Alteration in the skin microbiome in cutaneous graft-versus-host disease

Abstract

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a common complication of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This study examined the cutaneous microbiome in relation to the pathogenesis of cutaneous GVHD. Bacterial swabs were taken from several sites on 12 patients with cutaneous GVHD. Microbiotas were characterized by sequencing 16S rRNA bacterial genes on the MiSeq platform. Microbiome diversity in patients with cutaneous GVHD was reduced compared with healthy controls. GVHD was related to an increased abundance of Firmicutes and a reduction in Actinobacteria, especially in lesions. Non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance revealed that the skin microbial community disorders in patients with GVHD correlated with several clinical features of cutaneous GVHD. This study indicates that changes in the cutaneous microbiota in lesions could play a key role in the pathogenesis of cutaneous GVHD. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanistic relevance of these microbial dynamics, which may provide new clues to therapeutic interventions.