Fig. 11

Ovalbumin-induced allergic airway disease substantially modified the lung microbiome. The lung microbiomes of naïve mice (naïve, n = 56) were compared with those with ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic airway disease (OVA, n = 68), 24 h after respiratory challenge with OVA, with results combined for all naïve or all OVA mice. To induce allergic airway disease, mice were injected with OVA and Alum at 12 weeks of age, boosted with OVA and Alum at 14 weeks of age, and then administered a respiratory challenge with OVA at 15 weeks of age. Lungs were obtained 24 h later. In (a), a heat map shows OTUs significantly detected in the lungs of naïve and OVA-sensitised and -challenged mice. OTU counts were log-transformed; with red denoting increased frequency of a given OTU, and dark blue no occurrence. In (b), a heat map compares the sex-specific differences in detected Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter OTUs in naïve mice and mice with OVA-induced allergic airway disease (M = male, F = female), with a significant difference (*p < 0.05) denoting significant more of the most abundant Acinetobacter OTU in male mice with OVA-induced allergic airway disease (for mice fed a vitamin D-containing diet throughout the experiment)