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Published on: August 7, 2017
Associations between early-life exposures and the infant skin microbiome
Conor Broderick1, Casper Sahl Poulsen2, Mathis Hjort Hjelmsø2
1Unit for Paediatric and Population-Based Dermatology Research, St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, London, UK.
Insights
The infant skin microbiome composition is influenced by factors like age, body site, ethnicity, and hygiene practices. It is also associated with skin barrier function and the development of atopic dermatitis in early life.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Dermatology
- Genetics
Background:
- The early-life skin microbiome's role in atopic dermatitis (AD) is not well understood.
- Research is needed to identify factors influencing infant skin microbial communities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate associations between the infant skin microbiome and various factors during the first year of life.
- To explore the relationship between the skin microbiome and the development of atopic dermatitis.
Main Methods:
- 148 infants were studied from the Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) birth cohort.
- Skin swabs were collected at 3 months and 1 year for 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
- Data on AD, TEWL, filaggrin status, and environmental factors were collected.
Main Results:
- Microbiome composition varied significantly by body site and age.
- Factors such as ethnicity, filaggrin status, residence, siblings, and bath products were associated with the microbiome.
- The skin microbiome correlated with elevated TEWL and concurrent AD, with specific bacteria like Streptococcus parasanguinis being less abundant in infants with AD.
Conclusions:
- Infant skin microbiome development is influenced by a combination of intrinsic (age, genetics) and extrinsic (environment, hygiene) factors.
- The skin microbiome is closely linked to skin barrier function and the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis.
Background:
Factors influencing the early-life skin microbiome and the association with atopic dermatitis (AD) are relatively unexplored.
Objectives:
To evaluate associations with the infant skin microbiome during the first year of life.
Methods:
Three-month-old infants from the Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) birth cohort were examined for AD at enrolment and at 1 and 3 years of age. Parent-completed questionnaires, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and FLG mutation status were evaluated. Bacterial swabs were collected from the elbow crease and volar forearm from 148 infants at 3 months and 1 year of age, and the microbiome composition was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V3-V4 region).
Results:
Shannon diversity was significantly higher at the forearm compared with the elbow. Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter and Streptococcus were the most abundant genera across time and body site. Microbiome community composition was primarily associated with body site and age (P ≤ 0.001 for both). Other significant associations were found with ethnicity (P = 0.009), FLG status (P ≤ 0.001), urban vs. rural residence (P = 0.005), older siblings (P = 0.04) and bath product use at 3 months (P = 0.01) but not with pets (P = 0.16), systemic antibiotics (P = 0.27) or bathing frequency (P = 0.11). The microbiome was associated with elevated TEWL (P = 0.004 at 3 months and P ≤ 0.001 at 1 year) and with concurrent AD (P = 0.03 at 3 months, P ≤ 0.001 at 1 year). Streptococcus parasanguinis was significantly less abundant in the nonlesional skin of infants with AD at 3 months.
Conclusions:
In addition to age and body site, the infant skin microbiome is associated with heritable factors, the home environment, hygiene practices and with the presence of AD. An author video to accompany this article is available online.
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