Investigation of Bacterial Community Using 16s rRNA Amplicon Sequencing for Children with Otitis Media Effusion in Korea

Background: Recently, microbiome of otitis media with effusion (OME) was investigated using high throughput sequencing (HTS) in children to discover unbiased causal bacteria and natural otitis media microbiomes. However, there are very few studies in the Asian population, and there are no studies in Koreans yet. Methods: We investigated bacterial community of OME from 27 Korean children. Routine bacterial culture, PCR targeting six frequent bacteria, and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing were performed on effusion samples. Medical records of patients were reviewed. Results: The most common bacteria found in culture and PCR were coagulase negative Staphylococci and Hemophilus influenza, respectively. The most abundant taxon in 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was Hemophilus. The bacteria that showed positive PCR were found to be the most abundant taxon in 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Alloiococcus was not found in all three methods. Conclusions: Our findings will contribute to a better understanding of causative agents of otitis media in children. The technical advancement of HTS in the clinical field will help further understanding. (Clin. Lab. 2022;68:xx-xx. DOI: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2021.210507)