Study on the Functional Changes of Microbial Communities Associated with Hand,Foot,and Mouth Disease in Children

Jin Hongwei; Feng Bin; Zheng Yuhang; Peng Wenting

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1001-568X.2024.09.0014

Abstract：OBJECTIVE To conduct an in-depth metagenomic study on children with hand,foot,and mouth disease(HFMD)and healthy children to reveal the association between HFMD and changes in the structure and function of microbial communities.METHODS Samples from children with HFMD and healthy controls were collected and analyzed using metagenomic approaches.The differences in microbial composition between different groups were compared,and metagenomic data from HFMD patients were analyzed using bioinformatics tools to identify key genes and metabolic pathways closely related to the course of the disease and its development.RESULTS Compared to healthy children,the microbial composition of HFMD patients showed significant differences,with certain viral loads significantly increased in the patients'microbiota.The structure and function of the microbial community in severe HFMD patients also differed significantly from those in mild cases and healthy children,indicating that microbial community imbalance may be closely related to the severity of the disease.Functional analysis of the microbial community in severe HFMD patients revealed a potential suppressive effect on the host immune system,which may explain the severity of the disease.CONCLUSION By comparing the microbial communities of HFMD patients and healthy children,key microbes and metabolic pathways related to the development of HFMD were revealed.Functional prediction analysis confirmed that the microbial communities of HFMD patients have enhanced functions in key metabolic pathways such as viral replication and host immune response,providing a new perspective for the prevention and treatment of HFMD through microbial intervention.