2021 H. pylori Infection in Rhesus Macaques

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated an inverse relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and childhood asthma. However, the mechanism is unknown. In this study, we characterized the healthy infant rhesus macaque lung microbiome and hypothesized that natural H. pylori colonization might alter the microbiome of the lung during infancy. To test this hypothesis, we utilized the infant rhesus macaque monkey as a model of postnatal development. Gastric biopsies, lung washes, and buccal swabs were collected from monkeys at 4-7 months of age. Lung washes and buccal swabs were sequenced via the Illumina MiSeq system and analyzed. 16s sequencing data showed that the lung and buccal microbiomes of infant rhesus macaques have distinct microbial populations. The buccal cavity is dominated by the phyla: Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Fusobacteroidota, and Bacteroidota. However, the lung is dominated by Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidota. Our data support the idea that the lung microbiome is not an amalgam of buccal aspirates; rather, it represents a distinct microbiome.