TY - JOUR T1 - LSC 2013 abstract - Polymicrobial airway bacterial communities in adult bronchiectasis patients JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 42 IS - Suppl 57 SP - PP146 AU - Stephen Cummings AU - Paul Purcell AU - Hannah Jary AU - Audrey Nicholson AU - Hazel Ingram AU - John Perry AU - Clare Lanyon AU - Anthony De Soyza AU - Darren Smith Y1 - 2013/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/PP146.abstract N2 - Introduction: Bronchiectasis is associated with chronic airway infection that contribute to the disease through lung damage as a result of prolonged inflammatory responses.Aims: The aim was to investigate the polymicrobial communities in sputum samples derived from an adult non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis cohort (25 males and 45 females), 20 patients were exacerbating, the remainder were clinically stable.Methods: DNA was extracted from sputum samples of all patients. Universal primers were used to amplify the 16S gene. The resulting fragments were analysed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Data was analysed using constrained ordination analyses to identify any significant associations between these data and changes in the sputum microbiota.Results: There was a significant difference between the bacterial community structure in the sputum of exacerbating patients compared to those that were clinically stable (P=0.002). In the cohort, Haemophilus influenza carriage was associated with a significantly different microbial community structure (P=0.004). Moreover, H. influenzae was not identified in samples (n=15) that harboured Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The persistent presence of P. aeruginosa (n=23) determined by culture was significantly correlated with reduced lung function (P<0.001).Conclusions: In adult non-CF bronchiectasis patients bacterial lung communities show significant difference between; exacerbation and clinically stable states and also when H. influenza is present. Persistent colonisation by P. aeruginosa is significantly associated with reduced lung function, and is negatively correlated with H. influenza carriage. ER -