Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41362316›Full record

ArticleCurrent research in microbial sciences2025

The pediatric ocular surface microbiome in pet-owning households.

Xiangtian Ling, Charlene C Yim, Qihang Sun, Yu Peng, Yuzhou Zhang, Ka Wai Kam, Alvin L Young, Patrick Ip, Stephen Kwok-Wing Tsui, Clement C Tham and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Current research in microbial sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Xiangtian LingDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Charlene C YimDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Qihang SunDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Yu PengDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Yuzhou ZhangDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Ka Wai KamDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Alvin L YoungDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Patrick IpDepartment of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Stephen Kwok-Wing TsuiSchool of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Clement C ThamDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Chi Pui PangDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Li Jia ChenDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Jason C YamDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Pet exposure is associated with the allergy development in children. The influence of pet exposure on the pediatric ocular surface microbiome (OSM), a potential mediator of ocular immunity, remains uncharacterized. This study investigates OSM alterations in children with household pet contact. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, conjunctival swabs from 347 children (aged 5-15 years) in the CUHK Hong Kong Children Eye Study were analyzed. 16S rRNA sequencing (V3-V4 region) was performed, followed by bioinformatic analysis (QIIME2, DADA2, SILVA 138) and functional prediction (PICRUSt2). Alpha/beta diversity, taxonomic composition, and KEGG pathways were compared. Results: Pet-exposed children had higher alpha diversity (Shannon/Simpson/Observed indexes; Conclusion: Pet exposure associates with increased diversity, enrichment of taxa associated with animals and the environment, and NF-κB/VEGF pathway activation in the pediatric OSM. This suggests OSM as a novel mechanism for pet-related immune modulation, potentially influencing ocular surface health and allergy susceptibility.

Indexed as

Microbial diversityOcular surface microbiomePediatric ophthalmologyPet exposure

Identifiers

PMID41362316
PMCPMC12681768

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.