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Microbial Genomics logo Microbial Genomics

Volume 11, Issue 12

Shotgun metagenomics reveals distinct skin microbial species in allergen-sensitized individuals Open Access

Abstract

The Karelian region, which spans the border between Finland and Russia, presents distinct environmental exposures and lifestyles on either side of the governmental border. In the more urbanized Finnish Karelia, allergic diseases are markedly more prevalent than in the more rural Russian Karelia. Prior studies, based on amplicon sequencing, have demonstrated major differences in skin microbiotas between the two populations. However, compositional differences in microbiota between sensitized and non-sensitized (NS) individuals have not been characterized. Here, in a selected population of 112 allergen-sensitized and NS adolescents, we used shotgun metagenomics to characterize the prokaryotic, eukaryotic and viral species in the skin potentially involved in allergic sensitization via distinct environmental exposures. In the more urban Finnish Karelia, the microbiome species composition was associated with IgE-mediated allergen sensitization status, while in the more rural Russian Karelia, the composition was associated with exposure to furry pets. Finnish participants showing high IgE-mediated sensitization to common allergens (allergen-specific IgE >7.5 kU/L) had less and in their skin and displayed weaker interconnectedness of the microbial co-occurrence network compared with NS participants. Moreover, strain-level differences were related to allergen sensitization in both Finnish and Russian participants. In summary, we found distinct skin microbiomes between allergen-sensitized and NS participants and tracked the bacterial and fungal species associated with the degree of allergic sensitization in the more urbanized part of the Karelian region. These findings provide new insights into the factors that shape the human skin microbiome and influence allergic diseases.

  • Received:
  • Accepted:
  • Published Online:
Keyword(s): allergic sensitization , environmental exposure , Karelia allergy study , metagenomics and skin microbiome
Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Suomen Kulttuurirahasto (Award 210944)
    • Principal Award Recipient: MattiO Ruuskanen
  • Instrumentariumin Tiedesäätiö
    • Principal Award Recipient: MatildaRiskumäki
  • Yrjö Jahnssonin Säätiö
    • Principal Award Recipient: MatildaRiskumäki
  • Allergiasäätiö
    • Principal Award Recipient: MatildaRiskumäki
  • Academy of Finland (Award 338818)
    • Principal Award Recipient: MattiO Ruuskanen
  • Academy of Finland (Award 333178)
    • Principal Award Recipient: HannaSinkko
© 2025 The Authors
  • This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
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2025-12-16

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Shotgun metagenomics reveals distinct skin microbial species in allergen-sensitized individuals
M Gen 11, 001527 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.001527
/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.001527
/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.001527
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