title: Allergic Patients with Long-Term Asthma Display Low Levels of Bifidobacterium adolescentis.
abstract: Accumulated evidence suggests a relationship between specific allergic processes, such as atopic eczema in children, and an aberrant fecal microbiota. However, little is known about the complete microbiota profile of adult individuals suffering from asthma. We determined the fecal microbiota in 21 adult patients suffering allergic asthma (age 39.43 ± 10.98 years old) and compare it with the fecal microbiota of 22 healthy controls (age 39.29 ± 9.21 years old) using culture independent techniques. An Ion-Torrent 16S rRNA gene-based amplification and sequencing protocol was used to determine the fecal microbiota profile of the individuals. Sequence microbiota analysis showed that the microbial alpha-diversity was not significantly different between healthy and allergic individuals and no clear clustering of the samples was obtained using an unsupervised principal component analysis. However, the analysis of specific bacterial groups allowed us to detect significantly lower levels of bifidobacteria in patients with long-term asthma. Also, in allergic individuals the Bifidobacterium adolescentis species prevailed within the bifidobacterial population. The reduction in the levels on bifidobacteria in patients with long-term asthma suggests a new target in allergy research and opens possibilities for the therapeutic modulation of the gut microbiota in this group of patients.
authors: Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain.
authors: Arancha
authors: A
authors: Hevia
authors: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Milani
authors: Immunology Area, Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: López
authors: Allergy Unit, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors: Carmen D
authors: CD
authors: Donado
authors: Physiology Area, Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors: Adriana
authors: A
authors: Cuervo
authors: Physiology Area, Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors: Sonia
authors: S
authors: González
authors: Immunology Area, Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Suárez
authors: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Turroni
authors: Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain.
authors: Miguel
authors: M
authors: Gueimonde
authors: Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Ventura
authors: Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain.
authors: Borja
authors: B
authors: Sánchez
authors: Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain.
authors: Abelardo
authors: A
authors: Margolles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000382:microbiology*; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000235:genetics*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D007073:Immunoglobulin E