Relationship between the bacterial ocular surface microbiota and outcomes for cats with feline herpesvirus type 1 ocular surface disease
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-24-2023
Publication Title
Veterinary Ophthalmology
Abstract
Objective: Feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) causes ocular surface disease in domestic cats. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between bacterial ocular surface microbiota and outcomes for cats with FHV-1 ocular surface disease. Animals Studied: Twenty-two shelter-housed cats with confirmed FHV-1 ocular surface disease. Procedures: Animals were grouped according to FHV-1 shedding and ocular clinical scores following intervention: worsened outcome (WorOut, n = 11) or improved outcome (ImpOut, n = 11). Scoring and conjunctival sampling were completed on Days 1 and 8 of twice daily antiviral treatment. Bacterial DNA was extracted and submitted for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for selected bacterial species. Overall DNA concentration between groups was assessed. Results: Bacterial microbiota relative abundance composition was significantly different between ImpOut and WorOut groups (weighted UniFrac p =.006). Alpha diversity was significantly higher in the ImpOut group compared with the WorOut group (Shannon p =.042, Simpson's p =.022, Pielou's p =.037). Differences in the relative abundance of various phyla and species were detected between groups. Total DNA concentration was higher in the WorOut group compared with the ImpOut group (p =.04). Feline GAPDH (p =.001) and Bilophila wadsworthia (p =.024) copy number was significantly higher in the ImpOut group compared with the WorOut group. Conclusions: The results highlight the important relationship between the bacterial ocular surface microbiota and FHV-1 infection outcomes in cats treated with antiviral medications. Low bacterial species diversity, higher overall DNA (presumed predominantly bacterial) load, and certain bacterial phyla/species were associated with poor outcomes for cats with FHV-1 ocular disease.
PubMed ID
37876296
Recommended Citation
Mills, Erinn P.; Liu, Chin Chi; Mironovich, Melanie A.; Taylor, Christopher M.; Luo, Meng; Emelogu, Ugochi; Scott, Erin M.; Leis, Marina L.; Carter, Renee T.; Camacho-Luna, Pilar; and Lewin, Andrew C., "Relationship between the bacterial ocular surface microbiota and outcomes for cats with feline herpesvirus type 1 ocular surface disease" (2023). School of Medicine Faculty Publications. 1646.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/som_facpubs/1646