The association of tonsillar microbiota with biochemical indices based on obesity and tonsillar hypertrophy in children

Abstract

Abstract The correlation between tonsil microbiome and tonsillar hypertrophy has not been well established. Given that oral dysbiosis is related to several metabolic diseases and that tonsillar hypertrophy leads to disordered breathing during sleep and obesity in children, it is necessary to investigate the relationship between the oral microbiome and tonsillar hypertrophy. After 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of tonsillectomy samples, we evaluated the correlation between the tonsil microbiome and biochemical blood indices in pediatric patients who underwent tonsillectomy. Groups are classified into two categories: based on BMI, and grades 2, 3, and 4 based on tonsil size. Children with obesity and tonsillar hypertrophy have similar microbiome compositions and induce comparable changes in microbiome abundance and composition, confirming the association from a metagenomic perspective. In addition, obesity and tonsillar hypertrophy demonstrated a strong correlation with the Proteobacteria to Firmicutes (P/F) ratio, and among various biochemical indicators, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels increase with obesity and tonsillar hypertrophy, indicating a possible association of tonsil microbiome and liver metabolism. These novel findings demonstrate the significance of the tonsil microbiome and suggest the need for tonsil regulation, particularly during childhood.