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Background Infantile eczema, or atopic dermatitis (AD), is a prevalent inflammatory skin condition characterized by lesions and itching that impairs the quality of life for both infants and their families. In recent years, a growing body of research has turned its focus to the potential links between the gut microbiome and its impact on skin conditions. This study aims to provide insights into the relationship between the gut microbiome and AD, thus, offering potential insights into the clinical prevention and treatment of AD in infants. Methods An organized review of scholarly articles was undertaken utilizing three distinct academic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, and Scopus, dated 23rd April 2024). The search strategy employed a combination of the following index terms: ('gut microbiome' OR 'gut microbiota') AND ('atopic eczema' OR 'atopic dermatitis') AND ('infant' OR 'neonate'). The primary assessment of the potentially relevant studies was determined by the titles and abstracts. Studies investigating the gut microbiome profiles of infants with AD were included. Articles not meeting the inclusion criteria or involving any experimental design, such as reviews/books, were excluded. Results Following a comprehensive search across three databases, 17 of 176 studies were selected for qualitative analysis. These studies investigated the gut microbiome of infants below 12 months of age diagnosed with AD. The findings underscore the significant involvement of the gut microbiome in the onset and progression of infantile AD. Notably, gut bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family (Escherichia/Shigella, Klebsiella, Enterobacter) exhibited significant enrichment in AD infants compared to healthy controls. Meanwhile, there was a depletion of Akkermansiaceae (Akkermansia muciniphila) and Lachnospiraceae (Coprococcus) in AD infants (IDDF2024-ABS-0388 Figure 1 The changes in the gut microbiome of infants with atopic dermatitis. Figure created with BioRender.com). Inconsistent findings were observed for gut microbiota such as Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides in both AD and healthy infants. However, several studies reported that there were no significant differences in gut microbial community richness and diversity between AD and healthy infants. Conclusions The relationship between the gut microbiome and infantile eczema/AD is both intricate and essential for further study. Although there were inconsistencies in results across different studies, the prevailing evidence indicates a substantial role of gut microbiome in the initiation and development of infantile AD.
Law et al. (Thu,) studied this question.