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Airway Microbiota Profiles in Children With and Without Asthma: A Comparative Study

Aisha Alamri1, Meshal Alhassan2,3, Abdullah K Almutairi2,3

  • 1Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Journal of Asthma and Allergy
|March 10, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric asthma is linked to reduced airway microbial diversity. Specific bacteria and fungi like Staphylococcus, Malassezia, Mucor, Candida, and Saccharomyces show altered abundance in asthmatic children, suggesting potential biomarkers for improved asthma management.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory condition impacting children and adults.
  • Airway microbial communities may play a significant role in asthma development and exacerbations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in the bacterial and fungal microbiome between asthmatic and healthy children.
  • To identify potential microbial biomarkers associated with asthma severity.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 16s rRNA (bacterial) and 18s rRNA (fungal) amplicon sequences from nasal and throat swabs of 79 asthmatic and 57 healthy children (aged 5-16).
  • Estimation of diversity indices and identification of abundant microbial genera.

Main Results:

  • Asthmatic children exhibited significantly lower bacterial diversity in nasal (p=0.02) and throat (p<0.0001) samples compared to controls.
  • Fungal microbiome showed no difference in richness but significant differences in composition (beta diversity).
  • Specific genera like *Staphylococci* (control nasal), *Malassezia* (control nasal), *Mucor* (asthma nasal), *Candida*, and *Saccharomyces* (asthma throat) were differentially abundant.

Conclusions:

  • Asthmatic children have reduced airway microbial diversity.
  • Identifying specific microbial biomarkers could enhance asthma care and inform targeted therapies for severe asthma episodes.
Abstract

Keywords:
16s rRNA18s rRNADNA metabarcodingmicrobiomemicrobiotamycobiomepediatrics asthma

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