New insights into the characteristic skin microorganisms in different grades of acne and different acne sites

Abstract

BackgroundThe increasing maturity of sequencing technology provides a convenient approach to studying the role of skin microorganisms in acne pathogenesis. However, there are still too few studies about the skin microbiota of Asian acne patients, especially a lack of detailed analysis of the characteristics of the skin microbiota in the different acne sites.MethodsIn this study, a total of 34 college students were recruited and divided into the health, mild acne, and severe acne groups. The bacterial and fungal flora of samples were separately detected by 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing. The biomarkers of different acne grades and different acne sites [forehead, cheek, chin, torso (including chest and back)] were excavated.Results and DiscussionOur results indicated that there was no significant difference in species diversity between groups. The genera like Propionibacterium, Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium, and Malassezia, which have a relatively high abundance in the skin microbiota and were reported as the most acne-associated microbes, were no obvious differences between groups. On the contrary, the abundance of less reported Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas, Ralstonia, and Pseudidiomarina) and Candida has a significant alteration. Compared with the health group and the mild group, in the severe group, the abundance of Pseudomonas and Ralstonia sharply reduced while that of Pseudidiomarina and Candida remarkably raised. Moreover, different acne sites have different numbers and types of biomarkers. Among the four acne sites, the cheek has the greatest number of biomarkers including Pseudomonas, Ralstonia, Pseudidiomarina, Malassezia, Saccharomyces, and Candida, while no biomarker was observed for the forehead. The network analysis indicated that there might be a competitive relationship between Pseudomonas and Propionibacterium. This study would provide a new insight and theoretical basis for precise and personalized acne microbial therapy.

Characterization of the forehead skin microbiome in the early phase of acne

“…1,4,6,16,18 There is no consensus on the characteristics of the acneassociated microbiome, with differences between studies likely being due to the influence of the body site analysed, sebum levels, puberty stage, acne severity and inflammatory levels, as well as sampling methods (skin surface or comedones) and other analytical parameters. 6,7,14,18 However, similar to our findings in early stage acne, reduced alpha diversity of the bacterial community has been previously documented in acne subjects compared to non-acne subjects. 10,28,29 In these studies, the decrease in bacterial diversity was shown to be associated with late puberty, inflammatory lesions, higher acne severity grades and/or epidermal barrier impairment.…”

“…Studies investigating the genomic composition of the skin microbiome have identified differential microbiota profiles between skin samples from acne-prone subjects and non-acne subjects, as well as across acne grades and skin sites. 6,[13][14][15] Other clinical studies have also identified specific microbiome profiles in preadolescents with developing acne, likely due to hormone-driven increases in sebum levels. 10,16,17 Acne lesions are typically characterized by the dominance of specific pathogenic phylotypes of C. acnes and an elevated abundance of Staphylococci.…”

A new topical biotechnological phytocomplex for truncal mild‐moderate acne restores skin microbiota balance

“…On the other hand, the taxonomic profile results closely resemble those obtained by Guo 37 in a study of the skin microbiome in different grades of acne using 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing. The study showed that Cutibacterium (formerly Propinobacterium ) is present in healthy skin as normal commensal, but when the skin becomes unbalanced due to an alteration such as acne, there is a growth of Cutibacterium that correlates with acne severity.…”

“…The distribution of Cutibacterium in mild acne and in healthy skin in the samples of Guo's study was very similar to the respective distribution of Cutibacterium before and after treatment in the samples from the present study. 37 …”

The Microbiome and Acne: Perspectives for Treatment

“…Similarly, Guo et al did not detect differences in species diversity between healthy individuals and those with mild or severe acne in a total of 34 college students in China. In that study, 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing was used to investigate Propionibacterium , Staphylococcus , Corynebacterium , and Malassezia genera [ 33 ]. Studies in Japanese patients have reported the phylotype IA2 as strongly acne-associated, suggesting geographic differences between Europe and Asia [ 34 , 35 ].…”