Shift in skin microbiota of Western European women across aging

AimsThe objective of our study was to compare the microbiota diversity between two different age groups of Western European women. Methods and ResultsSkin-swab samples were collected directly on the forehead of 34 healthy Western European women: 17 younger (21-31years old) and 17 older individuals (54-69years old). Bacterial communities were evaluated using the 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Data revealed a higher alpha diversity on the skin of older individuals compared with younger ones. Overall microbiota structure was different between the two age groups, as demonstrated by beta diversity analysis, which also highlighted a high interpersonal variation within older individuals. Furthermore, taxonomic composition analysis showed both an increase in Proteobacteria and a decrease in Actinobacteria on the older skin. At the genus level, older skin exhibited a significant increase in Corynebacterium and a decrease in Propionibacterium relative abundance. ConclusionsOur study revealed a shift in the distribution of skin microbiota during chronological aging in Western European women. Significance and Impact of StudyAltogether these results could become the basis to develop new approaches aiming to rebalance the skin microbiota, which is modified during the aging process.