Lung microbiome composition and bronchial epithelial gene expression in patients with COPD versus healthy individuals: a bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing and host transcriptomic analysis

Summary Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with airway inflammation and bacterial dysbiosis. The relationship between the airway microbiome and bronchial gene expression in COPD is poorly understood. We aimed to identify differences in the airway microbiome from bronchial brushings in patients with COPD and healthy individuals and to investigate whether any distinguishing bacteria are related to bronchial gene expression. Methods For this 16S rRNA gene sequencing and host transcriptomic analysis, individuals aged 45–75 years with mild-to-moderate COPD either receiving or not receiving inhaled corticosteroids and healthy individuals in the same age group were recruited as part of the Emphysema versus Airways Disease (EvA) consortium from nine centres in the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Hungary. Individuals underwent clinical characterisation, spirometry, CT scans, and bronchoscopy. From bronchoscopic bronchial brush samples, we obtained the microbial profiles using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and gene expression using the RNA-Seq technique. We analysed bacterial genera relative abundance and the associations between genus abundance and clinical characteristics or between genus abundance and host lung transcriptional signals in patients with COPD versus healthy individuals, and in patients with COPD with versus without inhaled corticosteroids treatment. Findings Between February, 2009, and March, 2012, we obtained brush samples from 574 individuals. We used 546 of 574 samples for analysis, including 207 from healthy individuals and 339 from patients with COPD (192 with inhaled corticosteroids and 147 without). The bacterial genera that most strongly distinguished patients with COPD from healthy individuals were Prevotella (median relative abundance 33·5%, IQR 14·5–49·4, in patients with COPD vs 47·7%, 31·1–60·7, in healthy individuals; p Interpretation With increasing severity of COPD, the airway microbiome is associated with decreased abundance of Prevotella and increased abundance of Moraxella in concert with downregulation of genes promoting epithelial defence and upregulation of pro-inflammatory genes associated with inhaled corticosteroids use. Our work provides further insight in understanding the relationship between microbiome alteration and host inflammatory response, which might lead to novel therapeutic strategies for COPD. Funding EU Seventh Framework Programme, National Institute for Health Research.