title: Secreted mucins and airway bacterial colonization in non-CF bronchiectasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Secreted mucins play a key role in antibacterial defence in the airway, but have not previously been characterized in non-cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis patients. We aim to investigate the relationship between secreted mucins levels and the presence of bacterial colonization due to potentially pathogenic microorganisms (PPM) in the airways of stable bronchiectasis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinically stable bronchiectasis patients were studied prospectively at two centres. Patients with other pulmonary conditions were excluded. Spontaneous sputum was subject to bacterial culture, and secreted mucins (MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC5B) were measured in sputum supernatants by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 50 patients were included. PPM were identified from sputum samples in 30 (60%), with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 10) and Haemophilus influenzae (n = 10) as the most common PPM. There were no baseline differences among airway colonized and non-colonized patients. Patients with airways colonized by PPM presented higher levels of airway MUC2. No differences in MUC5AC levels were found among groups, whereas MUC5B levels were undetectable. Patients with P. aeruginosa colonization expressed the highest levels of MUC2. High levels of MUC2 and MUC5AC are also correlated with disease severity using the Bronchiectasis Severity Index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Airway MUC2 levels were higher in bronchiectasis patients colonized with PPM compared with those without airway colonization, especially in patients with P. aeruginosa. These findings suggest that airway-secreted mucins levels may play a role in the pathogenesis of airway infection in non-CF bronchiectasis.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Oriol
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sibila
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suarez-Cuartin
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodrigo-Troyano
authors.affiliation: Tayside Respiratory Research Group, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Fardon
authors.affiliation: Tayside Respiratory Research Group, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Finch
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eder Freddy
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Mateus
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Laia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garcia-Bellmunt
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Microbiology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Reus
authors.affiliation: Critical Care Department, South Texas Veterans Health Care System.|Medicine Division, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Marcos I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Restrepo
authors.affiliation: Tayside Respiratory Research Group, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Chalmers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013183:Sputum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D009077:Mucins
keywords: bronchial colonization; bronchiectasis; lung defense mechanism; mucin