An Evaluation of Techniques for Sampling Skin Flora

Shaw, C; Smith, J. A.; McBride, Mollie E.; Duncan, W. Christopher

doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12257936

Cited by 33 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Traditionally, we have identified skin microorganisms by directly observing the morphology of isolated spores or cultivated microorganisms. 6,7 However, these morphological-based methods are circumscribed for some members of the skin microbiota due to the fastidious growth requirements and difficulty in isolation. Fortunately, genomic methodologies with increasing sequencing depth allow for easier microbiota identification.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Profile of the skin microbiota in a healthy Chinese population

Zhai

Huang

Zhang

et al. 2018

The Journal of Dermatology

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The skin microbiota is an inseparable component of the skin barrier structure, which participates in the stabilization or impairment of the barrier function as well as the development of many skin diseases. To characterize the normal skin microbiota and its association with skin sites, age and sex, we recruited 50 volunteers divided into children, adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults and the elderly. The skin sites consisted of cheeks, volar forearms (representing dry environments) and upper back (representing sebaceous environments). A total of 9 574 365 high-quality sequences of the V3 to V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene were annotated with taxonomic information related to two archaeal phyla (Thaumarchaeota and Euryarchaeota) and five dominant bacterial phyla (Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria). The skin bacteria community structure was influenced by skin sites, and was closely related to age and sex. The upper back was dominated by Propionibacterium and Staphylococcus, and the cheeks facilitated the survival of Betaproteobacteria, while Alphaproteobacteria were prevalent on the volar forearms. Regarding the effects of age, after sexual maturity, the cheek microbiota became more similar to sebaceous sites (i.e. the upper back). The volar forearms appeared to experience the aging process earlier than the other two sites. The elderly had greater species richness and diversity and their community composition no longer had skin-site selectivity. Males had a greater species richness than females, but the sex differences in the community structure only present at certain age groups and skin sites.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Profile of the skin microbiota in a healthy Chinese population

Zhai

Huang

Zhang

et al. 2018

The Journal of Dermatology

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“…0-05 ml was dropped and spread on delineated areas on the skin ofthe forearm and air dried. The areas were sampled at the following times: 0,2,4,6,8 and 24 h, using a modification of the Pachtman cup scrubbing method with i ml of phosphate buffered saline (Shaw et al, 1970). Washings were appropriately diluted, plated on tryptic soy-agar (Difco) using a drop plate method, incubated for 24 h and counted.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological and environmental control of Gram negative bacteria on skin

McBride

Duncan

Knox

2006

British Journal of Dermatology

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SUMMARY The relative importance of the environment versus the physiology of the host in the control of Gram negative bacteria on skin has been examined by two experimental designs. (1) The changes in incidence of Gram negative carriage from three skin sites in a climate controlled chamber at 35° C and 90% humidity for 64 h were determined. Following 2 weeks of tetracycline treatment the above experiment was repeated. High temperatures and humidity increased the overall frequency of isolation of Gram negative bacteria although there were individual differences. This effect was reversed 24 h after a return to the natural environment. Tetracycline inhibited the increase in isolation of Gram negative organisms in six subjects, enhanced it in three and had no effect on one subject. Gram negative populations were less than 10 colony forming units/cm2 of skin in most instances but ranged up to 10,000/cm2 skin. No residual effect occurred after return to natural environment and at no time was there a loss of normal flora. (2) Klebsiella pneumnoniae, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were inoculated on normal skin of ten volunteers and survival determined during a 24 h period. Viability was lost between 2 and 6 h on most subjects as compared to 24 h or longer for K. Pneumoniae and P. vulgaris on an inert surface and between 8 and 24 h for Ps, aeruginosa. It was concluded that extremes of environment can affect Gram negative skin carriage but under normal conditions in healthy individuals there is evidence of physiological control of Gram negative flora.

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“…liach area was cultured iti duplicate, satnples being taken from both the right and left sides of the body. The skin sampling method chosen (Shaw et al 1970) has been evaluated statistically and found to eompare favorably with other quantitative skin sampling methods. Specimens were collected by delineating a 16 cni^ area with a sterile template and scrubbing the skin in the area with a calciutn alginate swab tnoistened in phosphate buffered saline pH 7.2 containing0.1% Triton X 100.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cutaneous Microflora of Patients with Repeated Skin Infections

1977

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The microflora of normal skin in 16 patients with repeated staphylococcal and streptococcal skin infections was examined to determine whether abnormalities existed which would indicate a protective role for the indigenous flora against colonization by pathogens. Five sites-hands, feet, axilla, groin and back-were examined quantitatively and qualitatively and compared with a control group. Total populations of indigenous flora were significantly higher from patients with repeated skin infections of the back, axillae and feet. The frequency of isolation of different species from normal skin was comparable between the control and experimental groups, with the exception of the incidence of Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus species which were isolated only from patients with repeated skin infections. Gram-negative bacteria were isolated with comparable frequency between the two groups, but patients with repeated skin infections tended to carry gram-negative bacteria on multiple sites. It was concluded from the high population of indigenous flora and the types of microogranisms present that the microflora of normal skin did not appear to protect patients with repeated skin infections against colonization by pathogens. The presence of high populations of Staphylococcus aureus on the normal skin of patients with repeated skin infections would appear to be the most important contributing factor.

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An Evaluation of Techniques for Sampling Skin Flora

Cited by 33 publications

References 6 publications

Profile of the skin microbiota in a healthy Chinese population

Profile of the skin microbiota in a healthy Chinese population

Physiological and environmental control of Gram negative bacteria on skin

Cutaneous Microflora of Patients with Repeated Skin Infections

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