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Childhood microbial exposure predicts asthma, atopic severity

An association between childhood household microbial exposure and asthma severity that differed by asthma and atopic severity exists, according to recent research.

“Microbial exposures are associated with childhood asthma severity, and associations might be different in atopic and nonatopic children,” Karen C. Dannemiller, PhD, of the department of chemical and environmental engineering at Yale University, and colleagues wrote. “This supports the notion that 2 subtypes of asthma, allergic and nonallergic, are affected differently by environmental exposures.”

Dannemiller and colleagues evaluated asthma severity in 196 pediatric patients by analyzing the household microbes using next-generation DNA sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, according to the abstract. Patients were stratified into groups according to asthma severity and atopic status as determined by serum immunoglobulin E levels.

The researchers found increased asthma severity was associated with factors such as high total fungal concentrations, summed allergenic fungal species and high bacterial richness, according to the abstract. In atopic children, asthma severity was associated with the composition of the fungal community (P =.001). Specifically, the fungal genus Volutella was associated with an increased asthma severity (P = .0001). According to a logistic regression, total fungal concentration was associated with asthma severity in atopic children (OR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.06-5.44).

Dannemiller and colleagues also identified trends with different microbial species. They found the yeast gene Kondoa had protective properties, whereas the Cryptococcus species had shown associations with both increased and decreased asthma severity, according to the abstract. – by Jeff Craven

Disclosure: Dannemiller reports no relevant financial disclosures. One researcher reports research support from National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and another reports research support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Please see the fully study for a list of all researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.