title: Virulence adaptations ofPseudomonas aeruginosaisolated from patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.
abstract: Pseudomonas aeruginosais a major pathogen in chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (nCFB). Much of our understanding regarding infections in nCFB patients is extrapolated from findings in CF with little direct investigation on the adaptation ofP. aeruginosain nCFB patients. As such, we investigated whether the adaptation ofP. aeruginosawas indeed similar between nCFB and CF. From our prospectively collected biobank, we identified 40 nCFB patients who had repeatedP. aeruginosaisolates separated by ≥6 months and compared these to a control population of 28 CF patients. A total of 84 nCFB isolates [40 early (defined as the earliest isolate in the biobank) and 41 late (defined as the last available isolate in the biobank)] were compared to 83 CF isolates (39 early and 44 late). We assessed the isolates for protease, lipase and elastase production; mucoid phenotype; swarm and swim motility; biofilm production; and the presence of thelasRmutant phenotype. Overall, we observed phenotypic heterogeneity in both nCFB and CF isolates and found thatP. aeruginosaadapted to the nCFB lung environment similarly to the way observed in CF isolates in terms of protease and elastase expression, motility and biofilm formation. However, significant differences between nCFB and CF isolates were observed in lipase expression, which may allude to distinct characteristics found in the lung environment of nCFB patients. We also sought to determine virulence potential over time in nCFBP. aeruginosaisolates and found that virulence decreased over time, similar to CF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
authors.forename: Taylor E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duong
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Jervis
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.|Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
authors.forename: Harvey R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Rabin
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.|Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Parkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.|Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
authors.forename: Douglas G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Storey
keywords: Pseudomonas aeruginosa; cystic fibrosis; non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis; phenotyping; virulence factors