Xixi Lin

Purpose: Recent studies had shown that gut microbiota played a significant role in the development of the immune system and may affect the course of airway allergic disease. We conducted this study to determine unique gut microbial associated with allergic disease in children by shotgun gene sequencing. Methods: We collected fecal samples from children with allergic asthma (n = 23) and allergic rhinitis (n = 18), and healthy control (n = 19). The gut microbiota of specimens was analyzed by high-throughput metagenomic shotgun gene sequencing. Results: The intestinal microbiota of children with allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis was characterized by increased microbial richness and diversity. Simpson and Shannon were significantly elevated in children with allergic asthma. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) showed that the gut microbial communities cluster patterns of children with asthma or rhinitis were significantly different from those of healthy controls. However, no significant difference was found between asthma group and rhinitis group At the phylum level, higher relative abundance of Firmicutes was found in the allergic rhinitis group and allergic asthma group, while the level of Bacteroidetes was significantly lower. At the genus level, Corynebacterium, Streptococcus, Dorea, Actinomyces, Bifidobacterium, Blautia, and Rothia were significantly enriched in the allergic asthma group. Finally, a random forest classifier model selected 16 general signatures to discriminate the allergic asthma group from the healthy control group. Conclusion: In conclusion, children in the allergic rhinitis group and allergic asthma group had altered gut microbiomes in comparison with the healthy control group. Compared to healthy children, the gut microbiome in children with allergic diseases has higher pro-inflammatory potential and increased production of pro-inflammatory molecules.

Follow-up on the therapeutic effects of a budesonide, azithromycin, montelukast, and acetylcysteine (BAMA) regimen in children with post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans Tingting Weng, Xixi Lin, Leying Wang, Jiamei Lv, Lin Dong

Piper nigrum is extensively utilized because of its antioxidation, antiallergic, antitumor, antiinflammatory, antidiarrhea, and gastrointestinal protection. We attempted to indicate whether the Piper nigrum extract (PNE) could alleviate ovalbumin (OVA)‐induced food allergy, and to explore its potential mechanism. An OVA‐induced food allergy mouse model was established, and different concentrations of PNE were administrated. Symptoms of food allergy, levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), mucosal mast cell protease‐1 (mMCP‐1), and intestine pathological changes were assessed. Additionally, the expressions of T helper (Th) 2, Th17 and regulatory T (Treg)‐associated cytokines and the proportion of Th17 and Treg cells in CD4⁺ T cells were measured. We found PNE attenuated symptoms of food allergy and decreased the levels of IgE and mMCP‐1. In PNE group, the infiltration degree of inflammatory cells was ameliorated and the villi of small intestine were more complete. Moreover, the expressions of Th2 and Th17 cell‐associated cytokines were down‐regulated by PNE pretreatment, while the levels of Treg cell‐associated cytokines were up‐regulated. PNE decreased the number of Th17 cells, while increased the Tregs cells. PNE treatment dose‐dependently improved the Th17/Treg balance. PNE plays a protective role in OVA‐induced food allergy through inhibiting Th2 cell response and regulating the Th17/Treg balance.