Indoors Unveiled as Key Players in Respiratory Health

Vital role of indoor microorganisms and metabolites in understanding the environmental factors behind prevalent respiratory issues has been highlighted by a study on asthma and allergic rhinitis, published in the journal Eco-Environment & Health (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Indoor metabolites and chemicals outperform microbiome in classifying childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis

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This study, conducted by researchers in China and Malaysia, takes a novel approach by focusing on indoor metabolites and chemicals – the products of both microbial and human activity in the home environment.

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Using high-throughput technologies, the team compared the dust composition of homes with children diagnosed with asthma, AR, or both, with homes of healthy children. The analysis revealed distinct differences in the chemical profiles of the two groups.

Homes with diseased children had higher levels of mycotoxins (toxic fungal metabolites) and synthetic chemicals like herbicides, insecticides, and food/cosmetic additives.

Conversely, the homes of healthy children were enriched with beneficial environmental microbes and metabolites like keto acids, indoles, pyridines, and flavonoids (astragalin and hesperidin).

Cracking the Code of Allergic Rhinitis Triggers

Excitingly, the researchers developed a model based on these characteristic metabolites and chemicals that could accurately predict the prevalence of asthma and AR in an independent dataset from Malaysia.

This suggests that analyzing dust for its chemical fingerprint may be a more reliable and consistent way to assess environmental risk for these diseases than studying the complex and variable microbiome.

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The study’s findings pave the way for new possibilities in preventing and managing childhood asthma and AR.

By testing for specific metabolites in household dust, we could identify homes with unhealthy chemical profiles and implement targeted interventions.

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This could involve promoting the growth of beneficial microbes through probiotic sprays or adjusting ventilation systems
to reduce toxin exposure.

In conclusion, this study marks a significant shift in our understanding of the environmental factors contributing to childhood asthma and AR.

By prioritizing indoor metabolites and chemicals, we may finally have a robust and practical tool for environmental assessment and, ultimately, the creation of “metabolically healthy” homes for our children.

Reference:

1. Indoor metabolites and chemicals outperform microbiome in classifying childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis
   – (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772985023000406?via%3Dihub)

Source-Eurekalert