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Eosinophilic airway inflammation in asthmatic patients is associated with an altered airway microbiome

Sverrild, Asger ; Kiilerich, Pia ; Brejnrod, Asker ; Pedersen, Rebecca ; Porsbjerg, Celeste ; Bergqvist, Anders LU ; Erjefält, Jonas S. LU ; Kristiansen, Karsten and Backer, Vibeke (2017) In Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 140(2). p.11-417
Abstract

Background: Asthmatic patients have higher microbiome diversity and an altered composition, with more Proteobacteria and less Bacteroidetes compared with healthy control subjects. Studies comparing airway inflammation and the airway microbiome are sparse, especially in subjects not receiving anti-inflammatory treatment. Objective: We sought to describe the relationship between the airway microbiome and patterns of airway inflammation in steroid-free patients with asthma and healthy control subjects. Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was collected from 23 steroid-free nonsmoking patients with asthma and 10 healthy control subjects. Bacterial DNA was extracted from and subjected to Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rDNA V4 region.... (More)

Background: Asthmatic patients have higher microbiome diversity and an altered composition, with more Proteobacteria and less Bacteroidetes compared with healthy control subjects. Studies comparing airway inflammation and the airway microbiome are sparse, especially in subjects not receiving anti-inflammatory treatment. Objective: We sought to describe the relationship between the airway microbiome and patterns of airway inflammation in steroid-free patients with asthma and healthy control subjects. Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was collected from 23 steroid-free nonsmoking patients with asthma and 10 healthy control subjects. Bacterial DNA was extracted from and subjected to Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rDNA V4 region. Eosinophils and neutrophils in the submucosa were quantified by means of immunohistochemical identification and computerized image analysis. Induced sputum was obtained, and airway hyperresponsiveness to mannitol and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide values were measured. Relationships between airway microbial diversity and composition and inflammatory profiles were analyzed. Results: In asthmatic patients airway microbial composition was associated with airway eosinophilia and AHR to mannitol but not airway neutrophilia. The overall composition of the airway microbiome of asthmatic patients with the lowest levels of eosinophils but not asthmatic patients with the highest levels of eosinophils deviated significantly from that of healthy subjects. Asthmatic patients with the lowest levels of eosinophils had an altered bacterial abundance profile, with more Neisseria, Bacteroides, and Rothia species and less Sphingomonas, Halomonas, and Aeribacillus species compared with asthmatic patients with more eosinophils and healthy control subjects. Conclusion: The level of eosinophilic airway inflammation correlates with variations in the microbiome across asthmatic patients, whereas neutrophilic airway inflammation does not. This warrants further investigation on molecular pathways involved in both patients with eosinophilic and those with noneosinophilic asthma.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Airway inflammation, Asthma, Bacteria, Bronchoalveolar lavage, Microbiome, Noneosinophilic asthma
in
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
volume
140
issue
2
pages
11 - 417
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:28042058
  • wos:000406855500013
  • scopus:85010950500
ISSN
0091-6749
DOI
10.1016/j.jaci.2016.10.046
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4faa1cb8-02eb-4d74-a7f9-642a5e4e9537
date added to LUP
2017-02-16 11:30:02
date last changed
2024-04-14 04:33:31
@article{4faa1cb8-02eb-4d74-a7f9-642a5e4e9537,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Asthmatic patients have higher microbiome diversity and an altered composition, with more Proteobacteria and less Bacteroidetes compared with healthy control subjects. Studies comparing airway inflammation and the airway microbiome are sparse, especially in subjects not receiving anti-inflammatory treatment. Objective: We sought to describe the relationship between the airway microbiome and patterns of airway inflammation in steroid-free patients with asthma and healthy control subjects. Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was collected from 23 steroid-free nonsmoking patients with asthma and 10 healthy control subjects. Bacterial DNA was extracted from and subjected to Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rDNA V4 region. Eosinophils and neutrophils in the submucosa were quantified by means of immunohistochemical identification and computerized image analysis. Induced sputum was obtained, and airway hyperresponsiveness to mannitol and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide values were measured. Relationships between airway microbial diversity and composition and inflammatory profiles were analyzed. Results: In asthmatic patients airway microbial composition was associated with airway eosinophilia and AHR to mannitol but not airway neutrophilia. The overall composition of the airway microbiome of asthmatic patients with the lowest levels of eosinophils but not asthmatic patients with the highest levels of eosinophils deviated significantly from that of healthy subjects. Asthmatic patients with the lowest levels of eosinophils had an altered bacterial abundance profile, with more Neisseria, Bacteroides, and Rothia species and less Sphingomonas, Halomonas, and Aeribacillus species compared with asthmatic patients with more eosinophils and healthy control subjects. Conclusion: The level of eosinophilic airway inflammation correlates with variations in the microbiome across asthmatic patients, whereas neutrophilic airway inflammation does not. This warrants further investigation on molecular pathways involved in both patients with eosinophilic and those with noneosinophilic asthma.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sverrild, Asger and Kiilerich, Pia and Brejnrod, Asker and Pedersen, Rebecca and Porsbjerg, Celeste and Bergqvist, Anders and Erjefält, Jonas S. and Kristiansen, Karsten and Backer, Vibeke}},
  issn         = {{0091-6749}},
  keywords     = {{Airway inflammation; Asthma; Bacteria; Bronchoalveolar lavage; Microbiome; Noneosinophilic asthma}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{11--417}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology}},
  title        = {{Eosinophilic airway inflammation in asthmatic patients is associated with an altered airway microbiome}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2016.10.046}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jaci.2016.10.046}},
  volume       = {{140}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}