Abstract
The importance and abundance of strict anaerobic bacteria in the respiratory microbiota of people with cystic fibrosis (PWCF) is now established through studies based on high-throughput sequencing or extended-culture methods. In CF respiratory niche, one of the most prevalent anaerobic genera is Prevotella, and particularly the species Prevotella melaninogenica. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility of this anaerobic species. Fifty isolates of P. melaninogenica cultured from sputum of 50 PWCF have been included. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the agar diffusion method. All isolates were susceptible to the following antibiotics: amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, piperacillin/tazobactam, imipenem and metronidazole. A total of 96% of the isolates (48/50) were resistant to amoxicillin (indicating beta-lactamase production), 34% to clindamycin (17/50) and 24% to moxifloxacin (12/50). Moreover, 10% (5/50) were multidrug-resistant. A significant and positive correlation was found between clindamycin resistance and chronic azithromycin administration. This preliminary study on a predominant species of the lung “anaerobiome” shows high percentages of resistance, potentially exacerbated by the initiation of long-term antibiotic therapy in PWCF. The anaerobic resistome characterization, focusing on species rather than genera, is needed in the future to better prevent the emergence of resistance within lung microbiota.
Highlights
The importance and abundance of strict anaerobic bacteria in the respiratory microbiota of people with cystic fibrosis (PWCF) is established
Numerous anaerobic genera have been identified as part of the CF. Core lung microbiota such as Prevotella, Veillonella, Porphyromonas, Fusobacterium, or Peptostreptococcus [2,6,7]. These bacteria remain the unknowns of the lung, both in terms of diversity, resistance or impact on the pathophysiology of CF disease [8]
The stage of lung involvement was early for 22% (11/50), intermediate for 52% (26/50) and advanced for 26% (13/50) of PWCF
Summary
The importance and abundance of strict anaerobic bacteria in the respiratory microbiota of people with cystic fibrosis (PWCF) is established. These recent data are based on high-throughput sequencing [1,2] and cultural techniques [3–5]. Numerous anaerobic genera have been identified as part of the CF core lung microbiota such as Prevotella, Veillonella, Porphyromonas, Fusobacterium, or Peptostreptococcus [2,6,7]. These bacteria remain the unknowns of the lung, both in terms of diversity, resistance or impact on the pathophysiology of CF disease [8]. It has been associated with better lung function and less inflammation [2,10–12]
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