AUTHOR=Sun Guangchen , Zhao Shouyan , Huang Hehua , Guan Wenchao , Wang Xinzhuo , Zhang Hong , Zhang Min , Hou Denghan , Xu Chong , Chai Ruonan 

TITLE=Integrated gut microbiome and metabolomics analysis reveals microbial-metabolic cross-talk in allergic rhinitis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1652915

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2025.1652915

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=BackgroundEmerging evidence indicates a link between gut dysbiosis and allergic rhinitis (AR) pathogenesis. Nevertheless, the mechanistic role of gut microbiota in AR progression requires further characterization. To address this, we employed an integrated multi-omics strategy to delineate gut microbial composition and metabolic signatures in AR patients.MethodsFecal specimens from 23 AR patients and 15 matched healthy controls (total n = 38) were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess bacterial community structure, alongside untargeted metabolomic profiling of microbial metabolites. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was applied to evaluate microbiota-metabolite interactions.ResultsAllergic rhinitis patients exhibited altered gut microbial community structure (beta diversity, P < 0.05) with depletion of SCFA-producing genera such as Faecalibacterium and enrichment of pro-inflammatory taxa like Fusobacterium. Metabolomic profiling identified significant disturbances in pathways including pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, glycolysis, and pyruvate metabolism. Key discriminatory metabolites included maltol and 4-coumaric acid. Integrative analysis revealed significant correlations between specific bacteria and metabolites, such as Faecalibacterium with D-phenyllactic acid (ρ = 0.515, q = 0.046).ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that AR is associated with gut dysbiosis and metabolic dysfunction, highlighting the role of microbial-derived metabolites in immune regulation via the gut-nose axis. These insights support the potential for microbiota-targeted therapeutic strategies in AR management.