Dysbiosis of Fecal Microbiota in Allergic Rhinitis Patients.

BACKGROUND

The gut microbiota plays an important role in shaping the immune system and may be closely connected to the development of allergic diseases.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the gut microbiota composition in Chinese allergic rhinitis (AR) patients as compared with healthy controls (HCs).

METHODS

We collected stool samples from 93 AR patients and 72 age- and sex-matched HCs. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed using QIIME targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Functional pathways were predicted using Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States. Statistical analysis was performed using the program, linear discriminant analysis effect size (LefSe), analysis of QIIME, and statistical analysis of metagenomic profiles, among other tests.

RESULTS

Compared with HCs, AR patients had significantly lower gut-microbiota α-diversity ( < .001). The gut microbiota composition significantly differed between the 2 study groups. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of was higher while those of and were lower in the AR group than in the HC group ( < .001,  < 0.001). At the genus level, , , and ( < .001,  < 0.001) had significantly higher relative abundances in the AR group than in the HC group. LefSe analysis indicated that , , , and were potential biomarkers for AR. In addition, predictive metagenome functional analysis showed that pyruvate, porphyrin, chlorophyll, purine metabolism, and peptidoglycan biosynthesis significantly differed between the AR and HC groups.

CONCLUSION

A comparison of the gut microbiota of AR patients and HCs suggested that dysbiosis of the fecal microbiota is involved in the development of AR. The present results may reveal key differences and identify targets for preventive or therapeutic intervention.