Microbiology and the Microbiome in Bronchiectasis

Micheál Mac Aogáin; Sanjay H Chotirmall

doi:10.1016/j.ccm.2021.11.002

Microbiology and the Microbiome in Bronchiectasis

Clin Chest Med. 2022 Mar;43(1):23-34. doi: 10.1016/j.ccm.2021.11.002.

Authors

Micheál Mac Aogáin¹, Sanjay H Chotirmall²

Affiliations

¹ Biochemical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Clinical Biochemistry Unit, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
² Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. Electronic address: schotirmall@ntu.edu.sg.

PMID: 35236558
DOI: 10.1016/j.ccm.2021.11.002

Abstract

The microbiology in bronchiectasis has been historically defined by culture-based analysis of the airway microbiome and to date has largely focused on the detection and eradication of specific bacterial pathogens. Although central to our current understanding of disease, microbial culture alone masks the holistic complexity of the microbiome and does not account for potential microbial interactions that define specific clinical phenotypes such as frequent exacerbators. Advances in next-generation sequencing including their analytical technologies can further complement and build upon our current understanding of the microbiology and microbiome in bronchiectasis providing improved patient stratification with prognostic significance.

Keywords: Bacteriome; Bronchiectasis; Integrative microbiomics; Mycobiome; Virome.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Bronchiectasis*
Humans
Microbiota*
Phenotype