Maturation of the gut microbiome and risk of asthma in childhood

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 141 - 10
• Main Authors: Stokholm, Jakob, Blaser, Martin J., Thorsen, Jonathan, Rasmussen, Morten A., Waage, Johannes, Vinding, Rebecca K., Schoos, Ann-Marie M., Kunøe, Asja, Fink, Nadia R., Chawes, Bo L., Bønnelykke, Klaus, Brejnrod, Asker D., Mortensen, Martin S., Al-Soud, Waleed Abu, Sørensen, Søren J., Bisgaard, Hans
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 10.01.2018; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 45/23; 631/326/2565/2134; 692/308/3187; 692/699/249/2510; Asthma; Asthma - epidemiology; Asthma - genetics; Asthma - microbiology; Bacteroides - genetics; Bifidobacterium - genetics; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Childhood; Children; Digestive system; Enterobacteriaceae - genetics; Enterococcus - genetics; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - genetics; Gene sequencing; Health risks; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Infant; Intestinal microflora; Male; Maturation; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Mothers; multidisciplinary; Risk; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; rRNA 16S; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Staphylococcus - genetics; Streptococcus - genetics; Vehicle emissions; Veillonella - genetics
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02573-2

The composition of the human gut microbiome matures within the first years of life. It has been hypothesized that microbial compositions in this period can cause immune dysregulations and potentially cause asthma. Here we show, by associating gut microbial composition from 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing during the first year of life with subsequent risk of asthma in 690 participants, that 1-year-old children with an immature microbial composition have an increased risk of asthma at age 5 years. This association is only apparent among children born to asthmatic mothers, suggesting that lacking microbial stimulation during the first year of life can trigger their inherited asthma risk. Conversely, adequate maturation of the gut microbiome in this period may protect these pre-disposed children. Colonization of commensal bacteria is thought to impact immune development, especially in the earliest years of life. Here, the authors show, by analyzing the development of the gut microbiome of 690 children, that microbial composition at the age of 1 year is associated with asthma diagnosed in the first 5 years of life.