Bacterial colonization of distal airways in healthy subjects and chronic lung disease: a bronchoscopic study
- PMID: 9163659
- DOI: 10.1183/09031936.97.10051137
Bacterial colonization of distal airways in healthy subjects and chronic lung disease: a bronchoscopic study
Abstract
In contrast to the healthy population, distal airway bacterial colonization may occur in patients with chronic lung diseases, who often have altered pulmonary defences. However, the information dealing with this issue is insufficient and is based mainly on nonspecific samples, such as sputum cultures. Using quantitative cultures of bronchoscopic protected specimen brush (PSB) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples, we studied the bacterial colonization of distal airways in 16 healthy subjects, 33 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma, 18 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 17 with bronchiectasis, and 32 with a long-term tracheostomy due to laryngeal carcinoma. All patients were without exacerbation, and free from antibiotic treatment at least 1 month before the study protocol. Thresholds for quantitative cultures to define colonization were > or = 10(2) colony-forming units (cfu) x mL(-1) for PSB and > or = 10(3) cfu x mL(-1) for BAL. Only one healthy subject was colonized by a potential pathogenic microorganism (PPM) (Staphylococcus aureus 4x10(2) cfu x mL(-1) in a PSB culture). Colonization was observed in 14 (42%) bronchogenic carcinoma patients (19 non-PPMs, and 10 PPMs); in 15 (83%) COPD patients (22 non-PPMs and 7 PPMs); in 15 (88%) bronchiectasis patients (20 non-PPMs and 13 PPMs); and in 15 (47%) long-term tracheostomy patients (5 non-PPMs and 13 PPMs). The two most frequent non-PPMs isolated in all groups studied were Streptococcus viridans and Neisseria spp. Haemophilus spp., Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis were the most frequent PPMs isolated in bronchogenic carcinoma, COPD, bronchiectasis and long-term tracheostomized patients, respectively. Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization was infrequent in all the groups. Our results show that distal airway bacterial colonization is a frequent feature in stable patients with chronic lung diseases and also in patients with long-term tracheostomy. However, the pattern of colonization differs among groups studied. The knowledge of different colonization patterns may be important for future antibiotic prophylactic strategies and for the empirical antibiotic regimens when exacerbations occur in these patients.
Similar articles
-
Bacterial colonisation in patients with bronchiectasis: microbiological pattern and risk factors.Thorax. 2002 Jan;57(1):15-9. doi: 10.1136/thorax.57.1.15. Thorax. 2002. PMID: 11809984 Free PMC article.
-
Lower airway bacterial colonization in asymptomatic smokers and smokers with chronic bronchitis and recurrent exacerbations.Respir Med. 2000 Sep;94(9):881-7. doi: 10.1053/rmed.2000.0857. Respir Med. 2000. PMID: 11001080
-
Airways microbial flora in COPD patients in stable clinical conditions and during exacerbations: a bronchoscopic investigation.Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 1998 Jun;53(3):262-7. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 1998. PMID: 9785808
-
Bacterial infection in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 2000: a state-of-the-art review.Clin Microbiol Rev. 2001 Apr;14(2):336-63. doi: 10.1128/CMR.14.2.336-363.2001. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2001. PMID: 11292642 Free PMC article. Review.
-
The Impact of Chronic Bronchial Infection in COPD: A Proposal for Management.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2022 Mar 23;17:621-630. doi: 10.2147/COPD.S357491. eCollection 2022. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2022. PMID: 35355582 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
A variety of bacterial aetiologies in the lower respiratory tract at patients with endobronchial tuberculosis.PLoS One. 2020 Jun 25;15(6):e0234558. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234558. eCollection 2020. PLoS One. 2020. PMID: 32584852 Free PMC article.
-
Progressive genome-wide introgression in agricultural Campylobacter coli.Mol Ecol. 2013 Feb;22(4):1051-64. doi: 10.1111/mec.12162. Epub 2012 Dec 20. Mol Ecol. 2013. PMID: 23279096 Free PMC article.
-
Bacterial lysate in the prevention of acute exacerbation of COPD and in respiratory recurrent infections.Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2007;2(3):335-45. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2007. PMID: 18229572 Free PMC article.
-
Coexistence of COVID-19, Pseudomonas, and thoracic actinomycosis in a cystic bronchiectasis case.BMC Infect Dis. 2023 Apr 6;23(1):203. doi: 10.1186/s12879-023-08215-x. BMC Infect Dis. 2023. PMID: 37024776 Free PMC article.
-
Bringing Stability to the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patient: Clinical and Pharmacological Considerations for Frequent Exacerbators.Drugs. 2017 Apr;77(6):651-670. doi: 10.1007/s40265-017-0713-5. Drugs. 2017. PMID: 28255962 Free PMC article. Review.
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous