PMID- 34422359 OWN - NLM STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE LR - 20220426 IS - 2072-1439 (Print) IS - 2077-6624 (Electronic) IS - 2072-1439 (Linking) VI - 13 IP - 7 DP - 2021 Jul TI - Altered gut microbiome compositions are associated with the severity of asthma. PG - 4322-4338 LID - 10.21037/jtd-20-2189 [doi] AB - BACKGROUND: Despite substantial evidence on the contribution of the diversity of the gut microbiome to the pathogenesis of asthma and allergic diseases, little is known about their relationship with asthma severity and/or clinical phenotypes. We analyzed the difference in composition of the gut microbiome between subjects with asthma and healthy subjects and explored its role in the development of asthma. METHODS: Fecal samples from 15 subjects with severe asthma (SA), 14 with non-severe asthma (NSA), and 15 healthy subjects were assessed by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing methods to identify the gut bacterial composition. RESULTS: Compared with those in the NSA group, patients in the SA group had a higher dose of inhaled corticosteroids, and there were more atopic subjects (60% vs. 35.7%, respectively). No significant differences were found at the phylum level either in operational taxonomic unit numbers or in diversity scores among the SA, NSA, and healthy groups. However, at the family level, the relative abundance of Acidaminococcaceae in the SA group was remarkedly lower than that in the group with healthy subjects (P<0.05). Furthermore, Veillonellaceae and Prevotellaceae were significantly more common in samples from the SA group than in those from the NSA group (P<0.05). In the SA group, positive correlations were observed between the relative abundance of Veillonellaceae and mid-expiratory flow 25% (MEF25%) predicted (r=0.538, P=0.047), as well as between the relative abundance of Acidaminococcaceae and body mass index (r=0642, P=0.010). Principal component analysis suggested that the relative abundances of Acidaminococcaceae and Prevotellaceae were associated with severe asthma. Moreover, we found that class Betaproteobacteria, order Burkholderiales, and family Alcaligenaceae were significantly different among the groups defined by serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that altered gut microbiome compositions are involved in the severity of asthma and that there are specific bacteria related to different asthma phenotypes in terms of serum IgE levels. CI - 2021 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved. FAU - Wang, Zhiqiang AU - Wang Z AD - Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou Insitute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. AD - Hexian Memorial Hospital of PanYu District, Guangzhou, China. FAU - Lai, Zhengdao AU - Lai Z AD - Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou Insitute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. AD - Dongguan Institute of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Afliated Dongguan People's Hospital, Southern Medicial University, Dongguan, China. FAU - Zhang, Xiaoxian AU - Zhang X AD - Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou Insitute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. FAU - Huang, Peikai AU - Huang P AD - Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou Insitute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. AD - Department of Respiration Medicine, Huizhou Municipal Central Hospital, Huizhou, China. FAU - Xie, Jiaxing AU - Xie J AD - Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou Insitute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. FAU - Jiang, Qian AU - Jiang Q AD - Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou Insitute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. FAU - Zhang, Qingling AU - Zhang Q AD - Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangzhou Insitute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. FAU - Chung, Kian Fan AU - Chung KF AD - National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London & Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust, London, UK. LA - eng PT - Journal Article PL - China TA - J Thorac Dis JT - Journal of thoracic disease JID - 101533916 PMC - PMC8339736 OTO - NOTNLM OT - Gut microbiome OT - asthma OT - phenotype COIS- Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form. (Available at https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jtd-20-2189). Prof. Kian Fan Chung serves as an unpaid associate editor-in-chief of Journal of Thoracic Disease. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare. EDAT- 2021/08/24 06:00 MHDA- 2021/08/24 06:01 PMCR- 2021/07/01 CRDT- 2021/08/23 06:32 PHST- 2020/06/15 00:00 [received] PHST- 2021/05/31 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2021/08/23 06:32 [entrez] PHST- 2021/08/24 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2021/08/24 06:01 [medline] PHST- 2021/07/01 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - jtd-13-07-4322 [pii] AID - 10.21037/jtd-20-2189 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - J Thorac Dis. 2021 Jul;13(7):4322-4338. doi: 10.21037/jtd-20-2189.