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Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
05:31

Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

Published on: August 7, 2017

Study on the correlation between respiratory microbiome alterations and disease location/severity in children with

Guangqi Gao1,2,3, Ziqing Wei1,2,3, Qian Zhang1,2,3

  • 1Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010000, China.

BMC Microbiology
|June 27, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) shows distinct respiratory microbiome dysbiosis, with Mycoplasmoides dominating. This finding aids in diagnosing MPP and understanding its impact on children's respiratory health.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) is a common pediatric respiratory illness.
  • Respiratory microbiome dysbiosis is linked to respiratory diseases, but its role in pediatric MPP is unclear.
  • Understanding microbial variations across anatomical sites and host interactions in MPP is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate respiratory microbiota composition, inter-microbial interactions, and host immune correlations in pediatric MPP.
  • To compare the respiratory microbiome of MPP patients with non-MPP respiratory conditions.
  • To identify potential microbial biomarkers for MPP diagnosis and severity.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of pharyngeal swabs, sputum, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from 401 pediatric MPP patients and 287 controls.
  • Comparative microbiome analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing.
  • Correlation analysis between microbial abundance, disease severity, and clinical indicators.

Main Results:

  • Significant respiratory microbiome dysbiosis in MPP patients, with Mycoplasmoides as a dominant species (30.33%).
  • A Mycoplasmoides-based model showed high diagnostic accuracy (AUC=0.983).
  • Mycoplasmoides abundance negatively correlated with Prevotella, Veillonella_A, Staphylococcus, and Rothia, suggesting inhibition. Distinct anatomical distributions were observed, with Mycoplasmoides enriched in the lower respiratory tract.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric MPP is characterized by significant respiratory microbiome dysbiosis, with Mycoplasmoides being a key player.
  • The abundance and distribution of specific microbes, particularly Mycoplasmoides, can serve as potential diagnostic markers for MPP.
  • Further research is needed to validate the prognostic value of these microbial markers in pediatric respiratory infections.
Keywords:
Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia16S rRNA geneChildrenLower respiratory tractRespiratory microbiotaUpper respiratory tract

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