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Published on: December 31, 2017
Lower airway microbiota in children with Down syndrome compared to controls with similar respiratory symptomatology
Mariska De Lausnay1, Stijn Verhulst1,2, Lieve Boel1
1Department of Pediatrics, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium.
Insights
Children with Down syndrome (DS) experience frequent respiratory issues. This study found no significant differences in lower airway microbes between DS patients and controls with similar symptoms, suggesting other factors may influence disease severity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Microbiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Children with Down syndrome (DS) often have chronic respiratory symptoms and more severe infections.
- Anatomical or immunological factors may predispose DS patients to respiratory complications.
- Understanding the microbial landscape in DS airways is crucial for explaining disease severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the microbial composition of the lower airways in children with Down syndrome (DS) versus control groups.
- To investigate potential microbial differences that could explain the distinct respiratory disease course in DS patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of endoscopic procedures and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cultures in DS patients.
- Comparison of BALF microbiological data with a control cohort of children with chronic respiratory symptoms but no other significant medical history.
Main Results:
- Microbial analysis included 47 DS patients and 135 controls.
- No statistically significant differences in lower airway microbial composition were observed between the DS and control groups.
- Common bacteria identified in both groups included Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococci, and Staphylococci.
Conclusions:
- The study found no significant differences in lower airway microbial composition between children with Down syndrome and controls with similar respiratory symptoms.
- Further research into drug sensitivity differences may be warranted to explain variations in disease course.
- The findings suggest that factors beyond microbial composition may contribute to the severity of respiratory infections in children with DS.
Background:
Children with Down syndrome (DS) often present with chronic or recurrent respiratory symptoms and generally have a more severe and prolonged disease course in case of infection. This can be caused by anatomical and/or immunological predisposition. With this study, we aim to compare microbial composition in the lower airways of patients with DS versus controls, to see if we can explain the difference in disease course.
Methods:
All endoscopic procedures under general anesthesia in patients with DS were reviewed retrospectively. We compared the microbiological data from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cultures (when available) to a cohort of children with chronic respiratory symptoms but without any other relevant medical history.
Results:
Endoscopic data were available for 65 DS patients, BAL cultures for 47 out of 65 patients (72%). The "control" group consisted of 150 children without significant underlying disease, who were matched for age and sex. BAL culture results were available for 135 out of 150 patients (90%). Microorganisms were categorized and compared between both groups, with no statistical differences. Among the microorganisms tested, the most frequently reported were typical bacteria such as Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococci and Staphylococci.
Conclusions:
No significant differences in lower airways microbial composition of children with DS and chronic respiratory symptoms were found when compared to controls presenting similar symptomatology. A suggestion for future research may be to investigate possible differences in drug sensitivity.
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