06 Feb Staph Aureus Colonization Linked To Asthma Symptoms in Children and Young Adults

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Meghan F. Davis, DVM MPH PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Davis: Asthma rates have been on the rise, particularly in children. Interventions targeted at allergens and other environmental factors known to exacerbate asthma are only partially successful, suggesting a role for novel drivers of morbidity among existing patients with asthma. In this study, we evaluated associations between nasal colonization with the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and symptoms related to wheeze and asthma using data from the nationally-representative NHANES database. We found that S. aureus nasal colonization was associated with asthma symptoms in children and young adults, but not in older adults.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Davis: S. aureus colonizes about a third of the population at any given time and can sometimes cause skin or soft tissue infections. Our findings suggest that this bacterium may elicit respiratory health effects without causing infection. More work is needed to confirm these results and understand the mechanisms underlying this observed association.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Davis: Future research should evaluate S. aureus and respiratory outcomes in children and young adults with asthma over time and should measure host factors, such as atopic status, that could influence how people respond to S. aureus colonization. Further, since not all strains of S. aureus share the same characteristics, virulence factors in the bacteria also should be measured.

Citation:

Staphylococcus aureus colonization is associated with wheeze and asthma among US children and young adults

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Impact Factor: 11.25). 12/2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2014.10.052

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MedicalResearch.com Interview with:, & Meghan F. Davis, DVM MPH PhD (2015). Staph Aureus Colonization Linked To Asthma Symptoms in Children and Young Adults MedicalResearch.com

Last Updated on February 6, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD