A study of infants has identified distinct skin microbiome patterns that appear before and after the onset of atopic diseases, suggesting that early microbial changes could eventually help identify children at increased risk. The research, published online July 17 in Allergy, examined more than 1,000 skin swab samples collected from 429 infants at 2 to 3 months of age, before diagnosis, and again at 12 months, after diagnosis in affected children. Researchers used deep shotgun metagenomic sequencing to investigate microbial differences associated with atopic dermatitis (AD), food sensitization (FS), food allergy (FA), combinations of these conditions, and FLG mutation status. The findings showed that skin microbiome profiles varied according to the specific atopic phenotype. Staphylococcus epidermidis was more abundant in infants who developed AD without food allergy or sensitization. In contrast, infants with both AD and food allergy had lower levels of Staphylococcus hominis and Lactococcus species, along with higher levels of Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis and Malassezia slooffiae. Early skin dysbiosis, particularly an enrichment of Staphylococcus species at 2 to 3 months, was associated with the subsequent development of AD accompanied by food sensitization or food allergy, but not with AD alone. Infants carrying FLG mutations also showed additional microbiome differences among those with AD, including lower levels of Streptococcus species and higher levels of M. slooffiae. Strain-level analyses provided evidence of sharing of some AD-associated microbes between mothers and infants, while microbial genome-wide association analyses identified species-specific genes associated with AD severity. The researchers noted that detecting microbiome differences before clinical disease develops could potentially support the future development of early biomarkers. However, the findings describe associations and do not establish that the identified microbes directly cause atopic disease.

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YouTube video by Unboxing Biotech

YouTube video by Unboxing Biotech

YouTube video by Unboxing Biotech

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The skin microbiome plays an important role in health and disease. We have recently shown that microbes living on the skin regulate the immunomodulatory properties of UVR, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be uncovered. Using a preclinical model of immunosuppression against the chemical allergen 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene, 16S microbiome sequencing, in vitro cultures, high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and the generation of gnotobiotic-like mice, we report that acute UVB radiation induces a transient and significant restructuring of bacterial communities on the skin through one of its major photoproducts, cis-urocanic acid.