Abstract
Purpose :
To investigate the disturbances in the ocular surface microbiome during the perioperative period following cataract surgery, using next-generation sequencing analysis.
Methods :
Twenty-four eyes in 12 patients with no history of antibacterial eye drop use before the surgery were examined in this study. Ocular surface samples were collected before the surgery, 2 weeks after the surgery, and 4 weeks after the surgery. The perioperative use of antibiotic eye drops for prophylaxis against endophthalmitis was discontinued after sample collection, 2 weeks after the surgery. Bacterial 16S rDNA in the collected samples were amplified. Sequencing libraries were prepared by amplifying the V3-V4 region of the 16S rDNA. Sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform (MiSeq Reagent Kit ver.3, 600 cycles) according to the manufacturer’s specifications. The diversity of micobiome at each time period was compared using the Shannon diversity coefficient.
Results :
Proteabacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroides were the dominant before the surgery. At two weeks after the surgery, we found an increased number of Proteobacteria and fewer Firmicutes. This trend continued until 4 weeks after the surgery, even when antibiotic eye drop usage had been ceased. The Shannon coefficient at the preoperative stage, and 2 and 4 weeks after the surgery were 5.65, 5.12, and 4.95, respectively.
Conclusions :
Disturbance in the ocular surface microbiome continue for 2 weeks after discontinuation of antibiotic eye drop use.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.