Stool Microbiota Diversity Associated With Physician-Diagnosed Inhalant Allergy in School-Age Children

Stool microbial diversities are more commonly associated with physician-diagnosed inhalant allergies, but less commonly with atopic diseases in school-age children.

“We aimed to examine among 1,440 children participating in a prospective population-based cohort study the associations of diversity, relative abundance, and functional pathways of stool microbiota with eczema, allergic sensitization, allergy, lung function and asthma at school age,” explained the study authors.

Researchers performed a cross-sectional study among 1440 children aged 10 years. Gene sequencing was performed on stool samples and alpha and beta diversity metrics were identified from the resulting sequences. Questionnaires measured physician-diagnosed eczema, allergy, and asthma.

Alpha diversities were associated with decreased eczema rates and beta diversity was associated with physician-diagnosed inhalant allergies. Lachnospiraceae, ruminococcaceae, and christensenellaceae species were associated with decreased risks of eczema, inhalant allergic sensitization, and physician-diagnosed inhalant allergy (OR range [95%CI]: 0.88 [0.79-0.96] - 0.94 [0.88-0.98]). Agathobacter was associated with an increased risk of physician-diagnosed inhalant allergy (1.23 [1.08-1.42]).

“We observed that the diversity, relative abundance and pathways derived from stool microbiota were consistently associated with physician-diagnosed inhalant allergy, and less consistent with current eczema, food allergy outcomes and asthma at school age,” concluded the study authors. –Lisa Kuhns

Reference
Hu C, van Meel ER, Medina-Gomez C, et al. A population-based study on associations of stool microbiota with atopic diseases in school-age children. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2021;S0091-6749(21)00563-7. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2021.04.001