title: The best of respiratory infections from the 2015 European Respiratory Society International Congress.
abstract: The breadth and quality of scientific presentations on clinical and translational research into respiratory infections at the 2015 European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, establishes this area as one of the leadings fields in pulmonology. The host-pathogen relationship in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the impact of comorbidities and chronic treatment on clinical outcomes in patients with pneumonia were studied. Various communications were dedicated to bronchiectasis and, in particular, to different prognostic and clinical aspects of this disease, including chronic infection withPseudomonasand inhaled antibiotic therapy. Recent data from the World Health Organization showed that Europe has the highest number of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases and the poorest countries have the least access to suitable treatments. Latent tuberculosis and different screening programmes were also discussed with particular attention to risk factors such as HIV infection and diabetes. Several biomarkers were proposed to distinguish between active tuberculosis and latent infection. Major treatment trials were discussed (REMOX, RIFQUIN and STREAM). The possibility of once-weekly treatment in the continuation phase (RIAQUIN) was especially exciting. The continuing rise ofMycobacterium abscessusas a significant pathogen was noted. This article reviews some of the best contributions from the Respiratory Infections Assembly to the 2015 ERS International Congress.
authors.affiliation: Fundació Clinic, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona - Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona, Ciber de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Barcelona, Spain; These authors contributed equally.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polverino
authors.affiliation: Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Homerton University Hospital, London, UK; These authors contributed equally.
authors.forename: Graham H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Bothamley
authors.affiliation: Translational Research Unit, Dept of Epidemiology and Preclinical Research, National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goletti
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Infectious Diseases, German Center for Infection Research, Research Center, Borstel, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heyckendorf
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Dept of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Medical Education and Professional Development Unit, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sotgiu
authors.affiliation: Dept of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Cardio-Thoracic Unit and Cystic Fibrosis Adult Center, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aliberti