Abstract
Anaerobic and aerobic bacteria were quantitated in respiratory samples across three cystic fibrosis (CF) centres using extended culture methods. Subjects aged 1–69 years who were clinically stable provided sputum (n=200) or bronchoalveolar lavage (n=55). 18 anaerobic and 39 aerobic genera were cultured from 59% and 95% of samples, respectively; 16 out of 57 genera had a ≥5% prevalence across centres.
Analyses of microbial communities using co-occurrence networks in sputum samples showed groupings of oral, including anaerobic, bacteria, whereas typical CF pathogens formed distinct entities. Pseudomonas was associated with worse nutrition and F508del genotype, whereas anaerobe prevalence was positively associated with pancreatic sufficiency, better nutrition and better lung function. A higher total anaerobe/total aerobe CFU ratio was associated with pancreatic sufficiency and better nutrition. Subjects grouped by factor analysis who had relative dominance of anaerobes over aerobes had milder disease compared with a Pseudomonas-dominated group with similar proportions of subjects that were homozygous for F508del.
In summary, anaerobic bacteria occurred at an early age. In sputum-producing subjects anaerobic bacteria were associated with milder disease, suggesting that targeted eradication of anaerobes may not be warranted in sputum-producing CF subjects.
Abstract
Anaerobic bacteria are cultured across all ages, occur as communities and correlate with milder CF disease in adults http://ow.ly/7wQ430khMmE
Footnotes
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Conflict of interest: G.G. Einarsson's work is supported by a grant from IMI (iABC; Inhaled Antibiotics in Bronchiectasis and Cystic Fibrosis). N. Gotman reports grants from AECF, during the conduct of the study. S. Davis Thomas reports grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), during the conduct of the study. P.H. Gilligan reports grants from the NIH, during the conduct of the study. M.C. Wolfgang reports grants from the NIH, during the conduct of the study. J.S. Elborn reports grants from Northern Ireland Research and Development, during the conduct of the study. R.C. Boucher is Chairman of the Board of Parion Sciences, a privately held UNC spin-out company focused on developing therapies for CF, and has received monetary compensation for this role. M.M. Tunney reports grants from Health and Social Care Research and Development Division, Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland, during the conduct of the study; and grants from Alaxia, outside the submitted work.
Support statement: Work at UNC was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under grants HL084934, HL100809, P30DK065988 and P0HL108808. Research at Queen's University Belfast was funded by the Health and Social Care Research and Development Division, Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland and the Medical Research Council through a US–Ireland Partnership Grant. M.M. Tunney was supported by a Health and Social Care Research and Development, Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland-funded UK National Institute for Health Research Career Scientist Award. Research at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin was supported by the Science Foundation Ireland and the Health Research Board under grant SFI/08/US/B1676 and by the NIH under grant 5R01 HL092964-04. Funding information for this article has been deposited with the Crossref Funder Registry.
- Received February 6, 2018.
- Accepted May 24, 2018.
- Copyright ©ERS 2018
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