Upper-Airway Microbiome, Mucociliary Function, and Clinical Outcomes in Bronchiectasis: Data from the EMBARC-BRIDGE Study

Rationale: Infection is a key disease driver in bronchiectasis, and the upper-airway microbiome has been known to shape the lower-airway microbiome. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the upper-airway microbiome, mucociliary function, and clinical outcomes in bronchiectasis. Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 344 patients with bronchiectasis enrolled across five European centers. A total of 104 patients had nasopharyngeal samples obtained at the 1-year follow-up. Microbiome composition was assessed according to Bronchiectasis Severity Index and severe exacerbations. The

• Choi, H.
• Richardson, H.
• Hennayake, C.
• Shuttleworth, M.
• Cant, E.
• Bottier, M.
• Spinou, A.
• Robertson, K.
• Long, M. B.
• De Soyza, A.
• Ringshausen, F. C.
• Goeminne, P.
• Lorent, N.
• Haworth, C.
• Altenburg, J.
• Loebinger, M. R.
• Alferes de Lima Headley, D.
• Dicker, A. J.
• Blasi, F.
• Shteinberg, M.
• Aliberti, S.
• Polverino, E.
• Sibila, O.
• Shoemark, A.
• Chalmers, J. D.