Longitudinal dynamics of the gut microbiome and metabolome in peanut allergy development

Background: Rising rates of peanut allergy (PA) motivate investigations of its development to inform prevention and therapy. Microbiota and the metabolites they produce shape food allergy risk.

Objective: We sought to gain insight into gut microbiome and metabolome dynamics in the development of PA.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal, integrative study of the gut microbiome and metabolome of infants with allergy risk factors but no PA from a multicenter cohort followed through mid-childhood. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing, short chain fatty acid measurements, and global metabolome profiling of fecal samples at infancy and at mid-childhood.

Results: In this longitudinal, multicenter sample (n = 122), 28.7% of infants developed PA by mid-childhood (mean age 9 years). Lower infant gut microbiome diversity was associated with PA development (P = .014). Temporal changes in the relative abundance of specific microbiota and gut metabolite levels significantly differed in children who developed PA. PA-bound children had different abundance trajectories of Clostridium sensu stricto 1 sp (false discovery rate (FDR) = 0.015) and Bifidobacterium sp (FDR = 0.033), with butyrate (FDR = 0.045) and isovalerate (FDR = 0.036) decreasing over time. Metabolites associated with PA development clustered within the histidine metabolism pathway. Positive correlations between microbiota, butyrate, and isovalerate and negative correlations with histamine marked the PA-free network.

Conclusion: The temporal dynamics of the gut microbiome and metabolome in early childhood are distinct for children who develop PA. These findings inform our thinking on the mechanisms underlying and strategies for potentially preventing PA.