The Role of Skin and Gut Microbiome and Epigenetic Modifications in Skin-Autoimmune Disorders

Abstract

Human microbiota and immune system are strictly connected to each other. Several studies demonstrated that normal skin and/or gut floral alterations may have negative consequences on disease pathogenesis. Indeed, a strong association between skin and gut microbiota alterations and autoimmune diseases was found. Moreover, a significant interplay between microbiome and miRNAs expression was noticed among several conditions. The aim of this review article is to shed new light on some of the commonest skin disorders such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, with special regard to epigenetic pathogenetic mechanisms such as miRNAs expression and skin and gut microbiome alterations. Indeed, evidence is still lacking regarding these two factors and their possible interactions. We believe their implications may be crucial for screening, early diagnosis and also therapeutic strategies; therefore, this field could represent a promising challenge for further studies.

Keywords: Microbiome; autoimmune disorders; fungi; gut flora; miRNAs; skin.