8 YEAR PERSISTENCE OF INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN THE BACTERIAL-FLORA OF THE FOREHEAD

[摘要] Eight subjects having a rich (.gtoreq. 100,000 per cm2) population of Propionibacterium acnes on the forehead and 7 with a sparse population (.ltoreq. 15,000 per cm2) in earlier tests were reexamined after a median interval of 8 yr. All of those with an initial rich population had .gtoreq. 100,000 per cm2 on retest. Of the 7 with an initial sparse population, 4 again had < 15,000, 1 had > 100,000 per cm2 and 2 were intermediate. Three subjects harbored Peptococcus saccharolyticus in the initial test (26,000-75,000 per cm2) and all 3 carried this organism on the later test (5000-49,000 per cm2). Of the 12 without P. saccharolyticus initially, 11 were again negative and 1 had a small number (200 per cm2). Thus, the presence or absence of P. saccharolyticus and the relative population density of Propionibacterium acnes evidently were individual characteristics that persisted in most subjects for at least 8 yr.