Exploring the relationship between gut Microbiota and Asthma Comorbidities
Abstract
Asthma is a prevalent chronic inflammatory airway disease that frequently coexists with comorbidities such as obesity, allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). These co-occurring conditions share certain inflammatory pathways with asthma and can complicate disease management. Emerging research suggests that the gut microbiota is a key environmental factor linking these disorders via the gut–lung axis. This narrative review summarizes how gut microbial dysbiosis may influence immune regulation and chronic inflammation underlying asthma and its common comorbidities. For example, an altered gut microbiome composition in obesity can promote systemic low-grade inflammation, contributing to a neutrophilic asthma phenotype, while reduced early-life microbial diversity has been associated with increased risk of allergic diseases and asthma[1]. There is also evidence that gut dysbiosis might play a role in chronic rhinosinusitis and GERD; notably, Helicobacter pylori colonization has been linked to a decreased risk of childhood asthma. Microbiome-targeted interventions (such as probiotics, prebiotics, dietary modulation, and fecal microbiota transplantation) show promise in modulating airway inflammation and improving asthma control in preliminary studies. A better understanding of the gut–lung axis could open novel avenues for the prevention and integrated management of asthma and its comorbidities, providing valuable insights for clinicians, microbiome researchers, and translational scientists working on innovative therapeutic strategies.