Linking nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal microbiota to immune responses during influenza-like illness in an…

Abstract

Older adults are vulnerable to influenza-like illness (ILI). To study how infection shapes the respiratory microbiota, we profiled nasopharyngeal (NP) and oropharyngeal (OP) communities alongside local immune mediators in adults aged 60–88, comparing asymptomatic, ILI, and recovery states.

NP communities clustered into three community state types (CSTs): Moraxella-dominated (CST-1), Haemophilus/Streptococcus/Staphylococcus-associated (CST-2), and Corynebacterium/Dolosigranulum-dominated (CST-3). During infection, compositional shifts were restricted to the NP niche, where CST-1 and CST-2 were more frequent. Streptococcus, Haemophilus and Moraxella were positively associated with inflammatory and interferon-related mediators, including IL-6, CXCL9 and CXCL10, while Corynebacterium showed negative associations. Immune activation was strong in the NP but limited in the OP, and stayed above healthy levels at follow-up, suggesting incomplete recovery. NP composition was also associated with symptom burden, viral and bacterial co-detection and smoking status.

These site-specific microbiota-immune relationships identify the nasopharynx as the primary site of immune modulation during ILI in older adults.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{kool2026linking,
  title = {{Linking nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal microbiota to immune responses during influenza-like illness in an aging population}},
  author = {Jolanda Kool and Prokopis Konstanti and Harry van Dijken and Mei Ling J.N. Chu and Nening M. Nanlohy and Elske Bijvank and Esther van Woudenbergh and Josine van Beek and Debbie van Baarle and Susana Fuentes},
  journal = {iScience},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2026.117929},
  url = {https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)03312-2},
  note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Linking nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal microbiota to immune responses during influenza-like illness in an aging population
AU  - Jolanda Kool
AU  - Prokopis Konstanti
AU  - Harry van Dijken
AU  - Mei Ling J.N. Chu
AU  - Nening M. Nanlohy
AU  - Elske Bijvank
AU  - Esther van Woudenbergh
AU  - Josine van Beek
AU  - Debbie van Baarle
AU  - Susana Fuentes
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/16
JO  - iScience
DO  - 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117929
UR  - https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)03312-2
AB  - Older adults are vulnerable to influenza-like illness (ILI). To study how infection shapes the respiratory microbiota, we profiled nasopharyngeal (NP) and oropharyngeal (OP) communities alongside local immune mediators in adults aged 60–88, comparing asymptomatic, ILI, and recovery states.  NP communities clustered into three community state types (CSTs): Moraxella-dominated (CST-1), Haemophilus/Streptococcus/Staphylococcus-associated (CST-2), and Corynebacterium/Dolosigranulum-dominated (CST-3). During infection, compositional shifts were restricted to the NP niche, where CST-1 and CST-2 were more frequent. Streptococcus, Haemophilus and Moraxella were positively associated with inflammatory and interferon-related mediators, including IL-6, CXCL9 and CXCL10, while Corynebacterium showed negative associations. Immune activation was strong in the NP but limited in the OP, and stayed above healthy levels at follow-up, suggesting incomplete recovery. NP composition was also associated with symptom burden, viral and bacterial co-detection and smoking status.  These site-specific microbiota-immune relationships identify the nasopharynx as the primary site of immune modulation during ILI in older adults.
SN  - 2589-0042
ER  -

Abstract

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