ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the changes of ocular surface microbiota in obese patients before and after dietary intervention.Methods:From November 1, 2020 to May 1, 2021, 35 obese patients in the obesity management center of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases of Henan Provincial People′s Hospital were selected for a 4-week low-calorie dietary intervention of 1 600-1 800 kcal/day. The body weight, body mass index(BMI), body composition(body fat, body fat percentage, visceral fat grade, total body water, and skeletal muscle) were observed before and after dietary intervention. The characteristics of ocular surface flora in obese patients before and after intervention were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing.Results:The body weight, BMI, body fat, percentage of body fat, visceral fat grade and total body water decreased significantly after 4 weeks( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in skeletal muscle( P>0.05). There was no significant difference of ocular surface flora α and β in diversity( P>0.05). Opportunistic pathogens Pseudomonas and Cutibacterium decreased significantly, while Faecalibacterium, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, Oscillospiraceae UCG 002, and Blautia, which producing short chain fatty acids, increased significantly( P<0.05). Functional prediction analysis showed that the metabolic pathways such as degradation related pathways and insulin signaling pathways of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) were significantly enriched. Conclusion:After dietary intervention, opportunistic pathogenic bacteria decreased and short chain fatty acid producing bacteria increased in obese patients. The altered ocular surface flora may be related to the degradation of VOCs and the improvement of insulin sensitivity.