Our new paper has been published in BMC Microbiology.
We explored the role of the lung microbiota in non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) by analyzing protected specimen brushing (PSB) and bronchial washing samples, using a bronchoscopic approach, obtained from patients with NTM-PD in comparison with those from control subjects. We identified the lower respiratory tract of patients with NTM-PD has a unique microbiota distribution that is low in richness/diversity, and we also found the PSB samples optimally reflecting lower airway status. Our results suggest a connection between the pathogenesis of NTM-PD and colonization by environmental microbes, which warrants further mechanistic studies.