title: Characterizing human lung tissue microbiota and its relationship to epidemiological and clinical features.
abstract: The human lung tissue microbiota remains largely uncharacterized, although a number of studies based on airway samples suggest the existence of a viable human lung microbiota. Here we characterized the taxonomic and derived functional profiles of lung microbiota in 165 non-malignant lung tissue samples from cancer patients.
  
  
  
  We show that the lung microbiota is distinct from the microbial communities in oral, nasal, stool, skin, and vagina, with Proteobacteria as the dominant phylum (60 %). Microbiota taxonomic alpha diversity increases with environmental exposures, such as air particulates, residence in low to high population density areas, and pack-years of tobacco smoking and decreases in subjects with history of chronic bronchitis. Genus Thermus is more abundant in tissue from advanced stage (IIIB, IV) patients, while Legionella is higher in patients who develop metastases. Moreover, the non-malignant lung tissues have higher microbiota alpha diversity than the paired tumors.
  
  
  
  Our results provide insights into the human lung microbiota composition and function and their link to human lifestyle and clinical outcomes. Studies among subjects without lung cancer are needed to confirm our findings.
authors.affiliation: Genetic Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Guoqin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Mitchell H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Gail
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Consonni
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carugno
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Humphrys
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.|Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pesatori
authors.affiliation: Genetic Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Neil E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Caporaso
authors.affiliation: Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Goedert
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ravel
authors.affiliation: Genetic Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA. landim@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Landi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044822:Biodiversity; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D054892:Metagenome; D056186:Metagenomics / Q000379:methods; D064307:Microbiota; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D060737:Reproductive Tract Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: 16S rRNA; Air pollution; Tumor stage