Nasal microbiome linked to small-to-modest epigenome variation in adolescents

Research area:Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular BiologyMicrobiomeNasal cavity

What the study found

The study found that the nasal microbiome, the community of microorganisms in the nose, was associated with small-to-modest variation in the nasal epigenome, which is the pattern of chemical changes that affect how genes are regulated. It also found links between certain bacterial taxa and DNA methylation, a type of epigenetic change, and between greater Corynebacterium abundance and lower nasal epigenetic aging.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors conclude that their findings support the hypothesis that the nasal microbiome is associated with small-to-modest variation in the nasal epigenome. They also say future research is needed to examine how environmental exposures affect this relationship and what the health effects of microbial and epigenetic variation may be in early life and across the life course.

What the researchers tested

The researchers analyzed cross-sectional associations in 372 adolescents in the Project Viva cohort, with a mean age of 13.0 years. They collected nasal swabs from the anterior nares, profiled the microbiome by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, grouped samples into six clusters, and measured nasal cell DNA methylation with the Illumina MethylationEPIC BeadChip. They then tested microbiome cluster assignment against DNA methylation with robust linear models adjusting for sociodemographics, season, batch, and surrogates of cell type composition.

What worked and what didn't

Methylation differences between microbiome clusters ranged from 0.20% to 12.45%, with a median of 0.95%. Differentially methylated loci were near genes related to asthma, lung function, mitochondrial function, inflammation, and immune function. The abundance of individual taxa, particularly Propionibacterium, was associated with methylation at 15 of these loci, and greater Corynebacterium abundance was associated with lower nasal epigenetic aging.

What to keep in mind

The study was cross-sectional, so it assessed associations at one point in time rather than changes over time. The abstract does not describe causal effects, and it does not provide detailed limitations beyond noting that future research is needed.

Key points

In 372 adolescents, the nasal microbiome was associated with small-to-modest variation in the nasal epigenome.
Microbiome cluster differences in DNA methylation ranged from 0.20% to 12.45%.
Some methylation sites were near genes related to asthma, lung function, inflammation, immune function, and mitochondrial function.
Propionibacterium abundance was associated with methylation at 15 significant loci.
Greater Corynebacterium abundance was associated with lower nasal epigenetic aging.

Disclosure

Research title:: Nasal microbiome linked to small-to-modest epigenome variation in adolescents
Authors:: Anne K. Bozack, Javier Pérez-García, Sheryl Rifas-Shiman, Yanjiao Zhou, Joanne Sordillo, Jenny Jyoung Lee, Brent Coull, Peggy S. Lai, Emily Oken, Marie-France Hivert, Diane R. Gold, Andrés Felipe Millán Cardenas
Institutions:: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Ewha Womans University, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard University, Harvard University, Harvard University, Harvard University, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, New York University, Stanford Health Care, Stanford Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford University, Stanford University, UConn Health, VA Boston Healthcare System
Publication date:: 2026-02-27
DOI:: 10.1186/s13148-026-02093-1
OpenAlex record:: View

AI provenance: This post was generated by gpt-5.4-mini (OpenAI). The original authors did not write or review this post.