Differences in Nasal Mycobiome Between Allergic Rhinitis, Asthma, and Healthy Individuals
Author Information
Author(s): Pérez-Losada Marcos, Castro-Nallar Eduardo, García-Huidobro Jenaro, Boechat José Laerte, Delgado Luis, Rama Tiago Azenha, Oliveira Manuela
Primary Institution: The George Washington University
Hypothesis
The nasal mycobiome of individuals with allergic rhinitis and asthma differs from that of healthy controls in composition, structure, and function.
Conclusion
The study found significant differences in the nasal mycobiome between individuals with allergic rhinitis and asthma compared to healthy controls, suggesting a potential link to chronic airway diseases.
Supporting Evidence
- Seven to ten of the 14 most abundant fungal genera differed significantly between the disease groups and healthy controls.
- The nasal mycobiomes of AR and ARAS patients showed the highest intra-group diversity.
- Alpha-diversity indices varied significantly between AR or ARAS and healthy controls.
- Thirty metabolic pathways were differentially abundant between AR or ARAS and healthy controls.
Takeaway
This study shows that the types of fungi in the noses of people with allergies and asthma are different from those in healthy people, which might help us understand these conditions better.
Methodology
The study used high-throughput sequencing of the internal transcriber spacers (ITS) 1 and 2 to characterize the nasal mycobiome of participants.
Potential Biases
Potential biases from PCR amplification and the use of a single gene target for sequencing.
Limitations
The study's sample size for the asthma group was small, and the functional profiles were predicted rather than directly measured.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 339 individuals, with a median age of 12.5 years and 53.7% female.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p≤0.049
Statistical Significance
p≤0.0004
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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