The significance of Staphylococcus aureus skin colonization and the yeast Malassezia in children for the development of atopic dermatitis

Patients with atopic dermatitis have a disrupted epidermal barrier, which is one of the prerequisites for the colonization of bacteria and fungi on the affected skin. Purpose - to investigate the presence of Staphylococcus aureus and Malassezia species skin colonization in patients with atopic dermatitis. Materials and methods. Skin swabs were taken in 83 patients with atopic dermatitis and 70 healthy children to determine Staphylococcus aureus skin colonization. The level of Malassezia colonization in the samples was determined by polymerase chain reaction. Results. The affected skin in patients with atopic dermatitis was significantly more often colonized with Staphylococcus aureus than in healthy children (OR=3.974 (1.861-8.486)). SCORAD was significantly higher in Staphylococcus aureus carriers (p