Use of 16S rRNA sequencing and quantitative PCR to correlate venous leg ulcer bacterial bioburden dynamics with wound expansion, antibiotic therapy, and healing.

ABSTRACT: Clinical diagnosis of infection in chronic wounds is currently limited to subjective clinical signs and culture-based methods that underestimate the complexity of wound microbial bioburden as revealed by DNA-based microbial identification methods. Here, we use 16S rRNA next generation sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction to characterize weekly changes in bacterial load, community structure, and diversity associated with a chronic venous leg ulcer over the 15-week course of treatment and healing. Our DNA-based methods and detailed sampling scheme reveal that the bacterial bioburden of the wound is unexpectedly dynamic, including changes in the bacterial load and community structure that correlate with wound expansion, antibiotic therapy, and healing. We demonstrate that the

SUBMITTER: Sprockett DD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5007860 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature