biology Review The Human Respiratory System and its Microbiome at a Glimpse Luigi Santacroce 1,2 , Ioannis Alexandros Charitos 3,*, Andrea Ballini 4,5,* , Francesco Inchingolo 6, Paolo Luperto 7, Emanuele De Nitto 8 and Skender Topi 2 1 Ionian Department, Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy;
[email protected] 2 Department of Clinical Disciplines, University of Elbasan, Rruga Ismail Zyma, 3001 Elbasan, Albania;
[email protected] 3 Poison Center, OO. RR. University Hospital of Foggia, Viale Luigi Pinto 1, 71122 Foggia, Italy 4 Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy 5 Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Vico L. De Crecchio 7, 80138 Naples, Italy 6 Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy;
[email protected] 7 ENT Service, Brindisi Local Health Agency, Via Dalmazia 3, 72100 Brindisi, Italy;
[email protected] 8 Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] (I.A.C.);
[email protected] (A.B.) Received: 13 August 2020; Accepted: 25 September 2020; Published: 1 October 2020 Simple Summary: New data in the current scientific literature show that the composition of the respiratory system microbiome differs in health and disease conditions and that the microbial community as a collective entity can contribute to the pathophysiological processes associated with chronic airway disease.