Distinct microbiome profiles and biofilms in Leishmania donovani-driven cutaneous leishmaniasis wounds

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 23181
• Main Authors: Jayasena Kaluarachchi, T. D., Campbell, Paul M., Wickremasinghe, Rajitha, Ranasinghe, Shalindra, Wickremasinghe, Renu, Yasawardene, Surangi, De Silva, Hiromel, Menike, Chandrani, Jayarathne, M. C. K., Jayathilake, Subodha, Dilhari, Ayomi, McBain, Andrew J., Weerasekera, Manjula M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 30.11.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/326/2565; 631/326/417; 631/326/46; Adult; Bacilli; Biofilms; Biopsy; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Female; Fluorescence in situ hybridization; Genetic Variation; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Leishmania donovani; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - microbiology; Lesions; Male; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Relative abundance; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Skin - pathology; Skin diseases; Sri Lanka; Ulcers; Vector-borne diseases; Wound Healing; Wounds; Wounds and Injuries - microbiology; Sri Lanka
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02388-8

The endemic strain of Leishmania donovani in Sri Lanka causes cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) rather than more common visceral form. We have visualized biofilms and profiled the microbiome of lesions and unaffected skin in thirty-nine CL patients. Twenty-four lesions (61.5%) were biofilm-positive according to fluorescence in situ hybridization. Biopsies of biofilm-positive lesions were dominated by Pseudomonas , class  Bacilli and Enterobacteriaceae and distinguished by significantly lower community evenness. Higher relative abundance of a class  Bacilli OTU was detected in wound swabs versus contralateral skin. Wound swabs and biopsies had significantly distinct microbiome profiles and lower diversity compared to unaffected skin. Greater abundances of potentially pathogenic organisms were observed in wet ulcers, lesions with high parasite loads and large wounds. In summary, more than half of L. donovani associated CL wounds harboured biofilms and the wounds exhibited a distinct, less diverse, microbiome than unaffected skin.