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Host and environmental factors shape upper airway microbiota and respiratory health across the human lifespan

Affiliations
  • 1Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
  • 2Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
  • 3Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
  • 4Department of Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital/University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
  • 5Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
  • 6Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands. Electronic address: thijs.bosch@rivm.nl.

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August 2, 2024

Abstract

Our understanding of the normal variation in the upper respiratory tract (URT) microbiota across the human lifespan and how these relate to host, environment, and health is limited. We studied the microbiota of 3,104 saliva (<10 year-olds)/oropharynx (≥10 year-olds) and 2,485 nasopharynx samples of 3,160 Dutch individuals 0-87 years of age, participating in a cross-sectional population-wide study (PIENTER-3) using 16S-rRNA sequencing. The microbiota composition was strongly related to age, especially in the nasopharynx, with maturation occurring throughout childhood and adolescence. Clear niche- and age-specific associations were found between the microbiota composition and host/environmental factors and health outcomes. Among others, social interaction, sex, and season were associated with the nasopharyngeal microbial community. By contrast, the oral microbiota was more related to antibiotics, tobacco, and alcohol use. We present an atlas of the URT microbiota across the lifespan in association with environment and health, establishing a baseline for future research.

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