The airway microbiota and exacerbations of COPD.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the compositionality of the lower airway microbiota predicts later exacerbation risk in persons with COPD in a cohort study.

Materials and methods

We collected lower airways microbiota samples by bronchoalveolar lavage and protected specimen brushes, and oral wash samples from 122 participants with COPD. Bacterial DNA was extracted from all samples, before we sequenced the V3-V4 region of the 16S RNA gene. The frequency of moderate and severe COPD exacerbations was surveyed in telephone interviews and in a follow-up visit. Compositional taxonomy and α and β diversity were compared between participants with and without later exacerbations.

Results

The four most abundant phyla were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobac

SUBMITTER: Leiten EO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7456643 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature