title: Exploring the bacterial assemblages along the human nasal passage.
abstract: The human nasal passage, from the anterior nares through the nasal vestibule to the nasal cavities, is an important habitat for opportunistic pathogens and commensals alike. This work sampled four different anatomical regions within the human nasal passage across a large cohort of individuals (n = 79) comprising individuals suffering from chronic nasal inflammation clinically known as chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and individuals not suffering from inflammation (CRS-free). While individuals had their own unique bacterial fingerprint that was consistent across the anatomical regions, these bacterial fingerprints formed into distinct delineated groups comprising core bacterial members, which were consistent across all four swabbed anatomical regions irrespective of health status. The most significant observed pattern was the difference between the global bacterial profiles of swabbed and tissue biopsy samples from the same individuals, being also consistent across different anatomical regions. Importantly, no statistically significant differences could be observed concerning the global bacterial communities, any of the bacterial species or the range of diversity indices used to compare between CRS and CRS-free individuals, and between two CRS phenotypes (without nasal polyps and with nasal polyps). Thus, the role of bacteria in the pathogenesis of sinusitis remains uncertain.
authors.affiliation: Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Melissa L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wos-Oxley
authors.affiliation: Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chaves-Moreno
authors.affiliation: Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ruy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jáuregui
authors.affiliation: Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrew P A
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Oxley
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kaspar
authors.affiliation: Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Plumeier
authors.affiliation: Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kahl
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rudack
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Microbial Interactions and Processes Research Group, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Dietmar H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Pieper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064307:Microbiota; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult