Pulmonary microbiome and gene expression signatures differentiate lung function in pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant candidates Journal Article


Authors: Zinter, M. S.; Versluys, A. B.; Lindemans, C. A.; Mayday, M. Y.; Reyes, G.; Sunshine, S.; Chan, M.; Fiorino, E. K.; Cancio, M.; Prevaes, S.; Sirota, M.; Matthay, M. A.; Kharbanda, S.; Dvorak, C. C.; Boelens, J. J.; DeRisi, J. L.
Article Title: Pulmonary microbiome and gene expression signatures differentiate lung function in pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant candidates
Abstract: Impaired baseline lung function is associated with mortality after pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), yet limited knowledge of the molecular pathways that characterize pretransplant lung function has hindered the development of lung-targeted interventions. In this study, we quantified the association between bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) metatranscriptomes and paired pulmonary function tests performed a median of 1 to 2 weeks before allogeneic HCT in 104 children in The Netherlands. Abnormal pulmonary function was recorded in more than half the cohort, consisted most commonly of restriction and impaired diffusion, and was associated with both all-cause and lung injury-related mortality after HCT. Depletion of commensal supraglottic taxa, such as Haemophilus, and enrichment of nasal and skin taxa, such as Staphylococcus, in the BAL microbiome were associated with worse measures of lung capacity and gas diffusion. In addition, BAL gene expression signatures of alveolar epithelial activation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and down-regulated immunity were associated with impaired lung capacity and diffusion, suggesting a postinjury profibrotic response. Detection of microbial depletion and abnormal epithelial gene expression in BAL enhanced the prognostic utility of pre-HCT pulmonary function tests for the outcome of post-HCT mortality. These findings suggest a potentially actionable connection between microbiome depletion, alveolar injury, and pulmonary fibrosis in the pathogenesis of pre-HCT lung dysfunction.
Journal Title: Science Translational Medicine
Volume: 14
Issue: 635
ISSN: 1946-6234
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science  
Date Published: 2022-03-09
Start Page: eabm8646
Language: English
DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abm8646
PUBMED: 35263147
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC9487170
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 1 April 2022 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Maria   Cancio
    58 Cancio
  2. Jaap Jan Boelens
    211 Boelens