Gut microbiome and diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

During the last decades, the incidence of diabetes and a variety of complications such as diabetic retinopathy (DR) and cardiovascular diseases have been increased exponentially. Gut bacterial composition -microbiota - has been associated with the pathobiology of many inflammatory and metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in preserving the metabolic and immune homeostasis, protecting against pathogens and regulating host immunity; however, gut microbiome ecosystem can be altered by lifestyle, cigarette smoking, dietary patterns, and oxidative stress.Herein, we present a hypothesis on the potential complex association between gut microbiota and DR as one of the microvascular complications of diabetes.

Keywords: Gut microbiome; diabetic retinopathy; reactive oxygen species; retina.