Exploring the Microbiome of Diabetic Foot Ulcers : A Focus on Cases with a Clinical Worse Outcome
Soldevila-Boixader, Laura (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge)
Carrera-Salinas, Anna (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge)
Mur, Isabel (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)
Morata, Laura (Universitat de Barcelona)
Rivera, Alba (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)
Bosch Mestres, Jordi (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)
Montero-Saez, Abelardo (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge)
Castillejo, Jéssica Martínez (Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona)
Benito, Natividad (Institut de Recerca Sant Pau)
Marti, Sara (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge)
Murillo Rubio, Oscar (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Background/Objectives : We evaluated the diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) microbiome in clinical situations identified as risk factors for a worse outcome and explored the roles of the most abundant microorganisms. Methods : A prospective multicenter cohort of diabetic patients with DFU were followed up for 6 months. We obtained a DFU tissue biopsy for microbiome analysis at the baseline visit. Genomic DNA was extracted (QIAamp DNA Mini Kit, Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) and quantified (QuantiFluor dsDNA System, Promega, Madison, WI, USA), with analysis of bacterial communities focusing on relative abundances (RA) and on alpha and beta diversity. Results : Overall, 59 DFUs were analyzed. DFUs of long duration (≥4 weeks) presented a higher RA of Gammaproteobacteria compared with ulcers of short duration (p = 0. 02). Non-infected DFUs had a higher proportion of Actinobacteriota phyla than infected DFUs and, particularly, a higher RA of Corynebacterium genera (means ± SD: 0. 063 ± 0. 14 vs. 0. 028 ± 0. 13, respectively; p = 0. 03). Regarding the pathogenic role of Staphylococcus aureus, DFUs with low S. aureus bacterial loads (<10 6 CFU/mL) compared with those with high loads (≥10 6 CFU/mL) showed a higher Corynebacterium RA (0. 045 ± 0. 08 vs. 0. 003 ± 0. 01, respectively; p = 0. 01). Conclusions : In clinical situations associated with poor DFU outcomes, we observed a predominance of Gammaproteobacteria in the microbiome of long-duration ulcers and a higher RA of Corynebacterium in non-infected DFUs. An inverse relationship between the predominance of Corynebacterium and the S. aureus bacterial load in DFUs was also noted, which may suggest these commensals have a modulatory role. Further studies should explore the clinical utility of microbiome analysis for DFUs.
Grants:	Ministerio de Educación FPU2018-02768
Note:	Altres ajuts: Generalitat de Catalunya (SLT002/16/00089)
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Microbiome ; Chronic diabetic foot ulcers ; Gammaproteobacteria
Published in:	Antibiotics, Vol. 14 Núm. 7 (July 2025) , ISSN 2079-6382

DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics14070724
PMID: 40724025

14 p, 1.9 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles