Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a devastating genetic disease which strikes in childhood. It affects cells that produce mucus and sweat: a defective gene causes the secretions to become thick and sticky, blocking tubes and ducts in the lungs and pancreas.
Most common in white people, CF is rare in people of Asian and Middle Eastern origin.
With advances and transplants, patients are living longer and thus have the chance for quality of life not seen before the past half century. Not only the lungs are involved. The gastrointestinal system suffers also.
The microbiota in CF patients reveals dysbiosis and inflammation.
A 2015 study titled “A proteomic study on faecal samples of patients with cystic fibrosis and their unaffected siblings” by Griet Debyser at the University of Ghent reveals hope for anti-inflammatory and alternative therapies utilizing pre and probiotics.
This research looked at composition and function of fecal microbiota from children with CF and compared them to that of siblings who were unaffected by CF.
- The analysis revealed differences in peptides.
- Differences in number or amounts of bacteria involved in butyrate and propionate metabolism
- The proteomes were different
- Potential biomarkers for dysbiosis were isolated
The author stated that antibiotic treatments necessary to prevent respiratory infections are destructive and accompanying therapies may ameliorate some of the resulting dysbiosis.