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Review
. 2022 Jun 6;10(6):1337.
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10061337.

Impact of Lung Microbiota on COPD

Cristina Russo  1 , Valeria Colaianni  1 , Giuseppe Ielo  2 , Maria Stella Valle  3 , Lucia Spicuzza  2 , Lucia Malaguarnera  1
Affiliations
Review

Impact of Lung Microbiota on COPD

Cristina Russo et al. Biomedicines. .

Abstract

There is a fine balance in maintaining healthy microbiota composition, and its alterations due to genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors can lead to the onset of respiratory dysfunctions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The relationship between lung microbiota and COPD is currently under study. Little is known about the role of the microbiota in patients with stable or exacerbated COPD. Inflammation in COPD disorders appears to be characterised by dysbiosis, reduced lung activity, and an imbalance between the innate and adaptive immune systems. Lung microbiota intervention could ameliorate these disorders. The microbiota's anti-inflammatory action could be decisive in the onset of pathologies. In this review, we highlight the feedback loop between microbiota dysfunction, immune response, inflammation, and lung damage in relation to COPD status in order to encourage the development of innovative therapeutic goals for the prevention and management of this disease.

Keywords: COPD; dysbiosis; inflammation; lung; microbiota.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Differences in microbiota immunoregulation in the alveolar epithelium of healthy individuals and COPD. Red arrows show inhibition processes, while blue arrows show activation processes. Abbreviations: pattern recognition receptors (PRRs); Toll-like receptors (TLRs); Treg cells (Tc); macrophages (M); DCs (dendritic cells); Immunoglobulin A (IgA); Interleukin (IL); interferon-gamma (IFN-γ); matrix metalloproteinase (MMP); mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS); nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer (NF-Kb); P38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (P38); extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1). Red arrow shows an inhibition process; red cross indicates an inactivated cell.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Impact of P. aeruginosa on oxidative stress in COPD.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Probiotic modulation during lung infections. Schematic representation of probiotic modulation of immune responses during lung infections. Abbreviations: tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α); interleukin-6 (IL-6).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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