Notes:
- Sufferers of AD tend to have higher proportions of Clostridia (including Clostridium difficile), Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus than do healthy controls, as well as lower numbers of healthy Bifidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Bacteroides.
- The bacterium Roseomonas mucosa reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis in adults and children.
- Most children in the study experienced substantial improvements in their skin and overall wellbeing following R. mucosa therapy. Encouragingly, the therapeutic bacteria stayed on the skin and continued to provide benefit after therapy stopped.
- Seventeen of the 20 children experienced a greater than 50% improvement in eczema severity following treatment. Improvement occurred on all treated skin sites, including the inner elbows, inner knees, hands, trunk and neck. The scientists also observed increases in the skin’s barrier function—its ability to seal in moisture and keep out allergen.(3)
- A specific set of lipids produced by R. mucosa strains isolated from healthy skin can induce skin repair processes and promote turnover of skin tissue. Study participants had increased levels of these lipids on their skin after treatment with R. mucosa. (4)
- The abundance of S. aureus is greater in lesional than in non-lesional skin in AD, in a dose-dependent manner - with higher colonisation rates in severe eczema.
- 62% of lesional skin samples produced at least one identifiable exotoxin. Exotoxins from S. aureus strains isolated from AD patients often have superantigenic properties and stimulate T-lymphocytes directly.
- Children and young adults with AD had significantly lower gut concentrations of Bifidobacteria than controls (measured by stool sample analysis), and the concentration was inversely correlated with AD disease severity.
- Low total gut and Bacteroidetes diversity at 1 month has been associated with the development of AD at 2 years of age. (5)
- Faeclibacerium prausnitzii and Ruminococcus gnavus are increased in patients with AD, whereas Bacteroides fragilis and Streptococcus salivaris, are less abundant