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Intestinal Microbiome of Newly Diagnosed Patients With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A 16S rRNA Gene

Andreas Katsanos1, Konstantinos Benekos1, Maria Karavasili1

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, GRC.

Cureus
|March 24, 2026
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

The gut microbiome in newly diagnosed age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients showed distinct bacterial differences compared to healthy individuals. Specifically, Bacteroides were more abundant in AMD patients, while Coprococcus were more prevalent in controls.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Ophthalmology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss.
  • The role of the intestinal microbiome in AMD pathogenesis is increasingly recognized.
  • Understanding gut microbiome alterations may offer new insights into AMD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in the gut microbiome composition between newly diagnosed neovascular AMD patients and healthy controls.
  • To identify specific bacterial taxa associated with neovascular AMD.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study analyzing stool samples from 33 neovascular AMD patients and 34 controls.
  • 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable region using the Illumina MiSeq system.
  • Bioinformatic analysis on the Nephele platform with the DADA2 pipeline and ANCOM-BC2 for differential abundance.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in alpha or beta diversity between AMD patients and controls.
  • Prevalent phyla included Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria; Bacteroides was the most common genus.
  • Differential abundance analysis revealed enrichment of certain Bacteroides ASVs in AMD patients and Coprococcus ASVs in controls.

Conclusions:

  • Newly diagnosed neovascular AMD patients exhibit subtle but significant differences in their intestinal microbiome compared to matched controls.
  • Specific bacterial signatures, including enrichment of Bacteroides and depletion of Coprococcus, are associated with neovascular AMD.
  • These findings suggest a potential link between gut dysbiosis and AMD, warranting further investigation.
Keywords:
age-related macular degeneration (amd)amdgut microbiomeintestinal microbiomenext generation sequencing (ngs)

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