biostudies-literaturePragman AANational Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesNCATS NIH HHSNational Institutes of HealthU.S. Department of Veterans AffairsNIGMS NIH HHSNIH HHSCSRD VA114https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC6555967biostudies-literatureUnknown20(1)<h4>Background</h4>Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequent exacerbators (FE) suffer increased morbidity and mortality compared to infrequent exacerbators (IE). The association between the oral and sputum microbiota and exacerbation phenotype is not well defined. The objective of this study was to determine key features that differentiate the oral and sputum microbiota of FEs from the microbiota of IEs during periods of clinical stability.<h4>Methods</h4>We recruited 11 FE and 11 IE who had not used antibiotics or systemic corticosteroids in the last 1 month. Subjects provided oral wash and sputum samples, which underwent 16S V4 MiSeq sequencing and qPCR of 16S rRNA. Data were analyzed using Dada2 and R.<h4>Results</h4>FE and IE were similar in terms of age, FEV₁ peRespiratory researchChronic obstructive pulmonary disease upper airway microbiota alpha diversity is associated with exacerbation phenotype: a case-control observational study.PMC6555967UL1 TR0024948UL1TR000114; 5KL2TR113KL2 TR002492IK2 CX0010955T32AI055433T32 GM1085571IK2CX001095Knutson KAWendt CHIsaacson REPragman AAReilly CSGould TJfalseChronic obstructive pulmonary disease upper airway microbiota alpha diversity is associated with exacerbation phenotype: a case-control observational study.<h4>Background</h4>Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequent exacerbators (FE) suffer increased morbidity and mortality compared to infrequent exacerbators (IE). The association between the oral and sputum microbiota and exacerbation phenotype is not well defined. The objective of this study was to determine key features that differentiate the oral and sputum microbiota of FEs from the microbiota of IEs during periods of clinical stability.<h4>Methods</h4>We recruited 11 FE and 11 IE who had not used antibiotics or systemic corticosteroids in the last 1 month. Subjects provided oral wash and sputum samples, which underwent 16S V4 MiSeq sequencing and qPCR of 16S rRNA. Data were analyzed using Dada2 and R.<h4>Results</h4>FE and IE were similar in terms of age, FEV₁ pe2019-01-01T00:00:00Z2019 Jun2025-06-01T12:38:42.08Z2025-06-01T12:38:42.08ZS-EPMC65559673117453810.1186/s12931-019-1080-4