Unveiling the role of the upper respiratory tract microbiome in susceptibility and severity to COVID-19
It is argued that commensal bacteria in the upper respiratory tract (URT) protect against pathogen colonization and infection, including respiratory viruses. Given that the microbiome can mediate immune modulation, a link between the URT microbiome (URTM) and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity is...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1531084/full |
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| Summary: | It is argued that commensal bacteria in the upper respiratory tract (URT) protect against pathogen colonization and infection, including respiratory viruses. Given that the microbiome can mediate immune modulation, a link between the URT microbiome (URTM) and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity is expected. This 16S metagenomics cross-sectional study assessed URTM composition, metabolic prediction, and association with laboratory biomarkers in non-COVID-19 pneumonia (NO-CoV), moderate (M-CoV), severe (S-CoV) COVID-19 patients, as well as COVID-19-negative, asymptomatic (NC) patients. The S-CoV group exhibited reduced URTM diversity, primarily due to a decreased abundance of eubiotic taxa. Some of these taxa (e.g., Haemophilus sp., Neisseria sp.) were also associated with inflammatory biomarkers. Multiple metabolic pathways (e.g., short-chain fatty acids, vitamin B12) linked to immune response, antiviral activity, and host susceptibility showed decreased abundance in S-CoV. These pathways could suggest potential alternatives for the therapeutic arsenal against COVID-19, providing reassurance about the progress in understanding and treating this disease. |
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| ISSN: | 2235-2988 |