Specific features of the oral microbiome in young children with laryngopharyngeal reflux and its role the development of recurrent respiratory diseases

The aim: To examine the composition of the oral microbiome in young children with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and its role the development of recurrent respiratory diseases. Materials and methods: There were examined 38 children with physiological gastroesophageal reflux (GER), 18 children with LPR who had a medical history of recurrent bronchitis and 17 healthy children (control group). The study included the collection of anamnesis, objective examination. The qualitative and quantitative microbial composition of the upper respiratory tract was performed obtained by oropharyngeal deep swab. Salivary pepsin level and IL-8 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: This research showed significant alterations in the oral microbiome of patients with GER and LPR as compared to healthy control. We found that gram-negative microbiota such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus spp. and Candida albicans were identified in children with GER and LPR compared to the healthy control. At the same time, the amount of such a representative of the normal microbiome as Streptococcus viridans in children with LPR was sharply reduced. There were established a much higher mean salivary pepsin level of the patients with LPR than in the GER and control group. We found the association between high pepsin levels, saliva IL-8 levels and frequency of respiratory pathology in children with LPR. Conclusions: Our study confirms that increased levels of pepsin in saliva are a risk factor for recurrent respiratory diseases in children with LPR

Сlinical features of chronic bronchitis and genetic risk factors for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adolescent smokers

The aim is to study the clinical features of the course of CB in adolescent smokers and to study the genetic risk factors for the development of COPD. Materials and methods: There were examined 40 adolescent smokers with CB, 30 never-smokers adolescents with CB and 37 healthy adolescents smokers (control group). The study included the collection of anamnesis, objective examination. calculation of the smoking index and the «pack/year», molecular genetic investigations. Results: It was proved that smoking leads to the development of chronic bronchitis as early as adolescence and affects its course, increasing the frequency and duration of exacerbations. We identified an association of the 2G/2G genotype of MMP1 gene with the development of chronic bronchitis in adolescent smokers. The TT genotype of CYP1A1 gene may be considered as a possible sustainability factor for the development of chronic bronchitis in adolescent smokers. Conclusions: The study of candidate genes for COPD in childhood and adolescence will facilitate the early detection of high-risk groups in the formation of this pathology, which will allow doctors to take the necessary preventive measures