RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 LSC 2013 abstract - Bacterial species associated with the lower airways of patients with and without bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP PP154
VO 42
IS Suppl 57
A1 Geraint Rogers
A1 Christopher van der Gast
A1 Stephanie Yerkovich
A1 Peter Hopkins
A1 Kenneth Bruce
YR 2013
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/PP154.abstract
AB Background: Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) impacts markedly on patient long term survival following lung transplantation. Allograft neutrophilia, and a response in some patients to azithromycin treatment suggest bacterial infection may contribute to BOS. We compare the bacterial species present in lower airway secretions in patients with and without BOS after lung transplantation.Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples were obtained from 63 individuals with and without BOS after lung transplantation (33 BOS grade ≥1, and 30 non-BOS). Control BAL samples were obtained from 40 healthy individuals undergoing either general anaesthesia or bronchoscopy for a non-infective respiratory indication. Bacterial content of samples was determined by culture-independent 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing.Results: PCR amplification was achieved for 30 of the DNA extracts (12 BOS, 11 non-BOS, and 7 controls). Examination of 71,185 identified 294 bacterial species, including recognised respiratory pathogens. No significant difference in diversity was observed between patient groups. However, bacterial community composition was found to diverge between post-transplant samples as compared to control samples, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, contributing most to bacterial community similarity in the former patient group.Conclusions: Data from this study indicates that a diverse bacterial community is associated with post-transplant airways in some individuals, and identifies a number of bacterial species whose potential role in the development of BOS warrants further investigation.