Skin bacterial richness and diversity in intensive care unit patients with severe pneumonia

• Published in: International journal of infectious diseases Vol. 121; pp. 75 - 84
• Main Authors: Lu, Sifen, Zhang, Wengeng, Li, Xiaojin, Xian, Jinghong, Hu, Ya, Zhou, Yongzhao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: 16S rRNA sequencing; Bacteria - genetics; Humans; Intensive care unit; Intensive Care Units; Microbiome diversity; Microbiota; Pneumonia - microbiology; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Severe pneumonia; Skin bacteria; Microbiome diversity; Severe pneumonia; 16S rRNA sequencing; Skin bacteria; Intensive care unit
• ISSN: 1201-9712; 1878-3511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.05.006

•Infection in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with severe pneumonia links to skin microbiota•Microbiome diversity of ICU patients with severe pneumonia is less than the diversity observed in controls•Gram-negative bacteria of ICU patients with severe pneumonia is more than controls Patients with severe pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) have a high risk of mortality, and the microbiome is likely to affect the outcome of such patients. However, the composition of the skin microbiota of ICU patients with severe pneumonia remains unclear. In this study, on the basis of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequencing, we explored the difference in skin bacterial richness and diversity between the ICU patient group (PG) with severe pneumonia and the healthy control group (CG). The diversity index and taxonomic distribution of skin bacteria were analyzed using the Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) bioinformatics pipeline. Blood, endotracheal aspirate, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples were collected from the same PG subjects for culture. Compared with the CG, the diversity of skin bacteria in the PG decreased significantly. Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, Stenotrophomonas, Enterococcus, Halomonas, and Brevibacillus were differentially abundant in the PG, and most of these bacteria were also identified in the cultures of upper respiratory tract samples of the same PG. We provide evidence that healthcare-associated infection in ICU patients with severe pneumonia is strongly associated with skin microbiota, which necessitates the prevention and control of skin bacterial pathogens for these patients.