Flagellin concentrations in expectorations from cystic fibrosis patients

• Published in: BMC pulmonary medicine Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 100
• Main Authors: Balloy, Viviane, Thévenot, Guiti, Bienvenu, Thierry, Morand, Philippe, Corvol, Harriet, Clement, Annick, Ramphal, Reuben, Hubert, Dominique, Chignard, Michel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 09.06.2014; BioMed Central Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; Biomarkers - analysis; Body mass index; Cloning; Critical Care Medicine; Cystic fibrosis; Cystic Fibrosis - diagnosis; Cystic Fibrosis - microbiology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Flagellin - analysis; Genotype & phenotype; Human health and pathology; Humans; Infectious; Intensive; Interleukin-8 - analysis; Internal Medicine; Life Sciences; Male; Measurement; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Medicine, Experimental; Mortality; Patients; Pneumology/Respiratory System; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - isolation & purification; Pseudomonas Infections - diagnosis; Pseudomonas Infections - epidemiology; Pulmonology; Pulmonology and respiratory tract; Rare and Idiopathic Pulmonary Diseases; Research Article; Respiratory Insufficiency - diagnosis; Sampling Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Sputum - metabolism; Sputum - microbiology; Infection; Respiratory function; Chronic inflammation; Sputum
• ISSN: 1471-2466; 1471-2466
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2466-14-100

Background The aim was to measure flagellin concentrations in the expectorations of CF patients and to examine whether there are correlations with the level of respiratory insufficiency and inflammation. Methods Sputum samples from 31 adult patients chronically colonized with P. aeruginosa were collected and analysed for their content of flagellin and IL-8. Clinical data were extracted from patient files. Results Regardless of whether patients are colonized with mucoid strains or not, they carry clones of P. aeruginosa that express flagellin. While flagellin was present in airways of all of our CF patients, it is difficult to ascertain its contribution to inflammation (IL-8) and lung function deterioration. Conclusions This is the first demonstration that flagellin is present in the sputum of patients. Thus, attempts to down regulate inflammation by the use of TLR5 (flagellin receptor) antagonists remain a possibility. However, this result needs to be extended to a larger number of patients to validate it for future research on this subject.