A Metagenomic Analysis Provides a Culture-Independent Pathogen Detection for Atopic Dermatitis

PURPOSE Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease, significantly affecting the quality of life. Using AD as a model system, we tested a successive identification of AD-associated microbes, followed by a culture-independent serum detection of the identified microbe. METHODS A total of 43 genomic DNA preparations from washing fluid of the cubital fossa of 6 healthy controls, skin lesions of 27 AD patients, 10 of which later received treatment (post-treatment), were subjected to high-throughput pyrosequencing on a Roche 454 GS-FLX platform. RESULTS Microbial diversity was decreased in AD, and was restored following treatment. AD was characterized by the domination of Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, and Streptococcus, whereas Alcaligenaceae (f), Sediminibacterium, and Lactococcus were characteristic of healthy skin. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that serum could be used as a source for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus extracellular vesicles (EVs). S. aureus EV-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin E (IgE) were quantified in the serum. CONCLUSIONS A metagenomic analysis together with a serum detection of pathogen-specific EVs provides a model for successive identification and diagnosis of pathogens of AD.