Effect of a lotion containing the heat-treated probiotic strain NCC 533 on colonization in atopic dermatitis.

OBJECTIVE

dominates the skin microbiota in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), with bacterial loads correlating with disease severity. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the effect of a cosmetic lotion containing heat-treated NCC 533 (HT La1) on colonization in AD patients.

METHODS

This open-label, multicenter study was performed in AD patients in Germany. First, detection of was performed in all patients using the swab or scrub-wash method of sampling, followed by quantitative culture or quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Repeatability and reproducibility of all method combinations were evaluated to select the best combination of sampling and quantification. Second, a lotion containing HT La1 was applied to lesional skin twice daily for 3 weeks. Scoring using local objective SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD), measurement of load, and lesional microbiome analysis were performed before and after the 3-week treatment period.

RESULTS

Thirty-one patients with AD were included in the study. All sampling and quantification methods were found to be robust, reproducible, and repeatable for assessing load. For simplicity, a combination of swab and quantitative polymerase chain reaction was chosen to assess the efficacy of HT La1. Following application of a lotion containing HT La1 to AD lesions for 3 weeks, a reduction in load was observed in patients, which correlated with a decrease in local objective SCORAD. Interestingly, high baseline skin concentrations of were associated with good responses to the lotion.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that the application of a lotion containing HT La1 to the lesional skin of patients with AD for 3 weeks controlled colonization and was associated with local clinical improvement (SCORAD). These findings support further development of topical treatments containing heat-treated nonreplicating beneficial bacteria for patients with AD.