Nasopharyngeal Microbial Signatures Associated with Anti-VEGF Therapeutic Outcomes in Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Pilot Study
5 affiliations
- 1Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania
- 2Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Neuroscience Institute, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 50161 Kaunas, Lithuania
- 3Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 50161 Kaunas, Lithuania
- 4Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Gastroenterology, Institute for Digestive Research, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania
- 5Department of Gastroenterology, Academy of Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 50161 Kaunas, Lithuania
Abstract
Exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is driven by choroidal angiogenesis, and the response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy varies between patients. In this pilot study, we investigated whether the pretreatment nasopharyngeal microbiota differs between patients with exudative AMD and controls and whether it is associated with treatment response. Nasopharyngeal swabs were analysed by 16S rRNA gene (V3–V4) amplicon sequencing; after removal of host-derived, chloroplast and contaminant sequences and rarefaction, 55 samples (25 patients and 30 controls) were retained. Treatment response was assessed six months after starting therapy. Community composition was compared using permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) adjusted for age, sex and statin use. Alpha and beta diversity did not differ between patients and controls (Shannon index, p = 0.892; PERMANOVA, p = 0.067). Pretreatment community composition differed between 19 responders and five non-responders (Bray–Curtis R2 = 0.057, p = 0.015; weighted UniFrac R2 = 0.143, p = 0.006), and non-responders had lower diversity (observed ASVs, p = 0.004). Non-responders had a higher relative abundance of Corynebacterium (median 71% vs. 19%; p = 0.009), which did not remain significant after correction for all genera tested. Pretreatment nasopharyngeal microbiota composition was associated with the response to anti-VEGF therapy but not with AMD status. These preliminary findings require confirmation in larger, independent cohorts.
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BibTeX
@article{cebatoriene2026nasopharyngeal,
title = {{Nasopharyngeal Microbial Signatures Associated with Anti-VEGF Therapeutic Outcomes in Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Pilot Study}},
author = {Dzastina Cebatoriene and Akvile Bruzaite and Alvita Vilkeviciute-Petraite and Dalia Zaliuniene and Rokas Lukosevicius and Jurgita Skieceviciene and Juozas Kupcinskas and Rasa Liutkeviciene},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27219673},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9673},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Nasopharyngeal Microbial Signatures Associated with Anti-VEGF Therapeutic Outcomes in Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Pilot Study
AU - Dzastina Cebatoriene
AU - Akvile Bruzaite
AU - Alvita Vilkeviciute-Petraite
AU - Dalia Zaliuniene
AU - Rokas Lukosevicius
AU - Jurgita Skieceviciene
AU - Juozas Kupcinskas
AU - Rasa Liutkeviciene
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27219673
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9673
AB - Exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is driven by choroidal angiogenesis, and the response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy varies between patients. In this pilot study, we investigated whether the pretreatment nasopharyngeal microbiota differs between patients with exudative AMD and controls and whether it is associated with treatment response. Nasopharyngeal swabs were analysed by 16S rRNA gene (V3–V4) amplicon sequencing; after removal of host-derived, chloroplast and contaminant sequences and rarefaction, 55 samples (25 patients and 30 controls) were retained. Treatment response was assessed six months after starting therapy. Community composition was compared using permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) adjusted for age, sex and statin use. Alpha and beta diversity did not differ between patients and controls (Shannon index, p = 0.892; PERMANOVA, p = 0.067). Pretreatment community composition differed between 19 responders and five non-responders (Bray–Curtis R2 = 0.057, p = 0.015; weighted UniFrac R2 = 0.143, p = 0.006), and non-responders had lower diversity (observed ASVs, p = 0.004). Non-responders had a higher relative abundance of Corynebacterium (median 71% vs. 19%; p = 0.009), which did not remain significant after correction for all genera tested. Pretreatment nasopharyngeal microbiota composition was associated with the response to anti-VEGF therapy but not with AMD status. These preliminary findings require confirmation in larger, independent cohorts.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -