Indoor airborne microbiota composition associated with asthma and atopy in rural children

Abstract

Rural environments seem to prevent childhood asthma and atopy. In this study we investigate how farming conditions shape the indoor microbiota and we identify exposures with reduced probability of asthma and atopy in children. Latent Class Analysis was performed on all questionnaire-reported practices (n=2573 children from GABRIELA study) to identify ‘rural environment’ subgroups. In a stratified random subset of children (n=371) bedroom electrostatic dustfall collectors (EDCs) were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and their microbiota composition across latent classes (LCs) was studied by PCoA and SIMPER analyses. Relationship between LCs, bacterial taxa and health outcomes were established by weighted logistic regression. Six LCs characterized rural environments by differences in livestock breeding and crops. Microbial composition differed across LCs (see ordination Fig1; PERMANOVA p<0.001) with elevated presence of Firmicutes and decreased presence of Proteobacteria in farm homes (additional differences at lower taxonomic ranks also observed). LC membership was a determinant for atopy (overall p=0.013) and asthma (p=0.045) with a notably decreased probability for asthma in rural environments with dairy contact and crop farming. We conclude that the indoor airborne dust microbiome reflects different rural environments with different probabilities for asthma and atopy. ![Figure][1] Footnotes Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2018 52: Suppl. 62, PA5078. This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at [www.ers-education.org][2] (ERS member access only). [1]: pending:yes [2]: http://www.ers-education.org