Correlations of Nasal Microbiome with Allergic Rhinitis and Its Symptoms Severity in Children Progression.

Objective: Human microbiome is involved in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, but the impact of nasal microbiota on allergic rhinitis (AR) symptoms severity has not been evaluated. This study aimed to characterize nasal microbiome in AR children and its correlations with AR symptoms.

Methods: According to diagnostic guidelines for AR, 45 AR children and 40 healthy subjects were recruited from July to August in 2023. Based on the total score of nasal symptoms (TNSS), the 45 AR patients were divided into a mild AR group (MAR) (n = 16) and a moderate or severe AR group (MSAR) (n = 29). Nasal swabs were collected for microbiome analysis using 16S-rDNA sequencing.

Results: The Simpson and Shannon indices were significantly higher in the AR group compared to the health control group, indicating an increase of nasal microbiota at the species evenness level in AR children. Moreover, the species evenness was significantly increased in the MSAR group compared to the MAR group. (member of the phylum) was significantly dominant in the AR group, but (member of the phylum) was significantly dominant in the CG group. The LEfSe analysis showed that the mean relative abundances of in the MSAR group was higher than that in the MAR group. Meanwhile, the abundance divided by of Spearman correlation coefficients was positively correlated with the TNSS of AR symptoms (r = 0.4, = 0.009).

Conclusion: The elevation of species evenness in nasal microbiome was likely related to the aggravation of AR symptoms. The may play a pro-inflammatory role in AR.