Microbiome in lung explants of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a case-control study in patients with end-stage
Georgios D Kitsios1,2, Mauricio Rojas1, Daniel J Kass1
1Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
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.
Insights
This study found no evidence of microbiome alterations in advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) lung tissue. Bacterial DNA was not detected in IPF explants, challenging previous hypotheses about the lung microbiome in IPF progression.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Microbiology
- Genetics
Background:
- The lung microbiome's role in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is suggested by bronchoalveolar lavage studies.
- However, the lung tissue microbiome in IPF remains largely unexplored.
