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Updated: Aug 8, 2025
Oral Biofilm Sampling for Microbiome Analysis in Healthy Children
Published on: December 31, 2017
Changes in the oral and nasal microbiota in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea
Xiaoman Zhang1, Xinyi Li1, Huajun Xu1
1Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Sleep Disordered Breathing & Otolaryngology Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Insights
Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) alters oral and nasal microbial communities. This study reveals distinct differences in the upper airway microbiome of children with OSA, offering a reference for future research.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to airway mucosal microbiota dysbiosis.
- Systematic exploration of oral and nasal microbial alterations in pediatric OSA is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the oral and nasal microbiome composition in pediatric OSA patients and controls.
Main Methods:
- Enrolled 30 pediatric OSA patients with adenoid hypertrophy and 30 controls.
- Collected oral (tongue base, soft palate, tonsils, adenoid) and nasal swabs.
- Sequenced the 16S rRNA V3-V4 region to analyze microbial communities.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in beta diversity and microbial profiles between pediatric OSA patients and controls.
- Increased abundance of Haemophilus, Fusobacterium, and Porphyromonas in the adenoid and tonsils of OSA patients.
- Functional analysis indicated differences in glycerophospholipid and amino acid metabolism pathways.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric OSA patients show distinct oral and nasal microbiome compositions compared to controls.
- Findings provide a valuable reference for future upper airway microbiome studies in pediatric OSA.
Background:
Several clinical studies have demonstrated that pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with dysbiosis of airway mucosal microbiota. However, how oral and nasal microbial diversity, composition, and structure are altered in pediatric OSA has not been systemically explored.
Methods:
30 polysomnography-confirmed OSA patients with adenoid hypertrophy, and 30 controls who did not have adenoid hypertrophy, were enrolled. Swabs from four surface oral tissue sites (tongue base, soft palate, both palatine tonsils, and adenoid) and one nasal swab from both anterior nares were collected. The 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) V3-V4 region was sequenced to identify the microbial communities.
Results:
The beta diversity and microbial profiles were significantly different between pediatric OSA patients and controls at the five upper airway sites. The abundances of Haemophilus, Fusobacterium, and Porphyromonas were higher at adenoid and tonsils sites of pediatric patients with OSA. Functional analysis revealed that the differential pathway between the pediatric OSA patients and controls involved glycerophospholipids and amino acid metabolism.
Conclusions:
In this study, the oral and nasal microbiome of pediatric OSA patients exhibited certain differences in composition compared with the controls. However, the microbiota data could be useful as a reference for studies on the upper airway microbiome.
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