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Updated: Jan 9, 2026
Conjunctival Commensal Isolation and Identification in Mice
Published on: May 1, 2021
The pediatric ocular surface microbiome in pet-owning households
Xiangtian Ling1, Charlene C Yim1,2,3, Qihang Sun1
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Introduction:
Pet exposure is associated with the allergy development in children. The influence of pet exposure on the pediatric ocular surface microbiome (OSM), a potential mediator of ocular immunity, remains uncharacterized. This study investigates OSM alterations in children with household pet contact.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, conjunctival swabs from 347 children (aged 5-15 years) in the CUHK Hong Kong Children Eye Study were analyzed. 16S rRNA sequencing (V3-V4 region) was performed, followed by bioinformatic analysis (QIIME2, DADA2, SILVA 138) and functional prediction (PICRUSt2). Alpha/beta diversity, taxonomic composition, and KEGG pathways were compared.
Results:
Pet-exposed children had higher alpha diversity (Shannon/Simpson/Observed indexes; P < 0.05) with positive dose-response to contact time. Compositionally, these children showed distinct beta diversity (Bray-Curtis Distance, P = 0.015) and enriched genera (Streptococcus, Actinomyces, Neisseria; LDA Score > 2.0). NF-κB signaling and VEGF signaling were predicted to enrich in pet-exposed children while non-exposed children showed increased macrolide biosynthesis pathways.
Conclusion:
Pet exposure associates with increased diversity, enrichment of taxa associated with animals and the environment, and NF-κB/VEGF pathway activation in the pediatric OSM. This suggests OSM as a novel mechanism for pet-related immune modulation, potentially influencing ocular surface health and allergy susceptibility.
