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Streptococcus pneumoniae Colonization Disrupts the Microbial Community within the Upper Respiratory Tract of Aging

Netusha Thevaranjan1, Fiona J Whelan2, Alicja Puchta1

  • 1Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.

Infection and Immunity
|January 21, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Aging alters the upper respiratory tract (URT) microbiota, increasing susceptibility to Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization. Older mice showed more disrupted URT communities and less efficient S. pneumoniae clearance.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Nasopharyngeal colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae is essential for developing pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal diseases.
  • The elderly are more vulnerable to pneumonia, potentially due to age-related changes in the respiratory microbiota affecting bacterial colonization.
  • Understanding the interplay between aging, microbiota, and pneumococcal colonization is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how the composition of the upper respiratory tract (URT) microbiota changes with age.
  • To determine if age-related microbiota alterations contribute to sustained S. pneumoniae colonization and inefficient clearance.
  • To examine the impact of S. pneumoniae colonization on the existing URT microbial communities in different age groups.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a mouse model to compare URT microbiota composition in young, middle-aged, and old mice.
  • Collected nasal pharyngeal washes for analysis during naive state and pneumococcal colonization.
  • Employed 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V3 region) to identify microbial community changes.

Main Results:

  • Age significantly affects the composition of the URT microbiota.
  • S. pneumoniae colonization was more disruptive to preexisting microbial communities in older mice.
  • Host-pathogen interactions during colonization impacted resident microbes like Staphylococcus and Haemophilus.

Conclusions:

  • Alterations in the URT microbiota due to aging may increase the risk of S. pneumoniae colonization in the elderly.
  • Inefficient clearance of S. pneumoniae in older individuals may be linked to age-associated microbiota changes.
  • Findings highlight the detrimental impact of microbiota dysbiosis on respiratory health in aging populations.

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