Journal article

The infant nasopharyngeal microbiome impacts severity of lower respiratory infection and risk of asthma development

SM Teo, D Mok, K Pham, M Kusel, M Serralha, N Troy, BJ Holt, BJ Hales, ML Walker, E Hollams, YA Bochkov, K Grindle, SL Johnston, JE Gern, PD Sly, PG Holt, KE Holt, M Inouye

Cell Host and Microbe | Published : 2015

Abstract

The nasopharynx (NP) is a reservoir for microbes associated with acute respiratory infections (ARIs). Lung inflammation resulting from ARIs during infancy is linked to asthma development. We examined the NP microbiome during the critical first year of life in a prospective cohort of 234 children, capturing both the viral and bacterial communities and documenting all incidents of ARIs. Most infants were initially colonized with Staphylococcus or Corynebacterium before stable colonization with Alloiococcus or Moraxella. Transient incursions of Streptococcus, Moraxella, or Haemophilus marked virus-associated ARIs. Our data identify the NP microbiome as a determinant for infection spread to the ..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by National Institutes of Health


Funding Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the NHMRC of Australia (Project Grant #1049539; Fellowships #1061409 [K.E.H.] and #1061435 [M.I., co-funded with the Australian Heart Foundation]) and the Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative (VLSCI) (#VR0082). S.L.J. is supported in part by a Chair from Asthma UK (CH11SJ) and by Medical Research Council Centre grant G1000758. J.E.G., Y.A.B., and K.G. are supported by NIH grants U19 AI104317 and P01 HL070831.