Microbial flora of atopic dermatitis

Abstract

The microbial flora of dermatitic skin, uninvolved skin, and the anterior nares of subjects with atopic eczema were investigated. The carriage rate of Staphylococcus aureus was 79% for the anterior nares, 76% for the uninvolved skin (normal skin), and 93% for lesions. The counts of S aureus were 7.5 X 10(4)/sq cm in lesions and 7.1 X 10(3)/sq cm on adjacent normal skin. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant organism in the lesions and constituted 91% of the total aerobic bacterial flora. The coagulase-negative staphylococci were the second predominant organisms (9%). On normal skin, coagulase-negative staphylococci were the predominant organisms, constituting 63% of the total flora, followed by S aureus (30% of the bacterial flora). The micrococci counts were lower in the lesions (1.6 X 10(2)/sq cm) and higher on normal skin (9.5 X 10(2)/sq cm). Lipophilic diphtheroids were fewer on normal skin (6.7 X 10/sq cm), and there were none in the lesions. Fifty-eight percent of the strains belonged to group 3, and 38% were nontypeable. Staphylococcus aureus strains belonging to phage groups 2 and 4 were not detected.

Flucloxacillin in the treatment of atopic dermatitis

“…The present study confirmed the work of others, [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] namely, that most subjects with atopic dermatitis carry S. aureus on their eczematous skin and that some subjects carry the organism on their unaffected skin as well as the anterior nares carrier site, prior to treatment. This study has also shown that in a selected group of children with atopic dermatitis without signs of infection, FLX did not significantly alter the disease severity scores nor reduce the amount of topical corticosteroid or trimeprazine tartrate used during or after treatment.…”

Enhanced basal and stimulated PMN chemiluminescence activity in children with atopic dermatitis: stimulatory role of colonizing staphylococci?

“…Our study demonstrates a high incidence of S. aureus carriership in children with atopic dermatitis. This is in accordance with studies reported in adults (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Carrier rates of coagulase-negative staphylococci (except for S. huemolyticus) did not differ between AD and control children.…”

Consequences of colonization and infection by Staphylococcus aureus in atopic dermatitis

“…This study has confirmed the high carriage rate of S. aureus by patients with atopic dermatitis which had been reported previously (Anderson & Heilesen, 1951;Aly, Maibach & Shinefield, 1977;Bibel, Greenberg & Cook 1977;Noble, 1981;Hauser et al, 1985). The phage types of 5. aureus, isolated from the lesions of atopic dermatitis, are similar to those described in Scandinavian (Anderson & Heilesen, 1951) and American patients (Aly et al, 1977), although Group II staphylococci were isolated from two patients in this study.…”