Altered Tonsillar Microbiome in Children with Down Syndrome and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This study examined tonsillar microbiota composition in children with Down syndrome (DS) versus non-DS controls with obstructive sleep apnea using 16S rRNA sequencing, finding that DS participants showed selective bacterial shifts including depleted Haemophilus and enriched Staphylococcus and Rothia. The findings suggest that specific microbial alterations in DS tonsils may reflect altered immune and metabolic environments, potentially contributing to OSA pathogenesis in this population.