title: Linking microbiota and respiratory disease.
abstract: An increasing body of evidence indicates the relevance of microbiota for pulmonary health and disease. Independent investigations recently demonstrated that the lung harbors a resident microbiota. Therefore, it is intriguing that a lung microbiota can shape pulmonary immunity and epithelial barrier functions. Here, we discuss the ways how the composition of the microbial community in the lung may influence pulmonary health and vice versa, factors that determine community composition. Prominent microbiota at other body sites such as the intestinal one may also contribute to pulmonary health and disease. However, it is difficult to discriminate between influences of lung vs. gut microbiota due to systemic mutuality between both communities. With focuses on asthma and respiratory infections, we discuss how microbiota of lung and gut can determine pulmonary immunity and barrier functions.
authors.affiliation: Priority Program Infections, Cellular Microbiology, Research Center Borstel, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hauptmann
authors.affiliation: Priority Program Infections, Cellular Microbiology, Research Center Borstel, Germany.|German Centre for Infection Research, TTU-TB, Borstel, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich E
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Schaible
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D064307:Microbiota; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: commensal bacteria; epithelial barrier function; gut-lung axis; microbiome; microbiota; pulmonary immunology