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The airway microbiota in early cystic fibrosis lung disease
Author(s) -
Frayman Katherine B.,
Armstrong David S.,
Grimwood Keith,
Ranganathan Sarath C.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
pediatric pulmonology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1099-0496
pISSN - 8755-6863
DOI - 10.1002/ppul.23782
Subject(s) - cystic fibrosis , medicine , obligate , disease , lung , airway , pathogenesis , respiratory disease , immunology , microbiome , lung disease , dysbiosis , pathology , biology , bioinformatics , ecology , surgery
Infection plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. Over the past two decades, the application of molecular and extended culture‐based techniques to microbial analysis has changed our understanding of the lungs in both health and disease. CF lung disease is a polymicrobial disorder, with obligate and facultative anaerobes recovered alongside traditional pathogens in varying proportions, with some differences observed to correlate with disease stage. While healthy lungs are not sterile, differences between the lower airway microbiota of individuals with CF and disease‐controls are already apparent in childhood. Understanding the evolution of the CF airway microbiota, and its relationship with clinical treatments and outcome at each disease stage, will improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of CF lung disease and potentially inform clinical management. This review summarizes current knowledge of the early development of the respiratory microbiota in healthy children and then discusses what is known about the airway microbiota in individuals with CF, including how it evolves over time and where future research priorities lie.