[S9-2] Dysbiosis of skin microbiota in bedbound older patients
We have been studying skin dysbiosis in older people with the nursing department, as the skin-related problems (e.g., pressure injuries, wound infection, etc.) are emerging and we expect skin microbiome as a novel culprit for such diseases. In the first project, we analyzed the skin microbiome of bedbound older patients in comparison with age-matched community-dwelling older adults. By using the 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon-based sequencing for skin microbiome analysis, we found that the bedbound patients exhibited higher gut-related bacteria on the skin, even if their skin was always kept clean. Considering that our previous culture study had confirmed the existence of viable gut-related bacteria on the skin of such patients, a number of gut-related bacteria are alive on the bedbound patients’ skin. Next, we showed the difference in skin microbiome between the normal skin and the healed skin from skin injuries in older people. We recruited 30 patients who had pressure injuries and their injuries have healed within one week prior to the study. We then compared skin microbiome between normal and healed sites of the participants. This study revealed that significantly higher Staphylococcus spp. was observed on the healed skin tissue and was related to the pressure injury recurrence. In this talk, we would like to share our findings about skin dysbiosis of older people.