Microbiome and retinal vascular diseases

The gut microbiome consists of more than thousand different microbes and their associated genes and microbial metabolites. It influences various host metabolic pathways and is therefore important for homeostasis. In recent years, its influence on health and disease was extensively researched. In case of a microbiome disequilibrium called dysbiosis, the gut microbiome is associated with several diseases. Consequent chronic inflammation may lead to or promote inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and other diseases. The pathogenesis of the three most common retinal vascular diseases, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein and artery occlusion, may also be influenced by an altered microbiome and associated risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, hypertension and obesity. Direct cause-effect relationships remain less well understood. A potential prevention or treatment modality for these diseases could be targeting and modulating the individual’s gut microbiome.