PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Marianne S. Muhlebach
AU  - Joseph E. Hatch
AU  - Gisli G. Einarsson
AU  - Stef J. McGrath
AU  - Deirdre F. Gilipin
AU  - Gillian Lavelle
AU  - Bojana Mirkovic
AU  - Michelle A. Murray
AU  - Paul McNally
AU  - Nathan Gotman
AU  - Sonia Davis Thomas
AU  - Matthew C. Wolfgang
AU  - Peter H. Gilligan
AU  - Noel G. McElvaney
AU  - J. Stuart Elborn
AU  - Richard C. Boucher
AU  - Michael M. Tunney
TI  - Anaerobic bacteria cultured from cystic fibrosis airways correlate to milder disease: a multisite study
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.00242-2018
DP  - 2018 Jul 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 1800242
VI  - 52
IP  - 1
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/52/1/1800242.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/52/1/1800242.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2018 Jul 01; 52
AB  - 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.Anaerobic bacteria are cultured across all ages, occur as communities and correlate with milder CF disease in adults http://ow.ly/7wQ430khMmE