Integrated Gut Microbiome and Metabolomics Analysis Reveals Microbial-Metabolic Cross-talk in Allergic Rhinitis

ABSTRACT:

Background: Emerging evidence indicates a link between gut dysbiosis and allergic rhinitis (AR) pathogenesis. Nevertheless, the mechanistic role of gut microbiota in AR progression requires further characterization. To address this, we employed an integrated multi-omics strategy to delineate gut microbial composition and metabolic signatures in AR patients.

Methods: Fecal specimens from 23 AR patients and 15 matched healthy controls (total n = 38) were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess bacterial community structure, alongside untargeted metabolomic profiling of microbial metabolites. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was applied to evaluate microbiota-metabolite interactions.

Results: AR patients showed reduced gut microbial diversity (ACE index, PD whole tree; p < 0.05) with depletion of SCFA-producing Faecalibacterium and enrichment of Escherichia and Fusobacterium. Metabolomics revealed impaired butyrate metabolism (p = 0.03) and decreased anti-inflammatory metabolites (quercetin, caffeic acid). Spearman correlations linked Faecalibacterium to butyrate (ρ = 0.62, p = 0.002) and Gemella to pro-inflammatory 12,13-DHOME (ρ = −0.58, p = 0.005), implicating microbial-metabolic crosstalk.

Conclusions: Gut dysbiosis in AR drives immune-metabolic imbalance via SCFA depletion and pro-inflammatory mediators, highlighting microbiota-targeted therapies as potential interventions. 

INSTRUMENT(S): Liquid Chromatography MS - negative - reverse phase, Liquid Chromatography MS - positive - reverse phase

PROVIDER: MTBLS13021 | MetaboLights | 2025-09-22

REPOSITORIES: MetaboLights