To identify microbial signatures in fecal and sputum microbiotas associated with treatment response in Mycobacterium abscessus pulmonary disease, highlighting their potential as biomarkers.
Key Findings:
27 patients were included; 15 (55.6%) achieved negative conversion at 2 weeks, indicating a significant treatment response.
Responders showed significantly decreased fecal microbiota diversity at 2 weeks (P = .029), suggesting a link between diversity and treatment efficacy.
Increased Enterococcus in feces at 2 weeks was linked with favorable response, suggesting a role in treatment success.
High baseline levels of Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia and Porphyromonas in sputum were associated with good treatment response, indicating potential biomarkers.
Interpretation:
Changes in microbial diversity and composition in fecal and sputum samples reflect treatment response in patients with M abscessus PD.
Limitations:
Small sample size (32 participants) may limit generalizability and the robustness of the findings.
Exclusion of patients with prior antibiotic use or gastrointestinal conditions could introduce bias, affecting the applicability of results.
Conclusion:
Microbial signatures in feces and sputum may serve as biomarkers for treatment response in M abscessus pulmonary disease, potentially guiding future therapeutic strategies.
