Nasal microbiome and the effect of nasal decolonization with a novel povidone-iodine antiseptic solution: a prospective and randomized clinical trial

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 16739 - 11
• Main Authors: Fernández-Rodríguez, Diana, Cho, Jeongeun, Chisari, Emanuele, Citardi, Martin J., Parvizi, Javad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 20.07.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/326/107; 631/326/2522; Administration, Intranasal; Adult; Anti-Infective Agents, Local - administration & dosage; Anti-Infective Agents, Local - pharmacology; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - genetics; Clinical trials; Corynebacterium; Corynebacterium - drug effects; Decolonization; Female; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Iodine; Male; Microbiomes; Microbiota - drug effects; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; NCT; NCT05617729; Next-generation sequencing; Nose - microbiology; Polyvinylpyrrolidone; Povidone; Povidone-iodine; Povidone-Iodine - administration & dosage; Povidone-Iodine - pharmacology; Prospective Studies; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sequence analysis; Staphylococcus; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46792-8

The aim of this study was to assess the profile of nasal microbiome and evaluate the effect of a specific nasal decolonization solution on the microbiome. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, and parallel-group clinical study of 50 volunteers aged 18 years and older. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive a nasal antiseptic solution, containing povidone-iodine as the main ingredient, (n = 25) or a control solution (n = 25). Nasal swabs were obtained before application (baseline) and at 3 timepoints after application (5 min, 2 h, 24 h). Nasal swabs were subjected to next generation sequencing analysis and cultured in agar plates. At baseline, there were substantial associations between anaerobic species, Corynebacterium spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Dolosigranulum spp. Then, a high bioburden reduction was observed after the application of povidone-iodine (log 10 3.68 ± 0.69 at 5 min; log 10 3.57 ± 0.94 at 2 h; log 10 1.17 ± 1.40 at 24 h), compared to the control. The top species affected by the treatment were Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus, and Corynebacterium species. None of the subjects experienced any adverse effects, nor increases in mucociliary clearance time. Antiseptic solutions applied to the anterior nares can transiently and markedly reduce the bioburden of the nose. The registration number for this clinical trial is NCT05617729.