Person-to-Person Bacterial Transmission Can Influence Dry Eye Disease in Newly Married Couples: Six-Month Interim Results

The aim of this prospective comparative study was to determine whether alterations in ocular microbiota composition affect dry eye disease (DED) in newly married couples. Methods: This study comprised 392 spouses with confirmed dry eye disease (DED) who were either insomniac or hypersomniac, and 196 spouses as controls. We prospectively collected data on ocular surface parameters including tear osmolarity, Schirmer’s test and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), sleep parameters and ocular microbiota composition on day 1 and after six months follow up. Results: The frequency of moderate-to-severe DED in spouses who had married with an insomniac person was significantly higher than healthy controls and hypersmoniacs (P