Impact of Equine Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia on Interactions between Ocular Transcriptome and Microbiome.
Abstract: Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) represents the most common conjunctival tumor in horses and frequently results in vision loss and surgical removal of the affected globe. Multiple etiologic factors have been identified as contributing to OSSN progression, including solar radiation exposure, genetic mutations, and a lack of periocular pigmentation. Response to conventional treatments has been highly variable, though our recent work indicates that these tumors are highly responsive to local immunotherapy. In the present study, we extended our investigation of OSSN in horses to better understand how the ocular transcriptome responds to the presence of the tumor and how the ocular surface microbiome may also be altered by the presence of cancer. Therefore, we collected swabs from the ventral conjunctival fornix from 22 eyes in this study (11 with cytologically or histologically confirmed OSSN and 11 healthy eyes from the same horses) and performed RNA sequencing and 16S microbial sequencing using the same samples. Microbial 16s DNA sequencing and bulk RNA sequencing were both conducted using an Illumina-based platform. In eyes with OSSN, we observed significantly upregulated expression of genes and pathways associated with inflammation, particularly interferon. Microbial diversity was significantly reduced in conjunctival swabs from horses with OSSN. We also performed interactome analysis and found that three bacterial taxa (, and ) had significant correlations with more than 100 upregulated genes in samples from animals with OSSN. These findings highlight the inflammatory nature of OSSN in horses and provide important new insights into how the host ocular surface interacts with certain microbial populations. These findings suggest new strategies for the management of OSSN in horses, which may entail immunotherapy in combination with ocular surface probiotics or prebiotics to help normalize ocular cell and microbe interactions.
Publication Date: 2024-04-07 PubMed ID: 38668434PubMed Central: PMC11054121DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11040167Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research looked at how equine Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia (OSSN), a common eye tumor in horses, affects interactions between the horse’s eye genes (ocular transcriptome) and the eye microbial environment (ocular surface microbiome). It found upregulated genes linked to inflammation, a reduction in microbial diversity, and correlations between specific bacteria populations and upregulated genes in horses with OSSN.
Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia (OSSN)
- Equine OSSN is the most common eye tumor in horses, often leading to vision loss and potential surgical removal of the affected eye.
- Factors such as solar radiation exposure, genetic mutations, and lack of periocular pigmentation can contribute to the progression of OSSN.
- The response to standard treatments varies greatly, but recent research shows high responsiveness to local immunotherapy.
Study Approach and Methodology
- The researchers extended their investigation on OSSN to better understand how it affects the horse’s ocular transcriptome and microbiome.
- They collected samples from 22 eyes (11 with confirmed OSSN and 11 healthy ones) and conducted RNA sequencing and 16S microbial sequencing.
- The sequencing was done using an Illumina-based platform.
Findings from the Research
- Eyes with OSSN showed significantly increased expression of genes connected with inflammation, particularly interferon.
- There was a significant reduction in microbial diversity in the samples from horses with OSSN.
- An interactome analysis revealed that three bacterial taxa had significant correlations with over 100 upregulated genes in OSSN samples.
Implications of the Findings
- The results emphasized the inflammatory nature of OSSN in horses and provided fresh insights into how horse eyes interact with certain microbial populations.
- These new details could lead to innovative strategies for managing OSSN in horses, possibly incorporating immunotherapy with ocular surface probiotics or prebiotics to regulate ocular cell and microbe interactions.
Cite This Article
APA
Chow L, Flaherty E, Pezzanite L, Williams M, Dow S, Wotman K.
(2024).
Impact of Equine Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia on Interactions between Ocular Transcriptome and Microbiome.
Vet Sci, 11(4), 167.
https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11040167 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Grant Funding
- N/a / Colorado State University Young Investigator Grant in Companion Animal Studies
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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