CERS1 is a biomarker of Staphylococcus aureus abundance and atopic dermatitis severity.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin condition characterized by widely variable cutaneous Staphylococcus aureus abundance that contributes to disease severity and rapidly responds to type 2 immune blockade (ie, dupilumab). The molecular mechanisms regulating S aureus levels between AD subjects remain poorly understood.

Objective: We investigated host genes that may be predictive of S aureus abundance and correspond with AD severity.

Methods: We studied data derived from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases-funded (NCT03389893 [ADRN-09]) randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter study of dupilumab in adults (n = 71 subjects) with moderate-to-severe AD. Bulk RNA sequencing of skin biopsy samples (n = 57 lesional, 55 nonlesional) was compared to epidermal S aureus abundance, lipidomic, and AD clinical measures.

Results: S aureus abundance and ceramide synthase 1 (CERS1) expression positively correlated at baseline across both nonlesional (r = 0.29, P = .030) and lesional (r = 0.41, P = .0015) skin. Lesional CERS1 expression also positively correlated with AD severity (ie, SCORAD r = 0.44, P = .0006) and skin barrier dysfunction (transepidermal water loss area under the curve r = 0.31, P = .025) at baseline. CERS1 expression (forms C sphingolipids) was negatively associated with elongation of very long-chain fatty acids (ELOVL6; C→C) expression and corresponded with a shorter chain length sphingolipid composition. Dupilumab rapidly reduced CERS1 expression (day 7) and ablated the relationship with S aureus abundance and ELOVL6 expression by day 21.

Conclusion: CERS1 is a unique molecular biomarker of S aureus abundance and AD severity that may contribute to dysfunctional skin barrier and shorter-chain sphingolipid composition through fatty acid sequestration as a maladaptive compensatory response to reduced ELOVL6.