Microbiome in lung explants of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a case-control study in patients with end-stage fibrosis

Thorax. 2018 May;73(5):481-484. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2017-210537. Epub 2017 Aug 11.

Abstract

The microbiome has been proposed to play a role in the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) based on bronchoalveolar lavage analyses, but the microbiome of lung tissue in IPF has not been explored. In a case-control study of lung explants analysed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we could not reliably detect bacterial DNA in basilar tissue samples from patients with either chronic or acute exacerbations of IPF, in contrast to control candidate-donor lungs or cystic fibrosis explants. Thus, our data do not indicate microbiome alterations in regions of IPF lung with advanced fibrosis.

Keywords: bacterial infection; interstitial fibrosis; respiratory infection.

Publication types

  • Letter
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cystic Fibrosis / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / microbiology*
  • Microbiota*
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / analysis

Substances

  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S