Lichen Planopilaris: The first biopsy layer microbiota inspection

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Microbiology
• Immunology

Background:

• Lichen Planopilaris (LPP) is a scarring alopecia causing chronic scalp inflammation.
• The role of microbial communities in LPP pathogenesis remains largely unexplored.
• Previous studies have not investigated scalp microbial composition in LPP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify significant microbial taxa associated with LPP.
• To investigate the relationship between microbial communities and metabolic pathways in LPP.
• To explore the connection between microbial taxa and IL-23 expression in LPP.

Main Methods:

• Multilevel analysis using 16S rRNA marker sequencing for microbial composition.
• Real-time PCR to quantify IL-23 interleukin expression levels.
• Urinary metabolomics to identify volatile organic metabolites (VOMs).

Main Results:

• Specific microbial taxa were identified that significantly differentiate LPP from healthy scalp samples.
• The Microbacteriaceae family showed a negative correlation with IL-23 expression.
• Predicted metabolic pathways associated with the identified microbial communities were analyzed.

Conclusions:

• Microbial composition and associated metabolic pathways contribute to LPP inflammation.
• Understanding these microbial contributions offers insights into LPP pathology and potential therapeutic targets.
• Further research into microbiota plasticity in LPP is warranted.