Wendy Unger (Netherlands)
Erasmus MC (University Medical Center Rotterdam) Laboratory of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and ImmunologyAuthor Of 1 Presentation
HIGH PREVALENCE OF MYCOPLASMA PNEUMONIAE CARRIAGE IN CHILDREN WITH RECURRENT RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN ENRICHMENT OF H.INFLUENZAE
Abstract
Backgrounds:
Recurrent respiratory tract infections (rRTI) affect up to 10% of young children and cause considerable morbidity. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common bacterial cause of lower respiratory tract infection in children and often preceded by asymptomatic upper respiratory tract carriage. We hypothesize that M. pneumoniae carriage is impacted by the local respiratory microbiota and therefore studied this relationship in the context of the mucosal immune system.
Methods
From March 2016 till December 2019 children <7 years with rRTI were included in a prospective cohort study (DIMER study). We studied nasopharyngeal microbiota using 16S-rRNA-sequencing and performed qPCR to detect M. pneumoniae carriage. Furthermore, we analyzed M. pneumoniae-specific and total IgA levels in nasopharyngeal swabs.
Results:
We included 117 children suffering from rRTI of whom 53% had an antibody deficiency: IgA deficiency (25%), IgG subclass deficiency (15%) or a combination of both (14%). In this pediatric cohort we observed a very high carriage of M. pneumonia of 68% carried in the upper respiratory tract. Mucosal M. pneumoniae-specific and total IgA levels were similar between M. pneumoniae carriers and non-carriers. However, we observed that M. pneumoniae carriers had lower microbiota alpha diversity when compared to non-carriers (median Shannon index 1.1 [IQR 0.8-1.4] vs. 1.4 [IQR 1.0-1.7], p=0.003. In multivariable logistic regression analysis corrected for multiple confounders (age, RTI symptoms during sampling, antibiotic prophylactic treatment), a strong association was found between Haemophilus influenza/haemolyticus and M. pneumoniae carriage (OR 23.33 [1.63-751.43], p=0.04, Figure 1).
Conclusions/Learning Points:
M. pneumoniae carriage was highly prevalent in children with rRTI. M. pneumoniae carriers had an altered nasopharyngeal microbiota, characterized by an enrichment of H. influenzae/haemolyticus.
Poster Author Of 1 e-Poster
