Short term dynamics of the sputum microbiome among COPD patients.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disorder characterized by incompletely reversible airflow obstruction. The complexity of the lung microbial community in COPD patients has been highlighted in recent years. Evidence suggests that transplantation, medications, age, and disease severity influence microbial community membership. However, the dynamics of the lung microbiome in stable COPD patients remain poorly understood. In this study, we completed a longitudinal 16S ribosomal RNA survey of the lung microbiome on replicate sputum samples collected from 4 former smokers with COPD (Stage 2) within a 2-day time period. Samples from each individual over the two-day period were similar based on α-diversity, principle component analysis and taxonomy at the phyla and genera level. Sputum samples from COPD patients were also collected between 2-9 months of follow-up. Data suggest an increased variability of the sputum microbiota when comparing samples collected ≤ 3 months compared to those collected ≥ 4 months; however, no statistically significant shifts in the abundance (\u3e2-fold) of taxa between the two time points was observed. Bacterial composition and the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) remained similar over time. Results from this study suggest that the sputum microbiome is relatively stable in clinically stable COPD patients (Stage 2). This study furthers our understanding of the dynamics of the lung microbiome in COPD patients

A principal factor analysis to characterize agricultural exposures among Nebraska veterans

Agricultural workers are at an increased risk of developing chronic respiratory disorders. Accurate estimation of long-term agricultural exposures based on questionnaires has been used to improve the validity of epidemiologic investigations and subsequent evaluation of the association between agricultural exposures and chronic diseases. Our aim was to use principal factor analysis (PFA) to distill exposure data into essential variables characterizing long-term agricultural exposures. This is a crosssectional study of veterans between the ages of 40 and 80 years and who worked on a farm for ≥ 2 years. Participant characteristics were: 98.1% were white males with a mean age 65 ± 8 (SD) years and 39.8% had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The final model included four factors and explained 16.6% of the variance in the exposure data. Factor 1 was a heterogeneous factor; however, Factor 2 was exclusively composed of exposure to livestock such as hogs, dairy and poultry. Factor 3 included exposures from jobs on or off the farm such as wood dust, mineral dust, asbestos and spray paint. Crop exposure loaded exclusively in Factor 4 and included lifetime hours of exposure and maximum number of acres farmed in the participants’ lifetime. The factors in the final model were interpretable and consistent with farming practices

Short term dynamics of the sputum microbiome among COPD patients

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disorder characterized by incompletely reversible airflow obstruction. The complexity of the lung microbial community in COPD patients has been highlighted in recent years. Evidence suggests that transplantation, medications, age, and disease severity influence microbial community membership. However, the dynamics of the lung microbiome in stable COPD patients remain poorly understood. In this study, we completed a longitudinal 16S ribosomal RNA survey of the lung microbiome on replicate sputum samples collected from 4 former smokers with COPD (Stage 2) within a 2-day time period. Samples from each individual over the two-day period were similar based on α-diversity, principle component analysis and taxonomy at the phyla and genera level. Sputum samples from COPD patients were also collected between 2±9 months of follow-up. Data suggest an increased variability of the sputum microbiota when comparing samples collected ≤ 3 months compared to those collected ≥ 4 months; however, no statistically significant shifts in the abundance (\u3e2-fold) of taxa between the two time points was observed. Bacterial composition and the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) remained similar over time. Results from this study suggest that the sputum microbiome is relatively stable in clinically stable COPD patients (Stage 2). This study furthers our understanding of the dynamics of the lung microbiome in COPD patients