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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, October 2008, p. 3355-3360, Vol. 46, No. 10
0095-1137/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.00799-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Acne is Not Associated with Yet-Uncultured Bacteria{triangledown}

M. Bek-Thomsen, H. B. Lomholt, and M. Kilian*

Institute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, The Bartholin Building, Wilhelm Meyer's Allé 1240, Aarhus University, Aarhus C DK-8000, Denmark

Received 28 April 2008/ Returned for modification 15 July 2008/ Accepted 7 August 2008

Current clinical and microbiological information on acne fails to demonstrate a clear association between particular species, including Propionibacterium acnes, and disease, and the disease continues to be a considerable problem. To test if acne is associated with hitherto uncultured bacteria residing in diseased skin follicles, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of approximately 5,700 amplified and cloned 16S rRNA genes were used to determine the microbial diversity in follicles from acne patients and healthy individuals and from the superficial skin of acne patients. Follicles from healthy skin were exclusively colonized by P. acnes, whereas the follicular microbiota of acne patients included, in addition, Staphylococcus epidermidis and minor proportions of other species. In comparison, samples from superficial skin showed a complex microbiota represented by 12 to 16 bacterial species. The findings of the study exclude the possibility that acne is associated with yet-uncultured bacteria and shows that healthy skin follicles constitute a remarkably exclusive habitat allowing colonization only by P. acnes.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, The Bartholin Building, Wilhelm Meyer's Allé 1240, Aarhus University, Aarhus C DK-8000, Denmark. Phone: 45 8942 1735. Fax: 45 8619 6128. E-mail: kilian{at}microbiology.au.dk

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 20 August 2008.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, October 2008, p. 3355-3360, Vol. 46, No. 10
0095-1137/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.00799-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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