The respiratory microbiome and respiratory infections
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Stefan A Unger1, Debby Bogaert2
1Department of Child Life and Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 1UW, UK.
Insights
The early life respiratory microbiome influences children's risk of respiratory infections and asthma. Understanding these microbial communities can lead to new preventive strategies for childhood respiratory diseases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Microbiome research
- Respiratory health
Background:
- Lower respiratory tract infections cause a significant portion of deaths in children under five, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
- Existing risk factors do not fully explain variations in severe respiratory infections and chronic respiratory health among children.
- The respiratory microbiome, composed of bacteria, plays a role in infection and overall respiratory health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the association between early-life respiratory microbiome composition and the risk, frequency, and severity of subsequent respiratory infections.
- To investigate the impact of early microbial interactions with infectious agents on host immune responses and long-term respiratory health.
- To identify potential targets for novel therapeutic agents and preventive measures for childhood respiratory diseases.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of respiratory microbiota profiles in infants.
- Correlation of early-life microbiome data with incidence of respiratory infections and wheezing illness.
- Investigation of host immune responses to early microbial and viral interactions.
Main Results:
- Early-life respiratory microbiota composition is linked to an increased risk and frequency of respiratory infections in childhood.
- Microbiota profiles are associated with respiratory infection severity and the occurrence of wheeze later in childhood.
- Early interactions between viruses and the respiratory microbiome can modulate immune responses, affecting disease course.
Conclusions:
- The early-life respiratory microbiome is a critical factor in determining susceptibility to and severity of respiratory infections and asthma.
- Understanding these microbial dynamics offers opportunities for developing targeted interventions to improve pediatric respiratory health outcomes.
- Stratification of at-risk populations based on microbiome profiles can enhance current preventive strategies.
Abstract:
Despite advances over the past ten years lower respiratory tract infections still comprise around a fifth of all deaths worldwide in children under five years of age with the majority in low- and middle-income countries. Known risk factors for severe respiratory infections and poor chronic respiratory health do not fully explain why some children become sick and others do not. The respiratory tract hosts bacteria that can cause respiratory infections but also normal commensal bacteria. Together, this microbial population is called the microbiome. The composition of the respiratory microbiome in the first few months of life is likely influenced by external factors such as environment, mode of delivery and infant feeding practices, which are also associated with susceptibility to respiratory infections and wheezing illness/asthma. Recently, multiple studies have shown that respiratory microbiota profiles early in life are associated with an increased risk and frequency of subsequent respiratory infections, disease severity and occurrence of wheeze in later childhood. Early interactions between infectious agents such as viruses and the respiratory microbiome have shown to modulate host immune responses potentially affecting the course of the disease and future respiratory health. Deeper understanding of these interactions will help the development of new therapeutic agents or preventive measures that may modify respiratory health outcomes and help us to stratify at risk populations to better target our current interventional approaches.
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