Figure 4. Bacterial FISH reveals changes in skin colonization after conditioning.
(A) Representative immunofluorescence image of bacteria labeled with an rRNA-targeted FISH probe (EUB338+ denoted by arrows; left) and CD45+ cells (right). Quantification of (B) CD45+ cells, (C) bacteria (EUB338+) and (D) staphylococci (Staphy2+) in both epidermis and dermis (n=19). (E) Spatial analysis of bacteria (EUB338+; left) and Staphylococci (Staphy2+; right) with CD45+ cells at a radius g(cum) of 50 µm. Values of g(cum) above or below the dotted line indicate an attractive or repulsive relationship between the two populations. Normal distribution was tested using a Shapiro-Wilk test. Consequently, Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s post hoc tests were applied. Mean +/- SD, *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001, ****P<0.0001.