Microbiota Upper Respiratory Tract

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The aim of this study is to investigate whether the microbiota in the upper respiratory tract (URT) (nose, nasopharynx and sinuses) of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients is disturbed compared to healthy individuals. Therefore, bacterial DNA from swabs, aspirates and tissue will be isolated via commercially available DNA extraction kits, followed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing in order to identify the bacterial species present in these samples. Special attention will go to microbial species that are overrepresented in the healthy populations as potential health promoting microbes (i.e. probiotics). A better understanding of the URT microbiome might help us to better understand the pathology of CRS and might help to develop new microbiota-based strategies for CRS.

Official Title
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Study of the Microbiota and the Potential of Probiotics for Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Conditions
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Microbiota Upper Respiratory Tract

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: no intervention, compare URT microbiome healthy control group-chronic rhinosinusitis patients


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Exclusion Criteria healthy population: no use of antibiotics in the past year no acute or chronic airway infections no cancer no autoimmune diseases pregnant women Exclusion Criteria CRS population: --> no exclusion criteria

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Control group (healthy)<br>Participants who do not suffer from acute or chronic airway infections | Other: no intervention, compare URT microbiome healthy control group-chronic rhinosinusitis patients<br> <br> |
| CRS patients<br>Patients who suffer from chronic rhinosinusitis | Other: no intervention, compare URT microbiome healthy control group-chronic rhinosinusitis patients<br> <br> |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| differences in bacterial communities colonizing the upper respiratory tract between healthy individuals and CRS patients measured via Illumina MiSeq | After Illumina MiSeq sequencing, bio-informatic tools will be used to cluster bacteria into operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Based on these OTUs, we will compare the composition of the bacteria in the sampled niches and compare this composition between healthy individuals and chronic rhinosinusitis patients. We will specifically screen for OTUs that are over- or underrepresented in both populations. Furthermore, special attention will go to screen for the typical nasopharyngeal pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, ... and also to beneficial microbes such as lactic acid bacteria. | up to 4 years before all samples from both groups are collected and processed |