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The role of gut microbiome in the complex relationship between respiratory tract infection and asthma

Xiaoman Zhao1, Mingge Hu1, Huan Zhou1

  • 1Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|August 14, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Respiratory infections in children increase asthma risk. The gut microbiome plays a key role, linking infections to asthma development through immune pathways, offering new research avenues.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric respiratory diseases
  • Immunology
  • Microbiome research

Background:

  • Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory disease in children, significantly impacting their quality of life.
  • Respiratory infections are established risk factors for childhood asthma, increasing the likelihood of severe disease.
  • The precise mechanisms linking respiratory infections to asthma pathogenesis remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and elucidate the connection between respiratory tract infections and asthma progression.
  • To highlight the bridging role of the gut microbiome in this relationship.
  • To offer new perspectives for future research into the underlying mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review summarizing recent advancements in the field.
  • Analysis of evidence supporting the bidirectional relationship between gut flora and respiratory infections.
  • Examination of the role of gut microbiome alterations in immune pathways relevant to asthma.

Main Results:

  • The gut microbiome is crucial for immune homeostasis and influences lung immunity.
  • Imbalances in the gut microbiome can exacerbate respiratory diseases, including asthma.
  • Changes in gut microbial metabolites during respiratory infections may impact asthma development via immune modulation.

Conclusions:

  • The gut microbiome acts as a critical link between respiratory tract infections and asthma.
  • Understanding the gut microbiome's role offers potential therapeutic targets for preventing or managing childhood asthma.
  • Further investigation into the immune pathways influenced by gut microbiota is warranted.

Keywords:
asthmagut microbiomeinterferonrespiratory virus infectionshort-chain fatty acidvitamin D

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