Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, ISSN - 0973 - 709X

Users Online : 220566

AbstractMaterial and MethodsResultsDiscussionConclusionReferencesDOI and Others
Article in PDF How to Cite Citation Manager Readers' Comments (0) Audio Visual Article Statistics Link to PUBMED Print this Article Send to a Friend
Advertisers Access Statistics Resources

Dr Mohan Z Mani

"Thank you very much for having published my article in record time.I would like to compliment you and your entire staff for your promptness, courtesy, and willingness to be customer friendly, which is quite unusual.I was given your reference by a colleague in pathology,and was able to directly phone your editorial office for clarifications.I would particularly like to thank the publication managers and the Assistant Editor who were following up my article. I would also like to thank you for adjusting the money I paid initially into payment for my modified article,and refunding the balance.
I wish all success to your journal and look forward to sending you any suitable similar article in future"



Dr Mohan Z Mani,
Professor & Head,
Department of Dermatolgy,
Believers Church Medical College,
Thiruvalla, Kerala
On Sep 2018




Prof. Somashekhar Nimbalkar

"Over the last few years, we have published our research regularly in Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. Having published in more than 20 high impact journals over the last five years including several high impact ones and reviewing articles for even more journals across my fields of interest, we value our published work in JCDR for their high standards in publishing scientific articles. The ease of submission, the rapid reviews in under a month, the high quality of their reviewers and keen attention to the final process of proofs and publication, ensure that there are no mistakes in the final article. We have been asked clarifications on several occasions and have been happy to provide them and it exemplifies the commitment to quality of the team at JCDR."



Prof. Somashekhar Nimbalkar
Head, Department of Pediatrics, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad
Chairman, Research Group, Charutar Arogya Mandal, Karamsad
National Joint Coordinator - Advanced IAP NNF NRP Program
Ex-Member, Governing Body, National Neonatology Forum, New Delhi
Ex-President - National Neonatology Forum Gujarat State Chapter
Department of Pediatrics, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Anand, Gujarat.
On Sep 2018




Dr. Kalyani R

"Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research is at present a well-known Indian originated scientific journal which started with a humble beginning. I have been associated with this journal since many years. I appreciate the Editor, Dr. Hemant Jain, for his constant effort in bringing up this journal to the present status right from the scratch. The journal is multidisciplinary. It encourages in publishing the scientific articles from postgraduates and also the beginners who start their career. At the same time the journal also caters for the high quality articles from specialty and super-specialty researchers. Hence it provides a platform for the scientist and researchers to publish. The other aspect of it is, the readers get the information regarding the most recent developments in science which can be used for teaching, research, treating patients and to some extent take preventive measures against certain diseases. The journal is contributing immensely to the society at national and international level."



Dr Kalyani R
Professor and Head
Department of Pathology
Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College
Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research , Kolar, Karnataka
On Sep 2018




Dr. Saumya Navit

"As a peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research provides an opportunity to researchers, scientists and budding professionals to explore the developments in the field of medicine and dentistry and their varied specialities, thus extending our view on biological diversities of living species in relation to medicine.
‘Knowledge is treasure of a wise man.’ The free access of this journal provides an immense scope of learning for the both the old and the young in field of medicine and dentistry as well. The multidisciplinary nature of the journal makes it a better platform to absorb all that is being researched and developed. The publication process is systematic and professional. Online submission, publication and peer reviewing makes it a user-friendly journal.
As an experienced dentist and an academician, I proudly recommend this journal to the dental fraternity as a good quality open access platform for rapid communication of their cutting-edge research progress and discovery.
I wish JCDR a great success and I hope that journal will soar higher with the passing time."



Dr Saumya Navit
Professor and Head
Department of Pediatric Dentistry
Saraswati Dental College
Lucknow
On Sep 2018




Dr. Arunava Biswas

"My sincere attachment with JCDR as an author as well as reviewer is a learning experience . Their systematic approach in publication of article in various categories is really praiseworthy.
Their prompt and timely response to review's query and the manner in which they have set the reviewing process helps in extracting the best possible scientific writings for publication.
It's a honour and pride to be a part of the JCDR team. My very best wishes to JCDR and hope it will sparkle up above the sky as a high indexed journal in near future."



Dr. Arunava Biswas
MD, DM (Clinical Pharmacology)
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital , Kolkata




Dr. C.S. Ramesh Babu
" Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR) is a multi-specialty medical and dental journal publishing high quality research articles in almost all branches of medicine. The quality of printing of figures and tables is excellent and comparable to any International journal. An added advantage is nominal publication charges and monthly issue of the journal and more chances of an article being accepted for publication. Moreover being a multi-specialty journal an article concerning a particular specialty has a wider reach of readers of other related specialties also. As an author and reviewer for several years I find this Journal most suitable and highly recommend this Journal."
Best regards,
C.S. Ramesh Babu,
Associate Professor of Anatomy,
Muzaffarnagar Medical College,
Muzaffarnagar.
On Aug 2018




Dr. Arundhathi. S
"Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR) is a reputed peer reviewed journal and is constantly involved in publishing high quality research articles related to medicine. Its been a great pleasure to be associated with this esteemed journal as a reviewer and as an author for a couple of years. The editorial board consists of many dedicated and reputed experts as its members and they are doing an appreciable work in guiding budding researchers. JCDR is doing a commendable job in scientific research by promoting excellent quality research & review articles and case reports & series. The reviewers provide appropriate suggestions that improve the quality of articles. I strongly recommend my fraternity to encourage JCDR by contributing their valuable research work in this widely accepted, user friendly journal. I hope my collaboration with JCDR will continue for a long time".



Dr. Arundhathi. S
MBBS, MD (Pathology),
Sanjay Gandhi institute of trauma and orthopedics,
Bengaluru.
On Aug 2018




Dr. Mamta Gupta,
"It gives me great pleasure to be associated with JCDR, since last 2-3 years. Since then I have authored, co-authored and reviewed about 25 articles in JCDR. I thank JCDR for giving me an opportunity to improve my own skills as an author and a reviewer.
It 's a multispecialty journal, publishing high quality articles. It gives a platform to the authors to publish their research work which can be available for everyone across the globe to read. The best thing about JCDR is that the full articles of all medical specialties are available as pdf/html for reading free of cost or without institutional subscription, which is not there for other journals. For those who have problem in writing manuscript or do statistical work, JCDR comes for their rescue.
The journal has a monthly publication and the articles are published quite fast. In time compared to other journals. The on-line first publication is also a great advantage and facility to review one's own articles before going to print. The response to any query and permission if required, is quite fast; this is quite commendable. I have a very good experience about seeking quick permission for quoting a photograph (Fig.) from a JCDR article for my chapter authored in an E book. I never thought it would be so easy. No hassles.
Reviewing articles is no less a pain staking process and requires in depth perception, knowledge about the topic for review. It requires time and concentration, yet I enjoy doing it. The JCDR website especially for the reviewers is quite user friendly. My suggestions for improving the journal is, more strict review process, so that only high quality articles are published. I find a a good number of articles in Obst. Gynae, hence, a new journal for this specialty titled JCDR-OG can be started. May be a bimonthly or quarterly publication to begin with. Only selected articles should find a place in it.
An yearly reward for the best article authored can also incentivize the authors. Though the process of finding the best article will be not be very easy. I do not know how reviewing process can be improved. If an article is being reviewed by two reviewers, then opinion of one can be communicated to the other or the final opinion of the editor can be communicated to the reviewer if requested for. This will help one’s reviewing skills.
My best wishes to Dr. Hemant Jain and all the editorial staff of JCDR for their untiring efforts to bring out this journal. I strongly recommend medical fraternity to publish their valuable research work in this esteemed journal, JCDR".



Dr. Mamta Gupta
Consultant
(Ex HOD Obs &Gynae, Hindu Rao Hospital and associated NDMC Medical College, Delhi)
Aug 2018




Dr. Rajendra Kumar Ghritlaharey

"I wish to thank Dr. Hemant Jain, Editor-in-Chief Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR), for asking me to write up few words.
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium i e; into the words and sentences on paper. Quality medical manuscript writing in particular, demands not only a high-quality research, but also requires accurate and concise communication of findings and conclusions, with adherence to particular journal guidelines. In medical field whether working in teaching, private, or in corporate institution, everyone wants to excel in his / her own field and get recognised by making manuscripts publication.


Authors are the souls of any journal, and deserve much respect. To publish a journal manuscripts are needed from authors. Authors have a great responsibility for producing facts of their work in terms of number and results truthfully and an individual honesty is expected from authors in this regards. Both ways its true "No authors-No manuscripts-No journals" and "No journals–No manuscripts–No authors". Reviewing a manuscript is also a very responsible and important task of any peer-reviewed journal and to be taken seriously. It needs knowledge on the subject, sincerity, honesty and determination. Although the process of reviewing a manuscript is a time consuming task butit is expected to give one's best remarks within the time frame of the journal.
Salient features of the JCDR: It is a biomedical, multidisciplinary (including all medical and dental specialities), e-journal, with wide scope and extensive author support. At the same time, a free text of manuscript is available in HTML and PDF format. There is fast growing authorship and readership with JCDR as this can be judged by the number of articles published in it i e; in Feb 2007 of its first issue, it contained 5 articles only, and now in its recent volume published in April 2011, it contained 67 manuscripts. This e-journal is fulfilling the commitments and objectives sincerely, (as stated by Editor-in-chief in his preface to first edition) i e; to encourage physicians through the internet, especially from the developing countries who witness a spectrum of disease and acquire a wealth of knowledge to publish their experiences to benefit the medical community in patients care. I also feel that many of us have work of substance, newer ideas, adequate clinical materials but poor in medical writing and hesitation to submit the work and need help. JCDR provides authors help in this regards.
Timely publication of journal: Publication of manuscripts and bringing out the issue in time is one of the positive aspects of JCDR and is possible with strong support team in terms of peer reviewers, proof reading, language check, computer operators, etc. This is one of the great reasons for authors to submit their work with JCDR. Another best part of JCDR is "Online first Publications" facilities available for the authors. This facility not only provides the prompt publications of the manuscripts but at the same time also early availability of the manuscripts for the readers.
Indexation and online availability: Indexation transforms the journal in some sense from its local ownership to the worldwide professional community and to the public.JCDR is indexed with Embase & EMbiology, Google Scholar, Index Copernicus, Chemical Abstracts Service, Journal seek Database, Indian Science Abstracts, to name few of them. Manuscriptspublished in JCDR are available on major search engines ie; google, yahoo, msn.
In the era of fast growing newer technologies, and in computer and internet friendly environment the manuscripts preparation, submission, review, revision, etc and all can be done and checked with a click from all corer of the world, at any time. Of course there is always a scope for improvement in every field and none is perfect. To progress, one needs to identify the areas of one's weakness and to strengthen them.
It is well said that "happy beginning is half done" and it fits perfectly with JCDR. It has grown considerably and I feel it has already grown up from its infancy to adolescence, achieving the status of standard online e-journal form Indian continent since its inception in Feb 2007. This had been made possible due to the efforts and the hard work put in it. The way the JCDR is improving with every new volume, with good quality original manuscripts, makes it a quality journal for readers. I must thank and congratulate Dr Hemant Jain, Editor-in-Chief JCDR and his team for their sincere efforts, dedication, and determination for making JCDR a fast growing journal.
Every one of us: authors, reviewers, editors, and publisher are responsible for enhancing the stature of the journal. I wish for a great success for JCDR."



Thanking you
With sincere regards
Dr. Rajendra Kumar Ghritlaharey, M.S., M. Ch., FAIS
Associate Professor,
Department of Paediatric Surgery, Gandhi Medical College & Associated
Kamla Nehru & Hamidia Hospitals Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 001 (India)
E-mail: drrajendrak1@rediffmail.com
On May 11,2011




Dr. Shankar P.R.

"On looking back through my Gmail archives after being requested by the journal to write a short editorial about my experiences of publishing with the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (JCDR), I came across an e-mail from Dr. Hemant Jain, Editor, in March 2007, which introduced the new electronic journal. The main features of the journal which were outlined in the e-mail were extensive author support, cash rewards, the peer review process, and other salient features of the journal.
Over a span of over four years, we (I and my colleagues) have published around 25 articles in the journal. In this editorial, I plan to briefly discuss my experiences of publishing with JCDR and the strengths of the journal and to finally address the areas for improvement.
My experiences of publishing with JCDR: Overall, my experiences of publishing withJCDR have been positive. The best point about the journal is that it responds to queries from the author. This may seem to be simple and not too much to ask for, but unfortunately, many journals in the subcontinent and from many developing countries do not respond or they respond with a long delay to the queries from the authors 1. The reasons could be many, including lack of optimal secretarial and other support. Another problem with many journals is the slowness of the review process. Editorial processing and peer review can take anywhere between a year to two years with some journals. Also, some journals do not keep the contributors informed about the progress of the review process. Due to the long review process, the articles can lose their relevance and topicality. A major benefit with JCDR is the timeliness and promptness of its response. In Dr Jain's e-mail which was sent to me in 2007, before the introduction of the Pre-publishing system, he had stated that he had received my submission and that he would get back to me within seven days and he did!
Most of the manuscripts are published within 3 to 4 months of their submission if they are found to be suitable after the review process. JCDR is published bimonthly and the accepted articles were usually published in the next issue. Recently, due to the increased volume of the submissions, the review process has become slower and it ?? Section can take from 4 to 6 months for the articles to be reviewed. The journal has an extensive author support system and it has recently introduced a paid expedited review process. The journal also mentions the average time for processing the manuscript under different submission systems - regular submission and expedited review.
Strengths of the journal: The journal has an online first facility in which the accepted manuscripts may be published on the website before being included in a regular issue of the journal. This cuts down the time between their acceptance and the publication. The journal is indexed in many databases, though not in PubMed. The editorial board should now take steps to index the journal in PubMed. The journal has a system of notifying readers through e-mail when a new issue is released. Also, the articles are available in both the HTML and the PDF formats. I especially like the new and colorful page format of the journal. Also, the access statistics of the articles are available. The prepublication and the manuscript tracking system are also helpful for the authors.
Areas for improvement: In certain cases, I felt that the peer review process of the manuscripts was not up to international standards and that it should be strengthened. Also, the number of manuscripts in an issue is high and it may be difficult for readers to go through all of them. The journal can consider tightening of the peer review process and increasing the quality standards for the acceptance of the manuscripts. I faced occasional problems with the online manuscript submission (Pre-publishing) system, which have to be addressed.
Overall, the publishing process with JCDR has been smooth, quick and relatively hassle free and I can recommend other authors to consider the journal as an outlet for their work."



Dr. P. Ravi Shankar
KIST Medical College, P.O. Box 14142, Kathmandu, Nepal.
E-mail: ravi.dr.shankar@gmail.com
On April 2011
Anuradha

Dear team JCDR, I would like to thank you for the very professional and polite service provided by everyone at JCDR. While i have been in the field of writing and editing for sometime, this has been my first attempt in publishing a scientific paper.Thank you for hand-holding me through the process.


Dr. Anuradha
E-mail: anuradha2nittur@gmail.com
On Jan 2020

Important Notice

Original article / research
Year : 2022 | Month : June | Volume : 16 | Issue : 6 | Page : NC24 - NC27 Full Version

Assessment of Alteration in Aerobic Conjunctival and Meibomian Gland Microbial Flora after Cataract Surgery and its Association with Postoperative Meibomian Gland Dysfunction


Published: June 1, 2022 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2022/56555.16486
Sonia Bhargav, Surinder Kumar, Tarun Arora

1. Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, BPS Government Medical College for Women, Sonepat, Haryana, India. 2. Professor, Department of Microbiology, BPS Government Medical College for Women, Sonepat, Haryana, India. 3. Senior Consultant, Department of Ophthalmology, Centre for Sight Group of Eye Hospitals, New Delhi, Delhi, India.

Correspondence Address :
Dr. Sonia Bhargav,
A3/69, FF, Janakpuri, New Delhi, India.
E-mail: soniabhargav@yahoo.co.in

Abstract

Introduction: Combination of various commensal microorganism species is capable of protecting the ocular surface from colonisation by potentially pathogenic microbes. These homeostatic microorganisms can be easily altered by environmental factors like cataract surgery. These may play a role in the development of postcataract surgery Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), whose exact pathogenesis is still unknown.

Aim: To assess the change in aerobic bacterial flora of meibomian glands and conjunctiva and its association with the development of MGD after cataract surgery.

Materials and Methods: This prospective clinical study was conducted in Department of Ophthalmology at BPS Government Medical College for Women, Sonepat, Haryana, India, from June 2021 to February 2022. A total of 60 eyes of 60 patients who had undergone uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery with intraocular lens implantation were selected. Conjunctival and Meibomian Gland (MG) secretions samples were collected preoperatively before starting antibiotics and at six weeks postoperatively. Aerobic bacteria isolated from the culture samples of patients before and after surgery were analysed for microbial flora change (MFC). At six weeks postoperative follow-up visit, the diagnosis of the MGD was made on slit lamp examination of lid margin and meibomian glands. Chi-square test was applied to assess the association between patients with MFC and patients with MGD.

Results: There were 33 males and 27 females, with a mean age of 62.41 years. Preoperative conjunctival samples of 20 patients (33.33%) and MG samples of 27 patients (45%) were culture positive for aerobic bacteria. Most common microorganism isolated from preoperative samples was Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CoNS). Isolation rate of Staphyloccus aureus increased postoperatively in both conjunctival and MG culture samples. Postoperative aerobic Microbial Flora Change (MFC) in culture samples of either conjunctival or MG or both was present in 30 patients (50%). Total 16 patients (26.6%) developed MGD out of which 13 patients (81.25%) had MFC. The association between MFC and MGD was statistically significant (p-value=0.004).

Conclusion: There is alteration of ocular aerobic bacterial flora after cataract surgery and it has a statistically significant association with postcataract surgery MGD. Replenishment of ocular surface microflora can play a preventive and therapeutic role in the management of postcataract surgery MGD.

Keywords

Conjunctival culture, Meibomian gland culture, Ocular microbial flora

The microbial species that inhabit the normal ocular surface are far more extensive than previously thought. There is growing evidence of the critical role of the ocular microbiome in ocular health and disease. Combination of various commensal microorganism species is capable of protecting the ocular surface from colonisation by potentially pathogenic microbes. These homeostatic microorganisms can be easily disturbed by environmental factors like cataract surgery, postoperative inflammation and the use of topical antibiotics and steroids.

The change in bacterial flora of ocular surface after cataract surgery might be one of the contributing factors in the development of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), a common postcataract surgery morbidity whose exact pathogenesis is still elusive. Multiple studies in past have stressed on the role of bacterial flora in blepharitis and MGD (1),(2),(3),(4). However, none has dealt this aspect in post cataract surgery. The present study was done to assess the change in aerobic bacterial flora of meibomian glands and conjunctiva after cataract surgery and its association with the development of postcataract surgery MGD. The null hypothesis was that, the change in postoperative aerobic microbial flora was not associated with postoperative MGD.

Material and Methods

This prospective clinical study was conducted in the Department of Ophthalmology at BPS Government Medical College, Sonepat, Haryana, from June 2021 to February 2022. Written consent was taken from all the patients and ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethical Committee (BPSGMCW/RC/673/IEC/21/dated 9-4-21). The patients of senile cataract who had no signs and symptoms of MGD and gave written consent for the study were included in the study.

Sample size calculation: Using proportion formula, taking prevalence of MGD as 20% at 95% confidence interval and taking margin of error as 10%, the required sample size was calculated to be 60 patients (5),(6).

Inclusion criteria: After detailed preoperative ocular slit lamp biomicroscopic examination, all patients diagnosed with senile cataract were included in the study.

Exclusion criteria: Patients with presence of any ocular disease with special emphasis on erythema, oedema and discharge from the eyes atleast one month before surgery, use of topical antibiotic in the recent past, known systemic illness like diabetes mellitus or an immunodeficiency disease, any symptom or signs of dry eye like foreign body sensation, burning or tearing, Tear Break-Up Time (TBUT) less than 10 second, patients with positive corneal fluorescein staining were excluded from the study.

Study Procedure

All 60 patients underwent clear corneal phacoemulsification surgery with intraocular lens implantation by the same surgeon. Postoperatively topical antibiotic and steroid combination was prescribed and tapered over four weeks.

Conjunctival and Meibomian gland (MG) secretion culture samples were taken from the same patients preoperatively before starting antibiotics and at six weeks postoperatively. Aerobic bacterial flora isolated from the samples of patients before and after surgery was analysed for change and its association with postoperative MGD incidence was studied. Microbial Flora Change (MFC) was said to have occurred if on microbial assessment of postoperative conjunctival or MG samples it was found that there was emergence of new microorganism which was not present in preoperative sample or there was absence of any microorganism previously isolated in the preoperative sample or both.

Sample collection: After instilling a drop of topical anaesthetic agent (0.5% proparacaine), conjunctival sample was collected by gently rubbing a sterile cotton-wool swab stick moistened with sterile normal saline in the lower fornix in a swirling manner avoiding lid margin or skin. The MG sample was collected after gently pressing the lid margin with the thumb to release secretions and then rubbing the gland orifices with a sterile cotton-wool swab stick moistened with sterile normal saline. Care was taken to avoid contact with lashes or skin. As a blank control, sterile swab stick moistened with sterile normal saline was exposed in the air for one minute each time the samples were being collected. The samples were put in Brain-Heart infusion and sent to microbiology laboratory where aerobic culture on blood agar, chocolate agar and MacConkey agar were done. Microbial identification was done by specific culture media, gram staining, biochemical tests (7).

At six weeks, postoperative follow-up visit, the diagnosis of the MGD was made on slit lamp examination of lid margin and meibomian glands, if two or more of the following signs were present (8):

• Redness or thickening of the lid margin,
• Telangiectasia,
• Reduced or no secretions,
• Poor quality (cloudy/turbid) secretions, and
• Gland capping/plugging

Statistical Analysis

Statistical analysis was carried out on Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. Microsoft excel sheet and word was used for analysis of data. Chi-square test was applied to find association between patients with MFC and patients with MGD and to carry out other comparative analyses. A p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results

A total of 60 eyes of 60 patients were selected as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria defined in the study. There were 33 males and 27 females, with a mean age of 62.41 years. Preoperatively conjunctival samples of 20 patients (33.33%) and MG samples of 27 patients (45%) were culture positive (Table/Fig 1). Most common microorganism isolated from preoperative samples was Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) which was present in conjunctival samples of 7 patients (11.6%) and MG samples of 12 patients (20%). Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus, Bacillus, Diphtheroids, Streptococcus, E.coli, Acinetobacter were the other species isolated (Table/Fig 2). Cultures of all blank control samples were sterile.

In the postoperative period at six weeks, culture positivity increased to 28 patients (46.7%) in the conjunctival sample and 34 patients (56.7%) in the MG samples (Table/Fig 1). The increase in culture positivity of conjunctival and MG samples was not found to be statistically significant (p-value=0.136 and p-value=0.201, respectively). Compared to preoperative period, the isolation rate of Staphylococcus aureus increased postoperatively in both conjunctival culture samples {8 patients (13.3%) compared to 5 patients (8.3%) preoperatively} and MG culture samples {12 patients (20%) compared to 6 patients (10%) preoperatively} which was not statistically significant (p-value=0.378 and p-value=0.327, respectively) (Table/Fig 2).

Total 22 patients (36.66%) had sterile culture of both conjunctival and MG samples throughout the preoperative and postoperative period. Postoperative aerobic MFC in culture samples of either conjunctival or MG or both was present in 30 patients (50%).

Total 16 patients (26.6%) which included eight male and eight female patients developed postoperative MGD out of which 13 patients (81.3%) had shown MFC. This was significantly higher than the overall rate of MFC which was 50%, statistically significant association was found between MFC and MGD p-value=0.004 (Table/Fig 3) and null hypothesis was, thus, rejected.

Eight patients (50%) out of 16 patients developing MGD, had positive conjunctival cultures and 13 patients (81.2%) had positive MG cultures postoperatively. This is higher than the overall postoperative culture positivity rates of 46.7% and 56.7% in conjunctival and MG cultures respectively. When comparing postoperative culture positivity in MGD and non MGD patients, the MG culture positivity was found to be statistically significantly higher in MGD patients (p-value=0.03) (Table/Fig 4). Whereas, higher conjunctival culture positivity in MGD patients was not statistically significant (p-value=0.370) (Table/Fig 5). (Table/Fig 6) shows aerobic bacteria isolated from culture samples of patients developing meibomian gland dysfunction.

Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly isolated aerobic bacteria in MG samples postoperatively which was present in culture samples of 12 patients (20%) and also in MGD patients with 4 patients (25% MGD patients) showing Staphylococcus aureus.

Isolation rate of Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) which is a normal commensal of ocular surface decreased postoperatively in MG culture samples, from 12 patients preoperatively to eight patients postoperatively (Table/Fig 2). None of the MGD patients had CoNS isolated from MG culture samples (Table/Fig 4).

Mean age of patients developing MGD and MFC was 67.81 years and 66.03 years, respectively, which is higher than overall mean age of 62.41 years, indicating that older age is a risk factor for postoperative MGD (p-value=0.197, OR=1.66).

Discussion

There are variety of microorganism species living in and over our body. Their number far exceeds the number of human cells by multiple times. The human genome consists of approximately 20,000 genes but the microbiome associated with the human body collectively consists of approximately 8 million genes. These microbes live with us in a homeostatic environment and are involved in various vital functions like absorption of nutrients, defending against pathogens, and maintaining the immune system in check. On the ocular surface too, commensal microorganisms co-exist in harmonious relationship with the eye (9). This fine homeostatic balance may get disturbed during ocular surgery and with the use of topical antibiotics and steroids, may result in inflammation and disease.

Kuklo P and Grzybowski A, evaluated conjunctival bacterial flora and antibiotic susceptibility profile in patients undergoing phacoemulsification, before surgery and 20 minutes post-surgery. They concluded that, preoperative chemotherapy changes the profile of conjunctival bacteria and their susceptibility to antibiotics (10). In the immediate postoperative period, changes in microbial isolation and profile are expected due to the use of prophylactic antibiotics and betadine. In the present study, postoperative samples were collected after six weeks of surgery and two weeks after cessation of topical medications to give enough time for eye to heal and ocular microflora to recover from the trauma of surgery and topical antibiotics.

In the present study there was 40% increase in conjunctival and 26% increase in MG culture positivity rate postoperatively which indicates microbial changes on ocular surface even six weeks after cataract surgery.

After the cataract surgery the normal commensal population of microbes is altered to more pathogenic ones. This was demonstrated in the present study, which showed increased isolation rate of Staphylococcus aureus and decreased isolation rate of CoNS postoperatively. The cells of ocular surface produce inflammatory response on exposure to these newly inhabited pathogenic bacteria (11),(12). This inflammatory state may lead to the vicious cycle of dry eye and MGD.

The ocular surface microbiome has been studied in various eye diseases like dry eye and MGD, allergic conjunctivitis, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Sjogren’s Syndrome, trachoma, chronic limbal stem cell deficiency, chronic ocular graft vs host disease, and Behçet disease. The 16S rRNA sequencing shows more diversity in the ocular surface microbiota of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (9). To eliminate this confounding factor, diabetic patients were excluded in the present study.

Various studies report increased incidence and aggravation of MGD after cataract surgery. There is thickened lid margin and inflammation and deterioration of meibum quality and expressibility leading to significant ocular discomfort and patient dissatisfaction after ocular surgery (13),(14),(15). In the present study, 26.7% patients developed MGD postoperatively.

There is also enough evidence available in literature suggesting that MGD patients show more diversity of bacterial communities. Using traditional cultivation methods, Zhang SD et al., concluded in their study that the rate of positive bacterial culture of the conjunctival sac in patients with MGD is significantly higher than those without MGD (2).

With the use of modern 16S rDNA (Recombinant Deoxyribonucleic Acid) gene sequencing, Dong X et al., confirmed that both the bacterial imbalance in the conjunctival sac of patients with MGD and the composition of bacterial community on the ocular surface of patients with severe MGD changed significantly. There was a positive correlation between the abundance of Staphylococcus and the degree of meibomian gland loss in these patients (3).

Jiang X et al., concluded in their study that MGD might be correlated with bacterial changes which is characterised by higher isolation rate, a greater number of bacterial species, and a higher grade of bacterial severity (4).

The results of the present study done on cataract surgery patients are consistent with the findings of above studies. In patients who developed MGD, bacterial alteration was more pronounced as shown by number of patients with MFC. In patients developing MGD, the postoperative culture positivity rate of MG samples was statistically significantly higher compared to those in non MGD patients. Also, the isolation rate of Staphylococcus aureus was higher and of CoNS was lower in MG samples of MGD patients.

The MGD meibum contains distinct microbial profile whose immune evasive virulence is much stronger than that in the healthy controls. These microbe profiling alterations are responsible for immune cells getting activated to elicit an inflammatory response in tears and in glandular tissue, a key link in inducing pathological changes (16).

The results of the present study prove the association of MGD and MFC after cataract surgery but their aetiological correlation is still debatable. Whether, MGD precedes MFC or is it the latter which causes MGD or probably, it is a vicious cycle in which one favours the other. On one hand, invasion of meibomian glands by pathogenic bacteria which release specific factors (e.g., lipases) can lead to meibomian gland inspissation, plugging and disruption of normal gland and eyelid physiology (1). And on the other hand, MGD itself can cause significant alterations of meibum causing dry eye which can act as potential predisposing factor for ocular surface bacterial proliferation and microflora alteration.

The present study is unique for two reasons. Firstly, the change in ocular surface bacterial flora, especially meibomian gland flora, six weeks after cataract surgery has never been studied before. Secondly, there are many studies which indicate role of altered bacterial flora in MGD, but, none, so far has analysed this aspect in postcataract surgery MGD. The present study was the first, to do so.

The present study also provides a possible therapeutic clue to the post operative MGD management which currently seems ineffective in majority of cases. The therapeutic approach to MGD should also focus on reversal of microbial alteration and replenishment of commensal population to prevent growth of pathogens. Therapeutic microbial alteration has been explored in the past in the treatment of dry eye with some success. A four weeks treatment with Lactobacillus probiotic in eye drops has been associated with a modest reduction in signs and symptoms of patients with mild to moderate vernal keratoconjunctivitis (17). Prebiotics which are non digestible fermentable oligosaccharides, such as Fructo-Oligosaccharides (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides can act as an important adjuncts in promoting the growth of healthy microbiota (18). Disaccharides like trehalose containing eye drops is already being used in treatment of dry eye (19).

Limitation(s)

Due to Institutional constraints, only aerobic bacterial flora could be cultured and studied which does not truly represent the whole normal ocular surface microbiome. The use of conventional culture techniques for bacterial isolation was another limitation of this study. In future studies, the use of more advanced gene sequencing techniques for microbial flora isolation which can also include anaerobes, viruses and fungi can give us a better understanding of behaviour of commensal microbiome after cataract surgery and its association with MGD.

Conclusion

Postcataract surgery, there is alteration of conjunctival and meibomian gland aerobic bacterial flora and it has a statistically significant association with development of MGD after cataract surgery. This demonstrates the importance of commensal microflora of the ocular surface. Ocular surface commensal microflora replenishment should be explored as a possible therapeutic option in MGD management.

References

1.
Nattis A, Perry HD, Rosenberg ED. Influence of bacterial burden on meibomian gland dysfunction and ocular surface disease. Clin Ophthalmol. 2019;13:1225-34. [crossref] [PubMed]
2.
Zhang SD, He JN, Niu TT, Chan CY, Ren CY, Liu SS, et al. Bacteriological profile of ocular surface flora in meibomian gland dysfunction. Ocul Surf. 2017;15:242-47. [crossref] [PubMed]
3.
Dong X, Wang Y, Wang W, Lin P, Huang Y. Composition and Diversity of Bacterial Community on the Ocular Surface of Patients with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019;60(14):4774-83. [crossref] [PubMed]
4.
Jiang X, Deng A, Yang J, Bai H, Yang Z, Wu B, et al. Pathogens in the Meibomian gland and conjunctival sac: Microbiome of normal subjects and patients with Meibomian gland dysfunction. Infect Drug Resist. 2018;11:1729-40. [crossref] [PubMed]
5.
Murali A, Krishnaswamy M. Study of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery from Rural Ophthalmology Camps. DJO. 2017;27:227-29. [crossref]
6.
Basak SK, Pal PP, Basak S, Bandyopadhyay A, Choudhary S, Sar S. Prevalence of dry eye diseases in hospital-based population in West Bengal, Eastern India. J Indian Med Assoc. 2012;110(11):789-94.
7.
Garcia LS, Procop GW, Roberts GD, Thompson RB Jr. Overview of conventional methods for bacterial identification. In: Forbes BA, Sahm DF, Weissfed ASX Baily and Scott’s diagnostic Microbiology. 10th ed. St. Louis Missouri, Mosby. 1998:167-81.
8.
Tomlinson A, Bron AJ, Korb DR, Amano S, Paugh JR, Pearce EA, et al. The International Workshop on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: Report of the Diagnosis Subcommittee. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52(4):2006-49. [crossref] [PubMed]
9.
Gomes JA, Frizon L, Demeda VF. Ocular Surface Microbiome in Health and Disease. Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila). 2020;9:505-11. [crossref] [PubMed]
10.
Kuklo P, Grzybowski A. Microbiology of the conjunctival sac before and after cataract surgery. Ophthalmol J. 2020;5:71-75. [crossref]
11.
Cavuoto KM, Banerjee S, Galor A. Relationship between the microbiome and ocular health. Ocul Surf. 2019;17:384-92. [crossref] [PubMed]
12.
Ueta M, Kinoshita S. Innate immunity of the ocular surface. Brain Res Bull. 2010;81:219-28. [crossref] [PubMed]
13.
Song P, Sun Z, Ren S, Yang K, Deng G. Preoperative management of MGD alleviates the aggravation of MGD and dry eye induced by cataract surgery: A prospective, randomized clinical trial. Biomed Res Int. 2019;2019:2737968. [crossref] [PubMed]
14.
Park Y, Hwang HB, Kim HS. Observation of Influence of Cataract Surgery on the Ocular Surface. PLoS One. 2016;11(10):e0152460. Published online 2016 Oct 3. [crossref] [PubMed]
15.
El Ameen A, Majoub S, Vandermeer G, Pisella PJ. Influence of cataract surgery on Meibomian gland dysfunction. J Fr Ophthalmol. 2018;41(5):e173-e180. [crossref] [PubMed]
16.
Zhao F, Zhang D, Ge C, Zang L, Reinach PS, Tian X, et al. Metagenomic profiling of ocular surface microbiome changes in meibomian gland dysfunction. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2020;61(8):22. [crossref] [PubMed]
17.
Lovieno A, Lambiase A, Sacchetti M, Stampachiacchiere B, Micera A, Bonini S, et al. Preliminary evidence of the efficacy of probiotic eye-drop treatment in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2008;246(3):435-41. [crossref] [PubMed]
18.
Roberfroid M. Prebiotics: The concept revisited. J Nutr. 2007;137(3,Suppl 2):830S-7S. [crossref] [PubMed]
19.
Matsuo T, Tsuchida Y, Morimoto N. Trehalose eye drops in the treatment of dry eye syndrome. Ophthalmol. 2002;109(11):2024-29. [crossref]

DOI and Others

DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2022/56555.16486

Date of Submission: Mar 22, 2022
Date of Peer Review: Apr 18, 2022
Date of Acceptance: Apr 20, 2022
Date of Publishing: Jun 01, 2022

AUTHOR DECLARATION:
• Financial or Other Competing Interests: None
• Was Ethics Committee Approval obtained for this study? Yes
• Was informed consent obtained from the subjects involved in the study? Yes
• For any images presented appropriate consent has been obtained from the subjects. No

PLAGIARISM CHECKING METHODS:
• Plagiarism X-checker: Mar 26, 2022
• Manual Googling: May 19, 2022
• iThenticate Software: May 17, 2022 (11%)

ETYMOLOGY: Author Origin

JCDR is now Monthly and more widely Indexed .
  • Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science, thomsonreuters)
  • Index Copernicus ICV 2017: 134.54
  • Academic Search Complete Database
  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
  • Embase
  • EBSCOhost
  • Google Scholar
  • HINARI Access to Research in Health Programme
  • Indian Science Abstracts (ISA)
  • Journal seek Database
  • Google
  • Popline (reproductive health literature)
  • www.omnimedicalsearch.com