According to a new study, people with lupus have a decreased diversity of microorganisms on the skin compared to healthy people.
What is the skin microbiome?
Though invisible to the eye, we carry an ecosystem of more than 1.5 trillion microorganisms on the skin. These bacteria exist to help protect you from infection and keep your skin healthy.
Our skin microbiome begins at birth. As we grow, microbial colonists help train our immune system on how to identify and respond to healthy microorganisms versus pathogens. As we develop and our hormones change, our microbial communities continue to evolve and diversify until we reach adulthood.
Let’s talk about lupus
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, or lupus, is an autoimmune condition that causes the body to confuse normal healthy tissue as foreign invaders, sending the immune system to go on the attack.
There is no cure for lupus, though people may experience extended periods symptom-free, and periods where the disease becomes activated. Lupus activity is characterized by inflammation of the affected tissues or organs. Lupus can act on every system in the body. However, this disease more commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys.
How does lupus affect the skin?
The skin is the second most common organ to be affected by lupus activity. In fact, 80% of those with this disease experience photosensitivity, skin rashes and lesions. This knowledge led researchers to assess whether the lupus patients experience an altered diversity of skin microbiota. If so, this may help explain why lupus patients are prone to skin issues.
New study on the skin microbiome in those with lupus
In a newly published study, researchers compared the skin microbiome of 20 lupus patients, 20 people with rosacea, and 20 healthy people. Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition characterized by redness, bumps and enlarged blood vessels. Comparing rosacea to lupus rashes enables researchers to assess whether autoimmunity may play a specific role in skin microbiome diversity, or if general inflammation may be the root of any changes. The researchers measured skin microbiota makeup and diversity using a variety of gene sequencing tools.
Study findings
Healthy individuals experienced a more richly diverse range of microbes compared to those with lupus and rosacea. Among lupus patients, two types of microbes were decreased in segments of skin with rashes compared to unaffected skin. In addition, metabolic pathways differed in those with lupus compared to those with rosacea and healthy controls.
Final thoughts
If you struggle with lupus, and experience bouts of skin rashes, it may be helpful to consider taking steps to promote a healthy microbial diversity on the skin. A few simple steps to consider include:
- Eating a balanced diet (Click here to download your free 7-day plant based meal plan)
- Stay hydrated
- Identify and remove foods that trigger an inflammatory response
- Consider a probiotic
- Address chronic stress
If you are concerned you may be experiencing chronic inflammation in your body, an in-home inflammatory test can give you answers you need to take action. Of course, it’s important to reach out to your health care provider if you are considering changing your diet or supplement regimen to ensure this aligns with your current treatment plan.
Citation
Missy Sturges. Do people with lupus have a different makeup of microorganisms on the skin? Go Integrative Health, 2021.