Multi-omic factors associated with future wheezing in infants

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Medicine
• Microbiome Research
• Immunology

Background:

• Wheezing in infants is a complex condition influenced by various medical, environmental, and immunological factors.
• Understanding the interplay of host and microbial elements is crucial for identifying infants at risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of multi-omic analyses of host and microbial factors in saliva for predicting infant wheezing.
• To identify specific molecular and demographic factors associated with wheezing development.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal cohort study of 161 term infants was conducted.
• Saliva samples were analyzed for multi-omic features including cytokines, microRNAs, mRNAs, and microbiome/virome RNAs.
• Infant traits and environmental exposures were assessed via surveys and medical records.

Main Results:

• Two infant factors (daycare, family asthma history) and three salivary omic features (miR-26a-5p, Elusimicrobia, Streptococcus phage phiARI0131-1) were significantly different between wheezing and non-wheezing infants.
• A predictive model incorporating these omic features along with daycare attendance and family asthma history achieved high accuracy (AUC=0.74) in identifying infants at risk for wheezing.
• Significant correlations were observed between specific omic features, such as miR-26a-5p and Elusimicrobia.

Conclusions:

• Host-microbiome interactions in saliva offer valuable insights into the pathophysiology of infant wheezing.
• Multi-omic profiling of saliva can significantly enhance the ability to identify infants at risk for developing wheezing.
• This approach holds potential for personalized medical management strategies for infants at risk.