Airway microbiota across age and disease spectrum in cystic fibrosis

What is it about?

People with the lung disease cystic fibrosis (CF) develop chronic airway infections that lead to lung damage and shortened lifespans. We used a molecular tool to determine the communities of bacteria present in the lower airways of people with CF. We compared the bacterial communities in CF samples to airway bacterial communities from people with other diseases. We also compared airway bacteria between people with CF who had a respiratory exacerbation to those who were well, and compared airway bacterial communities by age. We found that the bacterial communities differed in young children with CF compared to older children and adults. Our findings may lead to better understanding of early lung disease in CF.

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