Smoking Cessation and the Microbiome in Induced Sputum Samples from Cigarette Smoking Asthma Patients

PLoS One. 2016 Jul 8;11(7):e0158622. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158622. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Asthma is a common disease causing cough, wheezing and shortness of breath. It has been shown that the lung microbiota in asthma patients is different from the lung microbiota in healthy controls suggesting that a connection between asthma and the lung microbiome exists. Individuals with asthma who are also tobacco smokers experience more severe asthma symptoms and smoking cessation is associated with improved asthma control. In the present study we investigated if smoking cessation in asthma patients is associated with a change in the bacterial community in the lungs, examined using induced sputum. We found that while tobacco smokers with asthma have a greater bacterial diversity in the induced sputum compared to non-smoking healthy controls, smoking cessation does not lead to a change in the microbial diversity.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Asthma / microbiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Microbiota / drug effects
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Smoking / adverse effects
  • Smoking Cessation*
  • Sputum / microbiology*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Danish Lung Association, www.lunge.dk. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.