This research examined differences in the temperate bacteriophages isolated from Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and Bronchiectasis (BR) patients. These diseases have diverse clinical origins but similar pathophysiological burden including inflammation and the production of a thick, dehydrated mucus suitable for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa). Evolution of Pa in the lower lung is known to correlate with poorer clinical outcomes. This study aimed to determine the role temperate bacteriophages may play in bacterial evolution and antimicrobial resistance? Pa has been found to harbour multiple, inducible, temperate bacteriophages, which are believed to have an effect on Pa functionality.
We used a broad cross-infection study comprising 47 clinical CF Pa isolates and 47 clinical BR Pa isolates. We compare both the interactions and relationships between the phage lysates, their bacterial hosts and the supporting clinical data. A stratified panel of these induced temperate phages was investigated for their involvement in antimicrobial resistance, metabolic function and biofilm formation.
These data indicate that the infection profiles of the phage communities in adult CF patients are most related to the infection profiles of phages induced from BR patients with > 10 years since clinical diagnosis. The idea of bacterial cross infection in the CF clinical setting is not new but the idea of phage cross infection is novel, as it displays a marker of evolution within the lung that may correlate to the onset and lineage of the disease. These data also show that phages may be able to be used as markers for the progression and adaptation of Pa isolates in the chronic lung environment.