Species abundance & clinical and inflammatory features
We examined the abundance of the top 16 species with clinical and
inflammatory features in the whole group of asthmatics and also in the 3
subgroups of SAn, SAs/ex and MMA (Figure 4) .
Airflow obstruction . Species including those ofVeillonella and Prevotella , Rothia mucilaginosa andHaemophilus parainfluenzae were positively correlated with FEV1
as an index of airflow obstruction. There was a positive correlation
between Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella melaninogenica,
Veillonella unclassified and Veillonella atypica in SAn, betweenVeillonella atypica and Prevotella melaninogenica in
SAs/ex, and between Prevotella sp C561 in MMA with
FEV1 (% predicted) (Figure 4) . In SAs/ex,
there was a negative correlation of FEV1 (% predicted) andHaemophilus influenzae , Neisseria sicca andTrophemyra whipplei .
Exacerbations. Exacerbations in the previous year was negatively
correlated with Prevotella melaninogenica and Prevotella
intermedia in the whole group. This negative correlation was
found with Prevotella melaninogenica only in SAn (Figure
4 ). In SAs/ex, there was a negative correlation with Neisseria
sicca and a positive correlation with Rothia mucilaginosa .
Sputum neutrophils . In the whole group, there was a strong
negative correlation of sputum neutrophils with Prevotella
intermedia, Prevotella melaninogenica, Prevotella nigrescens,
Alloprevotella unclassified, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Neisseria
flavescence, Neisseria sicca, Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae,
Porphyromonas endodontalis, Rothia mucilaginosa, Veillonella
unclassified and Veillonella atypica but a positive correlation withMoraxella catarrhalis . This was similar in SAn apart from the
lack of correlation with Alloprevotella unclassified. In SAs/ex,
there was negative correlation between Prevotella nigrescens andAlloprovotella unclassified , but a positive correlation betweenMoraxella catarrhalis and Neisseria sicca with sputum
neutrophils. In MMA, a negative correlation was seen withPrevotella sp C561, Prevotella nigrescens, Streptococcus
pseudopneumoniae, Neisseria flavescens, Neisseria sicca, Rothia
mucilaginosa, Haemophilus parainfluenzae and Haemophilus
influenzae with sputum neutrophils.
Sputum eosinophils . There was a negative correlation betweenMoraxella catarrhalis , Prevotella sp C561, Prevotella
nigrescens and sputum eosinophils, but a positive correlation betweenTropheryma whipplei and sputum eosinophils. In SAs/ex, sputum
eosinophils were negatively correlated with Rothia mucilaginosa,but positively with Tropheryma whipplei, while in SAn, withStreptococcus pseudopneumoniae and Alloprevotella
unclassified ( Figure 4 ) .