{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]],"date-time":"2026-10-22T00:47:08Z","timestamp":1792630028815,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,4]],"date-time":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1696377600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In the field of Ophthalmology, the mNGS 16S rRNA sequencing method of studying the microbiota and ocular microbiome is gaining more and more weight in the scientific community. This study aims to characterize the ocular microbiota of patients diagnosed with keratoconus who have not undergone any prior surgical treatment using the mNGS 16S rRNA sequencing method. Samples of na\u00efve keratoconus patients were collected with an eNAT with 1 mL of Liquid Amies Medium (Copan Brescia, Italy), and DNA was extracted and analyzed with 16S NGS. The microbiota analysis showed a relative abundance of microorganisms at the phylum level in each sample collected from 38 patients with KC and 167 healthy controls. A comparison between healthy control and keratoconus samples identified two genera unique to keratoconus, Pelomonas and Ralstonia. Our findings suggest that alterations in the microbiota may play a role in the complex scenario of KC development.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm12196354","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,4]],"date-time":"2023-10-04T11:58:57Z","timestamp":1696420737000},"page":"6354","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":37,"title":["Ocular Surface Microbiota in Na\u00efve Keratoconus: A Multicenter Validation Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7464-2493","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlos","family":"Rocha-de-Lossada","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Eyemetagenomics Ltd., 71\u201375, Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ, UK"},{"name":"Ophthalmology Department, QVision, Vithas Almer\u00eda, 04120 Almeria, Spain"},{"name":"Ophthalmology Department, Hospital Regional Universitario M\u00e1laga, 29010 Malaga, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cosimo","family":"Mazzotta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Siena Crosslinking Center, 53100 Siena, Italy"},{"name":"Departmental Ophthalmology Unit, USL Toscana Sud Est l, 53100 Siena, Italy"},{"name":"Postgraduate Ophthalmology School, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Federico","family":"Gabrielli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biolab SRL, Laboratorio di Genetica e Genomica Molecolare, Largo degli Aranci, 9, 63100 Ascoli Piceno, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7821-8198","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Filomena Tiziana","family":"Papa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biolab SRL, Laboratorio di Genetica e Genomica Molecolare, Largo degli Aranci, 9, 63100 Ascoli Piceno, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carmen","family":"G\u00f3mez-Huertas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, 18014 Granada, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Celia","family":"Garc\u00eda-L\u00f3pez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, 18014 Granada, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1288-3715","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Facundo","family":"Urbinati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Department, Hospital Regional Universitario M\u00e1laga, 29010 Malaga, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5901-2469","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rahul","family":"Rachwani-Anil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital de Antequera, 29200 Malaga, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"Garc\u00eda-Lorente","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Department, Hospital Regional Universitario M\u00e1laga, 29010 Malaga, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0450-7717","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9-Mar\u00eda","family":"S\u00e1nchez-Gonz\u00e1lez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physics of Condensed Matter, Optics Area, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1016-2535","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Miguel","family":"Rechichi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro Polispecialistico Mediterraneo, 88050 Sellia Marina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giovanni","family":"Rubegni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Postgraduate Ophthalmology School, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6952-5647","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Davide","family":"Borroni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eyemetagenomics Ltd., 71\u201375, Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9JQ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1348","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcrs.2013.03.023","article-title":"Posterior corneal elevation and back difference corneal elevation in diagnosing forme fruste keratoconus in the fellow eyes of unilateral keratoconus patients","volume":"39","author":"Muftuoglu","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. 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