American research shows differences in diversity, bacterial composition and microbial interactions between healthy and psoriatic skin, both with and without lesions. Bacterial biomarkers were also identified that could potentially help predict the transition from psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Previous research points to a role of the skin microbiome in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. For example, changes in microbial diversity were found when healthy, psoriatic unaffected and psoriatic affected skin were compared. However, little is known about the cutaneous microbiome in patients with PsA. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess distinctive features in the skin microbiome in psoriasis and PsA. For this purpose, skin swabs were collected from the arms and legs of healthy individuals and patients with psoriasis and PsA. Patients were sampled from both affected (lesional, L) and contralateral unaffected (non-lesional, NL) skin. The microbiome was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Compared to healthy skin, alpha diversity in psoriatic skin was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). This was true for both NL and L samples. Higher values were obtained Kocuria in Cutibacterium found in healthy subjects, while Staphylococcus occurred at a higher rate in patients. Bacterial association networks in psoriatic NL skin were more similar to psoriatic L skin than to healthy skin, suggesting an underlying dysbiotic process in the skin surface of patients, even in the absence of clinically evident lesions. The researchers also found that Corynebacterium was enriched in NL PsA samples compared to NL psoriasis samples (p < 0.05), potentially serving as a biomarker for disease progression.
Bron:
Boix-Amorós A, Badri MH, Manasson J, et al. Alterations in the cutaneous microbiome of patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis reveal similarities between non-lesional and lesional skin. Ann Rheum Dis. 2022 Dec 12. Online ahead of print.
