A clinicians' review of the respiratory microbiome

Abstract

The respiratory microbiome and its impact in health and disease is now well characterised. With the development of next-generation sequencing and the use of other techniques such as metabolomics, the functional impact of microorganisms in different host environments can be elucidated. It is now clear that the respiratory microbiome plays an important role in respiratory disease. In some diseases, such as bronchiectasis, examination of the microbiome can even be used to identify patients at higher risk of poor outcomes. Furthermore, the microbiome can aid in phenotyping. Finally, development of multi-omic analysis has revealed interactions between the host and microbiome in some conditions. This review, although not exhaustive, aims to outline how the microbiome is investigated, the healthy respiratory microbiome and its role in respiratory disease.

Educational aims: To define the respiratory microbiome and describe its analysis.To outline the respiratory microbiome in health and disease.To describe future directions for microbiome research.

FIGURE 1

The respiratory microbiome. CMV: cytomegalovirus; EBV: Epstein–Barr virus.