Abstract
Aim: Dysbiotic wound microbiota, which is dissimilar to those of the peri-wound skin, is likely to cause delayed wound healing. However, no point-of-care microbiota test is available. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between wound pH and microbial dissimilarity in wound and peri-wound skin. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated hard-to-heal wounds extending into the subcutaneous tissue without macroscopic signs of infection. Wound pH was measured using a pH meter and microbiota were characterized by 16S rRNA gene analyses. Spearman′s rank correlation coefficient between the weighted UniFrac dissimilarity index measured microbial dissimilarity, and wound pH was calculated. Results: Thirteen wounds were investigated. The median dissimilarity index and pH value were 0.36 (IQR: 0.30-0.38) and 7.71 (IQR:7.61-7.83), respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between the dissimilarity index and wound pH (p=0.75, p<0.01). Conclusions: Microbial dissimilarity was associated with increased wound pH. This finding is compatible with the fact that alkaline tissue environments impair wound healing and that wound healing is delayed with dysbiosis. Further studies are needed to compare these relationships based on the healing status, which is necessary for the clinical use of wound pH as an indicator of dysbiosis.
