Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is the main risk factor for vision-threatening disease in premature infants with low birth weight. An accumulating number of independent studies have focused on ROP pathogenesis and have demonstrated that laser photocoagulation therapy and/or anti-VEGF treatment are effective. However, early diagnosis of ROP is still critical. At present, the main method of ROP screening is based on binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy. However, the judgment of whether ROP occurs and whether treatment is necessary depends largely on ophthalmologists with a great deal of experience. Therefore, it is essential to develop a simple, accurate and effective diagnostic method. This review describes recent findings on novel biomarkers for the prediction, diagnosis and prognosis of ROP patients. The novel biomarkers were separated into the following categories: metabolites, cytokines and growth factors, non-coding RNAs, iconography, gut microbiota, oxidative stress biomarkers, and others. Biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity are urgently needed for the clinical applications of ROP. In addition, using non-invasive or minimally invasive methods to obtain samples is also important. Our review provides an overview of potential biomarkers of ROP.
PurposeChoroidal neovascularization (CNV) is the defining feature of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Gut microbiota might be deeply involved in the pathogenesis of nAMD. This study aimed to reveal the roles of the gut microbiome and fecal metabolome in a mouse model of laser-induced CNV.MethodsThe feces of C57BL/6J mice with or without laser-induced CNV were collected. Multi-omics analyses, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomics, were conducted to analyze the changes in the gut microbial composition and the fecal metabolomic profiles in CNV mice.ResultsThe gut microbiota was significantly altered in CNV mice. The abundance of Candidatus_Saccharimonas was significantly upregulated in the feces of CNV mice, while 16 genera, including Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, Candidatus_Soleaferrea, and Truepera, were significantly more abundant in the controls than in the CNV group. Fecal metabolomics identified 73 altered metabolites (including 52 strongly significantly altered metabolites) in CNV mice compared to control mice. Correlation analysis indicated significant correlations between the altered fecal metabolites and gut microbiota genera, such as Lachnospiraceae_UCG-001 and Candidatus_Saccharimonas. Moreover, KEGG analysis revealed six pathways associated with these altered metabolites, such as the ABC transporter, primary bile acid biosynthesis and steroid hormone biosynthesis pathways.ConclusionThe study identified an altered fecal microbiome and metabolome in a CNV mouse model. The altered microbes, metabolites and the involved pathways might be associated with the pathogenesis of nAMD.
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