Lee Kyung-Ann, Ul-Haq Asad, Seo Hoonhee, Jo Sujin, Kim Sukyung, Song Ho-Yeon, Kim Hyun-Sook
Division of Rheumatobiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul 04401, Republic of Korea.
Human Microbiome Medical Research Center (HMMRC), Soonchunhyang University, 22, Soonchunhyang-ro, Sinchang-myeon, Asan, Chungnam 31538, Republic of Korea.
J Microbiol. 2025 Jan;63(1):e.2409018. doi: 10.71150/jm.2409018. Epub 2025 Jan 24.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterised by skin fibrosis and internal organ involvement. Disruptions in the microbial communities on the skin may contribute to the onset of autoimmune diseases that affect the skin. However, current research on the skin microbiome in SSc is lacking. This study aimed to investigate skin microbiome associated with disease severity in SSc. Skin swabs were collected from the upper limbs of 46 healthy controls (HCs) and 36 patients with SSc. Metagenomic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene was conducted and stratified by cutaneous subtype and modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) severity. Significant differences in skin bacterial communities were observed between the HCs and patients with SSc, with further significant variations based on subtype and mRSS severity. The identified biomarkers were Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium for patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc with high mRSS (≥ 10) and Mycobacterium and Parabacteroides for those with low mRSS (< 10). Gardnerella, Abies, Lactobacillus, and Roseburia were the biomarkers in patients with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSS) and high mRSS, whereas Coprococcus predominated in patients with lcSS and low mRSS. Cutaneous subtype analysis identified Pediococcus as a biomarker in the HCs, whereas mRSS analysis revealed the presence of Pseudomonas in conjunction with Pediococcus. In conclusion, patients with SSc exhibit distinct skin microbiota compared with healthy controls. Bacterial composition varies by systemic sclerosis cutaneous subtype and skin thickness.
系统性硬化症（SSc）是一种慢性自身免疫性疾病，其特征为皮肤纤维化和内脏器官受累。皮肤微生物群落的破坏可能导致影响皮肤的自身免疫性疾病的发生。然而，目前关于SSc皮肤微生物组的研究尚缺。本研究旨在调查与SSc疾病严重程度相关的皮肤微生物组。从46名健康对照（HC）和36名SSc患者的上肢采集皮肤拭子。基于16S rRNA基因进行宏基因组分析，并按皮肤亚型和改良Rodnan皮肤评分（mRSS）严重程度进行分层。在HC和SSc患者之间观察到皮肤细菌群落存在显著差异，并根据亚型和mRSS严重程度存在进一步的显著差异。所确定的生物标志物在mRSS高（≥10）的弥漫性皮肤SSc患者中为拟杆菌属和粪杆菌属，在mRSS低（<10）的患者中为分枝杆菌属和副拟杆菌属。加德纳菌属、冷杉属、乳杆菌属和罗氏菌属是局限性皮肤SSc（lcSS）且mRSS高的患者中的生物标志物，而粪球菌属在lcSS且mRSS低的患者中占主导。皮肤亚型分析确定嗜热栖热放线菌在HC中为生物标志物，而mRSS分析显示假单胞菌属与嗜热栖热放线菌同时存在。总之，与健康对照相比，SSc患者表现出独特的皮肤微生物群。细菌组成因系统性硬化症皮肤亚型和皮肤厚度而异。
