Skin Microbiome in Prurigo Nodularis
View/ Open
Date
2023Author
Tutka, Klaudia
Żychowska, Magdalena
Reich, Adam
Żaczek, Anna
Maternia-Dudzik, Karolina
Pawełczyk, Jakub
Lach, Jakub
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic condition characterized by the presence of nodular
lesions accompanied by intense pruritus. The disease has been linked to several infectious factors,
but data on the direct presence of microorganisms in the lesions of PN are scarce. The aim of this
study was to evaluate the diversity and composition of the bacterial microbiome in PN lesions by
targeting the region V3-V4 of 16S rRNA. Skin swabs were obtained from active nodules in 24 patients
with PN, inflammatory patches of 14 patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and corresponding skin
areas of 9 healthy volunteers (HV). After DNA extraction, the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S
rRNA gene was amplified. Sequencing was performed using the Illumina platform on the MiSeq
instrument. Operational taxonomic units (OTU) were identified. The identification of taxa was
carried out using the Silva v.138 database. There was no statistically significant difference in the
alpha-diversity (intra-sample diversity) between the PN, AD and HV groups. The beta-diversity
(inter-sample diversity) showed statistically significant differences between the three groups on a
global level and in paired analyses. Staphylococcus was significantly more abundant in samples from
PN and AD patients than in controls. The difference was maintained across all taxonomic levels. The
PN microbiome is highly similar to that of AD. It remains unclear whether the disturbed composition
of the microbiome and the domination of Staphylococcus in PN lesions may be the trigger factor of
pruritus and lead to the development of cutaneous changes or is a secondary phenomenon. Our
preliminary results support the theory that the composition of the skin microbiome in PN is altered
and justify further research on the role of the microbiome in this debilitating condition.
Collections
The following license files are associated with this item: