In vitro studies have indicated that staphylococcal enterotoxin-producing bacteria promote activation of STAT3 in malignant cutaneous lymphoma (Sezary syndrome) T cells. We investigated the skin microbiome of patch stage mycosis fungoides (MF) compared to normal skin by 16S amplicon sequencing and whole genome shotgun sequencing (WGS). Swab specimens were taken from MF patches and contralateral healthy appearing skin of 20 patients. The most common genera were Staphylococcus (30,0 %), Corynebacterium (22,3 %) Propionibacterium (5,0 %) and Streptococcus (3,0 %). Analysis of the Staphylococcus sequences (oligotyping, WGS) identified S. epidermidis (48,1 %), S. aureus (33,8 %) and S. capitis (18,0 %) and unidentified species. We observed no significant differences between the patients’ lymphoma and healthy skin, but there was a notable interpersonal variation. Our results highlight the complexity of 16S and WGS methods to investigate full spectrum of microbiota in skin disease. The role of the skin microbiome in cutaneous T cell lymphoma remains uncertain and warrants further research, e.g. during disease progression.

Skin microbiome in cutaneous T cell lymphoma by 16S and whole genome shotgun sequencing