Assessing Gut Microbiome Alterations in Children With Allergic Rhinitis: Associations With Allergen-Specific IgE...

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Immunology
• Pediatric allergy

Background:

• The gut microbiota's role in allergic rhinitis (AR) and its association with allergen exposure, specifically house dust mite (HDM) sensitization, is not fully understood.
• Variations in gut microbiota across different levels of allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) and between monosensitization and polysensitization require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the gut microbiota composition in children with HDM-induced AR.
• To compare gut microbiota profiles across different HDM-sIgE levels (extremely high, high) and sensitization patterns (monosensitization, polysensitization).

Main Methods:

• Metagenomic shotgun sequencing was used to analyze fecal microbiota.
• Comparison between 88 children with HDM-AR and 50 healthy controls (HC).
• Subgroup analyses were performed based on HDM-sIgE levels and sensitization status.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in overall gut microbiome diversity between HC and HDM-AR groups.
• Increased relative abundance of *Streptococcus sanguinis* in children with AR.
• Enrichment of *Streptococcus* genus, specifically *Streptococcus salivarius*, in children with extremely high HDM-sIgE.
• *Streptococcus salivarius* was significantly increased in the monosensitized (mono-HDM) group compared to HC and polysensitized (poly-HDM) groups.
• Functional analysis indicated enrichment in the salivary secretion pathway.

Conclusions:

• *Streptococcus salivarius* may serve as a potential biomarker for assessing HDM sensitization severity and patterns.
• These findings suggest potential for targeted interventions to manage AR pathophysiology.