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Updated: Apr 25, 2026
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Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
Published on: October 15, 2019
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Microbiome diversity and asthma and allergy risk
Antje Legatzki1, Barbara Rösler, Erika von Mutius
1Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University, Lindwurmstrasse 4, 80337, Munich, Germany, antje.legatzki@med.uni-muenchen.de.
Current Allergy and Asthma Reports
|August 24, 2014
Summary
The human microbiome, including gut bacteria, is increasingly linked to the rising rates of asthma and allergies. Understanding these microbial communities is key to developing new prevention and treatment strategies for allergic diseases.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Asthma and allergy prevalence is rising in Westernized nations.
- These conditions involve local tissue inflammation influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
- The commensal microflora is vital for immune homeostasis and regulation, suggesting a role for the microbiome in allergic disease development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current literature on the human microbiota's role in asthma and allergy.
- To explore the impact of local, gastrointestinal, and environmental factors on the microbiome in relation to allergic conditions.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive review of existing scientific literature.
- Focus on studies utilizing next-generation sequencing for microbial community analysis.
- Analysis of research on local inflammation sites, the gastrointestinal microbiome, and host/environmental factors.
Main Results:
- The microbiome plays a significant role in the development and occurrence of asthma and allergies.
- Specific microbial communities at sites of inflammation and within the gastrointestinal tract are implicated.
- Host and environmental factors interact with the microbiome, influencing allergic conditions.
Conclusions:
- The human microbiome is a critical factor in the increasing prevalence of asthma and allergies.
- Further research into the interplay between the microbiome, host factors, and the environment is warranted.
- Targeting the microbiome may offer novel therapeutic and preventative approaches for allergic diseases.
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