Call to investigate bacteria?s impact on dry eye

The call to action came via a release on the BHVI website that explained its researchers had been investigating whether an imbalance or ‘dysbiosis’ of bacteria on the ocular surface contributed to an unstable tear film and dry eye. According to preliminary results, there is increasing evidence that supports the theory.“We are just beginning to understand that a healthy ocular surface has a community of bacteria living on the surface. These bacteria are usually harmless due to the protective barrier afforded by a stable tear film,” the release stated.“There is increasing evidence that an imbalance of this bacterial community might be contributing to destabilisation of the tear film leading to irritation and inflammation that are characteristic of dry eye.”Part of the research involved collecting bacterial samples from participants, and then analysing the samples to record the makeup of the bacterial community on the ocular surface. Following the sample collection, participants filled in two surveys (McMonnies questionnaires and the Ocular Surface Disease Index [OSDI]) to assess the severity of their dry eyes symptoms.The outcome of the study suggested that within this healthy population, although there were no strong correlations between the specific bacterial species and dry eye, there were suggestions that a higher bacterial burden was correlated with increased signs of dry eye.“Further research using a larger population is required to unlock the answer to: ‘does the imbalance of ocular surface bacteria cause the tear film to be unstable?’ and, if so, ‘is it a major contributor to dry eye disease?’,” the release read.Image courtesy: Javi_indy | Freepik