title: Retrospective analysis of microorganisms isolated from cystic fibrosis patients in Southern Italy, 2002-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aim was to determine the prevalence of microorganisms in the respiratory tract of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) admitted to the CF Reference Centre in Southern Italy between 2002-2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Microbiology assessment of samples (sputum and tracheal aspirates) collected from patients with pulmonary exacerbation admitted to hospital was carried out. All patients were registered in a database and clinical and microbiological data were retrospectively analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 188 patients were included and a total of 1217 samples were analysed. The most common microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus (78.7% of the patients) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (58%), followed by Candida albicans (19.1%), Haemophilus influenzae (13.3%) and Aspergillus fumigatus (9.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared to similar studies performed in other European countries, our microbiological data, especially the low occurrence of filamentous fungi, suggest a specific local epidemiology, probably related to some uncommon CFTR mutations, which are specific to Southern Italy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy. montagna@igiene.uniba.it
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Montagna
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barbuti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paglionico
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lovero
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iatta
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: De Giglio
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cuna
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coretti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Santostasi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polizzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manca
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caggiano
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bouchara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014132:Trachea / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult