Microbiome profiling in patients with Sjogrens syndrome compared to healthy individuals

Primary Sjogrens syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disorder often presenting with xerostomia and xerophthalmia. To investigate potential microbiome alterations associated with pSS, we analyzed the skin microbiota of patients and healthy controls using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. pSS patients showed reduced microbial diversity and a notable depletion of Propionibacterium, with clear separation from controls in beta diversity analyses. Functional predictions indicated downregulation of microbial metabolic pathways. These data suggest that skin microbiome dysbiosis may be linked to pSS pathophysiology.