RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Anaerobic bacteria cultured from cystic fibrosis airways correlate to milder disease: a multisite study JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 1800242 DO 10.1183/13993003.00242-2018 VO 52 IS 1 A1 Marianne S. Muhlebach A1 Joseph E. Hatch A1 Gisli G. Einarsson A1 Stef J. McGrath A1 Deirdre F. Gilipin A1 Gillian Lavelle A1 Bojana Mirkovic A1 Michelle A. Murray A1 Paul McNally A1 Nathan Gotman A1 Sonia Davis Thomas A1 Matthew C. Wolfgang A1 Peter H. Gilligan A1 Noel G. McElvaney A1 J. Stuart Elborn A1 Richard C. Boucher A1 Michael M. Tunney YR 2018 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/52/1/1800242.abstract 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