The role of bacteria in the pathogenesis and progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease of unknown cause that leads to respiratory failure and death within 5 years of diagnosis. Overt respiratory infection and immunosuppression carry a high morbidity and mortality, and polymorphisms in genes related to epithelial integrity and host defense predispose to IPF.

Objectives

To investigate the role of bacteria in the pathogenesis and progression of IPF.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled patients diagnosed with IPF according to international criteria together with healthy smokers, nonsmokers, and subjects with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as control subjects. Subjects underwent bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), from which genomic DNA was isolated. The V3-V5 region of the b

SUBMITTER: Molyneaux PL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4299577 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature