The respiratory microbiome is linked to the severity of RSV infections and the persistence of symptoms in children.
Kristensen, Maartje de Steenhuijsen Piters, Wouter A A Wildenbeest, Joanne van Houten, Marlies A Zuurbier, Roy P Hasrat, Raiza Arp, Kayleigh Chu, Mei Ling J N Billard, Marie Heikkinen, Terho
Kristensen, Maartje
de Steenhuijsen Piters, Wouter A A
Wildenbeest, Joanne
van Houten, Marlies A
Zuurbier, Roy P
Hasrat, Raiza
Arp, Kayleigh
Chu, Mei Ling J N
Billard, Marie
Heikkinen, Terho
Series / Report no.
Open Access
Type
Article
Language
en
Date of publication
2024-12-05
Year of publication
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Title
The respiratory microbiome is linked to the severity of RSV infections and the persistence of symptoms in children.
Translated Title
Published in
Cell Rep Med 2024; 5(12):101836
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of infant respiratory infections and hospitalizations. To investigate the relationship between the respiratory microbiome and RSV infection, we sequence nasopharyngeal samples from a birth cohort and a pediatric case-control study (Respiratory Syncytial virus Consortium in Europe [RESCEU]). 1,537 samples are collected shortly after birth ("baseline"), during RSV infection and convalescence, and from healthy controls. We find a modest association between baseline microbiota and the severity of consecutive RSV infections. The respiratory microbiota during infection clearly differs between infants with RSV and controls. Haemophilus, Streptococcus, and Moraxella abundance are associated with severe disease and persistence of symptoms, whereas stepwise increasing abundance of Dolosigranulum and Corynebacterium is associated with milder disease and health. We conclude that the neonatal respiratory microbiota is only modestly associated with RSV severity during the first year of life. However, the respiratory microbiota at the time of infection is strongly associated with disease severity and residual symptoms.