Environmental factors may lead to alterations in the facial cutaneous microbiome and in the enteral microbiome for individuals with rosacea, according to a study published in the September issue of SKIN.

Justin W. Marson, M.D., from the SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, New York, and colleagues surveyed participants with and without rosacea regarding factors that may affect the facial cutaneous/enteric microbiome. Data were included for 84 individuals with rosacea and 44 controls.

The researchers found that compared with controls, individuals with rosacea were more likely to currently own pets (72.4 versus 52.1 percent) and they consumed more alcohol (alcoholic beverages/week: 2.42 versus 0.78). There were no significant differences in absolute microbial counts for rosacea versus control participants in facial cutaneous (30,880 versus 29,533) or enteral (14,198 versus 13,566) microbiomes. In rosacea, the investigators observed significantly decreased richness and evenness in the facial cutaneous microbiome and a threefold to fourfold decrease in the abundance of eight distinct bacterial genera. Significant reductions were seen in the abundance of Ruminococcaceae and Blautia, and an increase was seen in Prevotellaceae in an enteral microbiome analysis in rosacea.

"Dysbiosis of the facial cutaneous microbiome may be affected by an individual's local environment and contribute to ongoing rosacea pathogenesis," the authors write. "Future studies should investigate the causality between dysbiosis and rosacea pathophysiology."

One author disclosed financial ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including Galderma, which provided funding for the study. Diversigen provided technical support for the microbiome analysis.

Abstract/Full Text