27510 Dysbiotic skin microbiome network of individual mediated host response to pollution stress

Abstract

Urban living has been reported to cause various skin disorders. Air pollutants and skin microbiome are among the key factors associated with urbanization-related skin alterations. However, the causal role of the skin microbiome in mediating skin physiological responses to pollution stressors remains to be elucidated. The objectives of this research were to study the effect of pollution stressors on skin microbiome and the causal effect on skin physiological responses. 16s sequencing technology was used to profile skin microbiome of subjects living in Shanghai and Chongming (a rural area of the Shanghai municipal) with subgroups of smokers and non-smokers in both locations. Microbiome networks of individuals (MNIs) were then constructed to analyze the effect of pollution stressors on microbiome network and the downstream mediation effect on skin physiology. Urban living–related pollution stressors affected skin microbiome causing dysbiotic MNIs. MNI dysbiosis mediated the adverse effects of air pollution on skin physiology. A smoking lifestyle deepened the negative effects of pollution stress on skin microbiota. This is the first study that characterizes network signature of the skin microbiome at individual level and reveals the role of skin microbiome in mediating skin’s responses towards environmental stressors. These findings further strengthened the importance of microbiome function in maintaining skin health. Interventions that protect and enhance the microbiome may be an effective strategy for protecting against skin damage caused by pollution.