Article
Microbiology
Brianna Atto, Dale Kunde, David A. Gell, Stephen Tristram
Summary: The study suggests that carrying Haemophilus haemolyticus (Hh) strains producing the novel haemophilin protein can reduce the prevalence and density of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) colonisation in the oropharynx. Adults and elderly individuals carrying Hh-hpl(+) are less likely to have NTHi colonization, with high densities of Hh-hpl(+) correlating with lower NTHi carriage.
Review
Microbiology
Bryn Short, Stephen Carson, Anna-Claire Devlin, James A. Reihill, Anne Crilly, William MacKay, Gordon Ramage, Craig Williams, Fionnuala T. Lundy, Lorcan P. McGarvey, Keith D. Thornbury, S. Lorraine Martin
Summary: Haemophilus influenzae is a common cause of bacterial infection in the lungs of COPD patients, leading to acute exacerbations. Its ability to adhere to host epithelial cells, form biofilms, and persist through immune evasion and antibiotic tolerance plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of COPD.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lewis J. Williams, Stephen G. Tristram, Graeme R. Zosky
Summary: Exposure to geogenic particulate matter (PM) is associated with increased prevalence of respiratory infections in Australian Indigenous communities. The concentration of iron in geogenic PM is linked to its respiratory health effects, and haematite has the greatest impact on the invasiveness of bronchial epithelial cells by non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi).
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Anna Carrera-Salinas, Aida Gonzalez-Diaz, Rachel L. Ehrlich, Damaris Berbel, Fe Tubau, Xavier Pomares, Junkal Garmendia, M. Angeles Dominguez, Carmen Ardanuy, Daniel Huertas, Alicia Marin, Conchita Monton, Joshua Chang Mell, Salud Santos, Sara Marti
Summary: The immunomodulatory properties of azithromycin reduce the frequency of exacerbations and improve the quality of life of COPD patients. However, long-term administration may alter the respiratory microbiota, such as Haemophilus influenzae, an opportunistic respiratory colonizing bacteria that play an important role in exacerbations. This study contributes to a better understanding of COPD progression by characterizing the clinical evolution of H. influenzae in a cohort of patients with prolonged azithromycin treatment. The emergence of macrolide resistance during the first months, combined with the role of Haemophilus parainfluenzae as a reservoir and source of resistance dissemination, is a cause for concern that may lead to therapeutic failure. Furthermore, genetic variations in cell wall and inorganic ion metabolism coding genes likely favor bacterial adaptation to host selective pressures. Therefore, the bacterial pathoadaptive evolution in these severe COPD patients raise our awareness of the possible spread of macrolide resistance and selection of host-adapted clones.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Raza Ul Mohsin, Christian Kjer Heerfordt, Josefin Eklof, Pradeesh Sivapalan, Mohamad Isam Saeed, Truls Sylvan Ingebrigtsen, Susanne Dam Nielsen, Zitta Barrella Harboe, Kasper Karmark Iversen, Jette Bangsborg, Jens Otto Jarlov, Jonas Bredtoft Boel, Christian Ostergaard Andersen, Henrik Pierre Calum, Ram B. Dessau, Jens-Ulrik Staehr Jensen
Summary: This study found that the use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with an increased risk of acquiring Haemophilus influenzae infection, and this risk is dose-dependent, indicating that caution should be exercised when using high-dose ICS.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Brianna Atto, Dale Kunde, David A. Gell, Stephen Tristram
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential therapeutic effect of using Haemophilus haemolyticus strains with haem-binding proteins to inhibit Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae infections by preventing their invasion of respiratory epithelium.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Arezoo Saadati, Houman Kholafazad Kordasht, Maryam Ehsani, Mohammad Hasanzadeh, Farzad Seidi, Nasrin Shadjou
Summary: The study utilized pDNA and cDNA in electrochemical biosensors to monitor Haemophilus Influenzae, developing a flexible sensor based on paper with good selectivity and sensitivity, suitable for clinical analysis and medical applications.
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Aishwarya Devaraj, Laura A. Novotny, Frank H. H. Robledo-Avila, John R. Buzzo, Lauren Mashburn-Warren, Joseph A. Jurcisek, Natalia O. Tjokro, Santiago Partida-Sanchez, Lauren O. Bakaletz, Steven D. Goodman
Summary: This study reveals an extracellular function of HMGB1 in bacterial biofilm proliferation, disrupting biofilms while inducing an inflammatory response that can be attenuated by a single engineered amino acid change. The findings propose a model where extracellular HMGB1 balances inflammation and biofilm containment without excessive release of biofilm-resident bacteria.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Liesbeth Martens, Berenger Kabore, Annelies Post, Christa E. van der Gaast-de Jongh, Jeroen D. Langereis, Halidou Tinto, Jan Jacobs, Andre J. van der Ven, Quirijn de Mast, Marien de Jonge
Summary: Age, sex, and season are important determinants of nasopharyngeal colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis in febrile patients in Burkina Faso. Carriage of S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae is associated with clinical pneumonia, while S. aureus carriage is associated with mortality in febrile patients.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Respiratory System
Lucio Malvisi, Laura Taddei, Aparna Yarraguntla, Tom M. A. Wilkinson, Ashwani Kumar Arora
Summary: The study found that the presence of Hi or Mcat at a stable timepoint was associated with a higher risk of subsequent Hi- or Mcat-related exacerbation. However, not all exacerbations associated with Hi or Mcat could be detected at an earlier timepoint, suggesting interventions to reduce exacerbations should not solely rely on bacterial presence at baseline.
RESPIRATORY RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Jake R. Weeks, Karl J. Staples, C. Mirella Spalluto, Alastair Watson, Tom M. A. Wilkinson
Summary: Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a common pathogen in COPD patients, but its impact varies among different cohorts. Other bacteria may also contribute to acute exacerbations in COPD. The biofilm phase of NTHi could play a significant role in COPD, exhibiting extreme antimicrobial tolerance and synergistic interactions with other lung pathogens.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuan Zhang, Freda E. -C. Jen, Kate L. Fox, Jennifer L. Edwards, Michael P. Jennings
Summary: Phosphorylcholine (ChoP) is present in all life forms, including bacteria. Recent research has shown that ChoP modification and phase variation play a role in bacterial pathogenesis. However, the mechanisms of ChoP synthesis in some bacteria are still unclear. This review examines the recent developments in ChoP-modified proteins and glycolipids, as well as ChoP biosynthetic pathways, and discusses the role of ChoP in bacterial pathobiology and immune response modulation.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael Gloeckner, Sebastian Marwitz, Kristina Rohmann, Henrik Watz, Doerte Nitschkowski, Jan Rupp, Klaus Dalhoff, Torsten Goldmann, Daniel Droemann
Summary: This study assessed the effects of NTHi stimulation on cellular re-differentiation processes in primary bronchial epithelial cells, revealing an increase in mesenchymal markers following stimulation with both NTHi and TGF-ss, while expression of epithelial markers remained stable. The study also showed a direct pathogen-induced trans-differentiation of primary bronchial epithelial cells, resulting in an up-regulation of extracellular matrix components.
Article
Microbiology
Sonia Schoonbroodt, Jean-Laurent Ichante, Sophie Boffe, Nathalie Devos, Jeanne-Marie Devaster, Laura Taddei, Simona Rondini, Ashwani Kumar Arora, Thierry Pascal, Ludovic Malvaux
Summary: Comparison of real-time PCR with culture-based methods for identifying bacteria in sputum samples from COPD patients showed that real-time PCR has higher sensitivity and specificity compared to culture-based methods. Real-time PCR on frozen samples can be used for the identification of common respiratory bacterial species in patients with COPD.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Respiratory System
Miguel Angel Martinez-Garcia, Rosa Faner, Grace Oscullo, David la Rosa-Carrillo, Juan Jose Soler-Cataluna, Marta Ballester, Alfonso Muriel, Alvar Agusti
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between chronic bronchial infection (CBI), systemic inflammation, and incident cardiovascular (CV) events in COPD patients. It found that CBI, especially by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), is associated with sustained inflammation and a higher risk of CV events, particularly coronary events. Further research is needed to explore the potential benefits of treating CBI in reducing systemic inflammation and CV events in COPD.
Editorial Material
Respiratory System
Alvar Agusti, Rosa Faner
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Liyun Qin, Filipe Goncalves-Carvalho, Yingchen Xia, Jianhua Zha, Mireia Admetllo, Jose Maria Maiques, Sandra Esteban-Cuco, Xavier Duran, Alicia Marin, Esther Barreiro
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced the management and clinical outcomes of bronchiectasis patients over a one-year follow-up period. The study found an increase in disease severity scores and exacerbation numbers, as well as a decrease in lung function, acute phase-reactants, and immunoglobulins in bronchiectasis patients despite stable hospitalization rates.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Respiratory System
Alvar Agusti, Eleni Rapsomaniki, Richard Beasley, Rod Hughes, Hana Mullerova, Alberto Papi, Ian D. Pavord, Maarten van den Berge, Rosa Faner
Summary: This study assessed the prevalence and relationship of treatable traits (TTs) to the diagnostic label and disease severity in real-world setting for patients with asthma, COPD, or both. The results provide the largest and most granular characterization of TTs in patients with airway diseases to date.
Editorial Material
Physiology
Alvar Agusti, Claus F. Vogelmeier
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LUNG CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Respiratory System
Kilian Vellve, Alvaro Sepulveda-Martinez, Merida Rodriguez-Lopez, Francesca Crovetto, Gabriel Bernardino, Felip Burgos, Rosa Faner, Alvar Agusti, Bart Bijnens, Eduard Gratacos, Fatima Crispi, Isabel Blanco
Review
Allergy
Alvar Agusti, Peter G. Gibson, Vanessa M. McDonald
Summary: Chronic airway diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, often coexist in the same patient. The treatable traits (TT) strategy, based on identifying and treating recognizable characteristics, aims to improve clinical outcomes. TTs can coexist and are not limited to specific diagnostic labels like asthma or COPD. There is solid evidence supporting the adequacy and validity of the TT strategy, and this review discusses the theoretical background and implementation in clinical practice.
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Respiratory System
Alvar Agusti, Bartolome R. Celli, Gerard J. Criner, David Halpin, Antonio Anzueto, Peter Barnes, Jean Bourbeau, MeiLan K. Han, Fernando J. Martinez, Maria Montes de Oca, Kevin Mortimer, Alberto Papi, Ian Pavord, Nicolas Roche, Sundeep Salvi, Don D. Sin, Dave Singh, Robert Stockley, M. Victorina Lopez Varela, Jadwiga A. Wedzicha, Claus F. Vogelmeier
Article
Allergy
Rod Hughes, Eleni Rapsomaniki, Aruna T. Bansal, Jorgen Vestbo, David Price, Alvar Agusti, Richard Beasley, Malin Fageras, Marianna Alacqua, Alberto Papi, Hana Mullerova, Helen K. Reddel
Summary: Cluster analysis in patients with asthma and/or COPD identified distinct clusters with characteristics that differed from conventional diagnostic features. The overlap between clusters suggests that they do not reflect discrete underlying mechanisms.
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY-IN PRACTICE
(2023)
Letter
Critical Care Medicine
Miguel Angel Martinez-Garcia, Alvar Agusti
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Surya P. Bhatt, Alvar Agusti, Mona Bafadhel, Stephanie A. Christenson, Jessica Bon, Gavin C. Donaldson, Don D. Sin, Jadwiga A. Wedzicha, Fernando J. Martinez
Summary: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a major health problem with acute exacerbations that have limited improvements in outcomes. It is important to identify different etioendophenotypes to develop novel therapies.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Carlota Rodriguez Garcia, Alberto Ruano-Ravina, Monica Perez Rios, Lucia Martin Gisbert, Leonor Varela-Lema, Cristina Candal-Pedreira, Cristina Represas-Represas, Julia Rey-Brandariz, Luis Valdes-Cuadradoa, Alvar Agusti
Summary: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide. While smoking is a major risk factor, COPD also occurs in individuals who have never smoked (NS). However, there is limited evidence on the risk factors, clinical characteristics, and natural history of COPD in NS. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap through a systematic review of the literature.
RESPIRATORY MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
D. Pellegrino, S. Casas-Recasens, R. Faner, P. Palange, A. Agusti
Summary: The term GETomics refers to the concept that human health and disease are the result of dynamic gene-environment interactions occurring throughout a person's lifetime. This approach has led to a dramatic shift in our understanding of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as it is not solely caused by smoking and affects both genders and different age groups. By applying a GETomics approach, new perspectives on the relationship between COPD, exercise limitation, and aging can be gained.
RESPIRATORY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Respiratory System
Caspar Schiffers, Rosa Faner, Alina Ofenheimer, Owat Sunanta, Patricia Puchhammer, Tobias Mraz, Marie-Kathrin Breyer, Otto Chris Burghuber, Sylvia Hartl, Alvar Agusti, Robab Breyer-Kohansal
Summary: This study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of individuals with supranormal FEV1 or FVC values in different age groups. It found that approximately 3% of the general population have supranormal values, which are associated with better health markers. Factors such as female sex, higher muscle mass, less diabetes, and fewer respiratory symptoms are consistently associated with supranormal values.
Article
Primary Health Care
Alvar Agusti, Antoni Siso-Almirall, Miguel Roman, Claus F. Vogelmeier, Sci Comm GOLD
NPJ PRIMARY CARE RESPIRATORY MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Respiratory System
Zoran Stojanovic, Filipe Goncalves-Carvalho, Alicia Marin, Jorge Abad Capa, Jose Dominguez, Irene Latorre, Alicia Lacoma, Cristina Prat-Aymerich
Summary: Respiratory tract infections are common reasons for seeking healthcare and pose challenges in clinical decision-making. Proper and timely diagnosis is crucial for effective management and prevention of antibiotic resistance. Diagnostic tools for respiratory tract infections include clinical features, radiology, laboratory methods, and combined algorithms. Recent advancements in diagnostic technologies, including genomics and digital transformation, have revolutionized the field and provided new opportunities for effectively dealing with epidemics and antimicrobial resistance.
