Microbiota of the ocular surface in children with myopia

Orenburkina OI, Rezbaeva GN, Dudurich VV, Babushkin AE, Sogomonian KS, Danilova AA, Danilov LG. Microbiota of the ocular surface in children with myopia. Russian Annals of Ophthalmology. 2025;141(3):5‑12. (In Russ.)
https://doi.org/10.17116/oftalma20251410315

Подписка 2026 Вестник офтальмологии (Russian Annals of Ophthalmology)

Использование инфографики авторами научных работ

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PURPOSE

This study compared the taxonomic diversity of the conjunctival microbiota in children with varying degrees of myopia and those without clinically confirmed myopia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Ocular surface samples were obtained from 29 children aged 6—17 years with myopia (58 eyes) and from 12 children of the control group aged 9—17 years (24 eyes). The taxonomic composition of the conjunctival microbiota was analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene (rRNA) sequencing, followed by microbiome profiling through bioinformatics and statistical tools.

RESULTS

The ocular surface microbiota in children with myopia demonstrated higher alpha diversity compared to the control group. This was confirmed by values of the Chao (reflecting low-abundance taxa) and Shannon (reflecting overall bacterial diversity — higher diversity means higher index; optimal value; 3.1—4.2) indices. The results revealed a clear trend toward differentiation in bacterial composition between myopic and control groups. These differences were associated with changes in the relative abundance of opportunistic bacteria depending on the degree of myopia.

CONCLUSION

The taxonomic diversity of the ocular microbiota at the genus level in patients with varying degrees of myopia was characterized by a higher number of taxonomic units compared to the control group. The general trend is an increase in the biodiversity of the bacterial composition due to an increase in the relative representation of opportunistic microorganisms. Further research on the influence of the ocular microbiota on the progression of myopia is needed.

Keywords:

ocular microbiota

ocular surface

ocular microbiome

ribosomal RNA sequencing

myopia

metagenomic research

Authors:

Orenburkina O.I.

All-Russian Center for Eye and Plastic Surgery of the Bashkir State Medical University

ORCID: 0000-0001-6815-8208

Rezbaeva G.N.

All-Russian Center for Eye and Plastic Surgery of the Bashkir State Medical University

ORCID: 0009-0003-9571-5067

Dudurich V.V.

OOO Serbalab

ORCID: 0000-0002-6271-5218

Babushkin A.E.

Ufa Research Institute of Eye Disease of the Bashkir State Medical University

ORCID: 0000-0001-6700-0812

Sogomonian K.S.

Saint Petersburg State University

ORCID: 0009-0001-2938-5245

Danilova A.A.

Laboratory of additive technologies, Saint Petersburg State Chemical-Pharmaceutical University

ORCID: 0000-0002-0191-7342

Danilov L.G.

Saint Petersburg State University

ORCID: 0000-0002-4479-3095

Received:

30.01.2025

Accepted:

18.02.2025

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