aberrant generation of autoantibodies or Treg/TH17 cell imbalance which triggers autoimmune or metabolic diseases.”  Interestingly, several groups have been investigating whether fecal material transplantation might be an alternative therapeutic approach for severe dry eye from Sjögren’s syndrome.

Dr. Fishman presented a lecture on this topic at the 2008 AllDocs meeting in Cancun and you can check out a few video snippets on his YouTube channel.

Authors: Jayoon Moon 1,2,†, Chang Ho Yoon 1,2,† , Se Hyun Choi 2,3 and Mee Kum Kim 1,2,*. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 8443; doi:10.3390/ijms21228443.

Abstract: Using metagenomics, continuing evidence has elicited how intestinal microbiota trigger distant autoimmunity. Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the ocular surface, with frequently unmet therapeutic needs requiring new interventions for dry eye management. Current studies also suggest the possible relation of autoimmune dry eye with gut microbiota. Herein, we review the current knowledge of how the gut microbiota interact with the immune system in homeostasis as well as its influence on rheumatic and ocular autoimmune diseases, and compare their characteristics with SS. Both rodent and human studies regarding gut microbiota in SS and environmental dry eye are explored, and the effects of prebiotics and probiotics on dry eye are discussed. Recent clinical studies have commonly observed a correlation between gut dysbiosis and clinical manifestations of SS, while environmental dry eye portrays characteristics in between normal and autoimmune. Moreover, a decrease in both the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and genus Faecalibacterium have most commonly been observed in SS subjects. The presumable pathways forming the “gut dysbiosis–ocular surface–lacrimal gland axis” are introduced. This review may provide perspectives into the link between the gut microbiome and dry eye, enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis in autoimmune dry eye, and be useful in the development of future interventions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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