Comparison of Gut Viral Communities in Atopic Dermatitis and Healthy Children.

Xiang Lu,Xiaochun Wang,Wen Zhang,Yan Wang,Kexin Jin,Hui Xu,Quan Shen,Hao Wang,Jingqi Zhang,Tianji Zhou,Shixing Yang,Ling Ma

doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.835467

Abstract

The immune development and regulation of living individuals are affected by the gut microbiota. The imbalance of gut microbiota is considered to be a key factor that easily induces immune dysregulation and the development of atopic diseases. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects nearly 20% of children. To date, metagenomics research on AD has mainly focused on the skin and gut microbiome. However, here we assessed the composition of the virome in the gut of AD patients and healthy controls for the first time. This study has obtained possible dominant viruses at different viral classification levels. In terms of diversity, the alpha diversity of the patients group was significantly lower than that of the healthy controls group, and the beta diversity of the two groups was significantly different from phylum to family level. These findings provide a new perspective for us to better understand the effect of the gut microecological environment on AD.

Highlights

In the past few decades, the prevalence of allergic diseases in developed and developing countries has increased disproportionately [1]
According to the results presented by Statistical Analysis of Metagenomic Profiles (STAMP), Chlorovirus, Lubbockvirus, Mimivirus, and Coetzeevirus made the greatest contribution to the difference between Atopic dermatitis (AD) patients and healthy controls group
The prevalence of AD has been on the rise, presumably due to the reduced exposure of the host immune system to beneficial microorganisms that accompanies the excessive hygiene of the modern lifestyle [5]

Summary

Introduction

In the past few decades, the prevalence of allergic diseases in developed and developing countries has increased disproportionately [1]. About half of children with moderate or severe AD can develop allergic rhinitis with or without asthma, and other atopic diseases with low mortality [3]. The “hygiene hypothesis” put forward in the late 1980s holds that environmental and nutritional factors may cause ecological disorders of the skin, gut, or lung microbiome [4, 5]. The microbiome of these sites can regulate the immune response and reduce the stimulation of the immune system by microorganisms, making infants more susceptible to allergic diseases. The mechanism driving the outbreak of AD is not fully understood, and its severity is highly heterogeneous, skin barrier dysfunction, microbial skin colonization, decreased innate immune responses, and other external factors may have a complicated interrelationship with AD [6]

Methods

Results

Conclusion