title: Effect of antibacterial honey on the ocular flora in tear deficiency and meibomian gland disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess for differences in the ocular flora of patients with dry eye caused by tear deficiency and/or meibomian gland disease and to assess the effect of antibacterial honey on the ocular flora in these forms of dry eye.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective, open-label pilot study, bacteria isolated from the eyelid margin and conjunctiva were identified and quantified before and at 1 and 3 months after initiation of treatment with topical application of antibacterial honey 3 times daily. Subjects had non-Sjogren tear deficiency (n = 20), Sjogren syndrome tear deficiency (n = 11), meibomian gland disease (n = 15), and non-Sjogren tear deficiency with meibomian gland disease (n = 20), and there were 18 non-dry eye subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total colony-forming units (CFUs) isolated from each of the dry eye subgroups before antibacterial honey use was significantly greater than the total CFU isolated from the non-dry eye group. Antibacterial honey use significantly reduced total CFUs for the eyelids and the conjunctiva of dry eye subjects from baseline at month 1 (eyelids: P = 0.0177, conjunctiva: P = 0.0022) and month 3 (eyelids: P < 0.0001, conjunctiva: P < 0.0001). At month 3, there were reductions in total CFUs for all dry eye subgroups such that the CFUs were not significantly different from those of the non-dry eye group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From these results, there is sufficient preliminary data to warrant further study of the effects of antibacterial honey in chronic ocular surface diseases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. julie@darkoptics.com.au
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Albietz
authors.forename: Lee M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lenton
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000382:microbiology; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D005143:Eyelids / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006722:Honey; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008537:Meibomian Glands / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local