1318 Racial differences in the skin microbiome of cutaneous T cell lymphoma patients

Recent studies have shown that Black patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) may uniquely increased risk of sepsis versus other racial groups, even when compared to in non-CTCL non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Here, we investigated differences skin microbiomes CTCL from different races potentially explain this discrepancy. Skin swabs (n=247) 36 who self-identified as White, Black, Asian, and Other were analyzed using 16S rRNA tuf gene sequencing. Alpha diversity showed no community richness between groups either lesional or non-lesional sites. However, Bray-Curtis beta revealed distinct microbial communities White (p<0.001) both skin. Taxon-by-taxon analyses 33 differentially abundant genera at sites, including Negativicoccus Vibrio 16 Staphylococcus. Among Staphylococcus (S.) species, had lower relative abundance S. capitis lugdunensis skin, warneri borealis only Our results suggest the microbiome differs across races. These taxa not been described prior comparisons healthy microbiota Importantly, previously are predictors phototherapy treatment response, suggesting decreased response certain conventional treatments. Limitations include small dataset self-report race data reflect cultural grouping necessarily biological categorization. Further needed investigate if these confer for infections CTCL.