Table 1.
Sample type | Microbiological analysis | Main findings | Study | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Healthy individuals | AECOPDb | Stable COPD disease | |||
PSBa | Quantitative culture | Potentially pathogenic bacteria found in 4% of patients | Potentially pathogenic bacteria found in 54% of patients | Potentially pathogenic bacteria found in 29% of patients | Rosell et al. (148) |
NTHi found in 3% of patients | NTHi found in 30% of patients (predominating species) | NTHi found in 17% of patients (predominating species) | |||
BALc | Quantitative culture | Potentially pathogenic bacteria found in 0% of ex-smokers and in 20% of non-smokers (no NTHi) | N.A.d | Potentially pathogenic bacteria found in 34% of patients | Sethi et al. (216) |
NTHi predominating species | |||||
Sputum/Throat swab/PSB /BAL | Culture and molecular typing of strains | NTHi recovered in 35% of patients at any respiratory site | NTHi recovered in 7% of intubated patients with respiratory exacerbation | NTHi recovered in 57% of patients at any respiratory site | Bandi et al (217) |
Sputum | Culture and molecular typing of strains | N.A. | Isolation of a new strain of NTHi significantly associated with exacerbation | N.A. | Sethi et al. (153) |
Patients with a new NTHi-strain twice as likely to have AECOPD | |||||
Sputum | Quantitative culture | N.A. | Potentially pathogenic bacteria found in 70% of exacerbations | Potentially pathogenic bacteria found in 48% of patients | Wilkinson et al. (172) |
NTHi predominating species (38%) | NTHi predominating species (14%) | ||||
Sputum | Quantitative culture | N.A. | Potentially pathogenic bacteria found in 55% of exacerbations | Potentially pathogenic bacteria found in 38% of cultures | Papi et al. (171) |
NTHi predominating species | NTHi predominating species |
PSB, protected specimen brush.
AECOPD, acute exacerbation of COPD.
BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage.
N.A., not applicable.