The impact of NBUVB on microbial community profiling in the lesional skin of vitiligo subjectsOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
Cutaneous microbiota from 60 vitiligo patients was profiled before and after narrowband UVB (NBUVB) irradiation, comparing lesional and non-lesional skin sites.
How was it studied?
Skin samples were sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Alpha diversity (Sobs, ACE, Chao indices) and beta diversity (Principal Component Analysis) were used to compare bacterial community structure across groups.
What did they find?
Lesional skin showed higher microbiota diversity than non-lesional skin, and Sobs, ACE, and Chao indices increased significantly after NBUVB treatment compared with untreated lesional skin. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the dominant phyla, with Propionibacterium and Pseudomonas the dominant genera overall. Staphylococcus, Bacillus, and Prevotella were enriched in non-lesional skin relative to NBUVB-treated lesional skin, while Propionibacterium was enriched in the treated lesional group.
Why it matters
The findings suggest lesional and non-lesional vitiligo skin harbor distinct microbial communities, and NBUVB phototherapy may reduce these site-specific differences.