Bacteria and asthma: more there than we thought

Expert Rev. Respir. Med. 5(3), 329-332 (2011) Evaluation of: Huang YJ, Nelson CE, Brodie EL et al. Airway microbiota and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in patients with suboptimally controlled asthma. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 127(2), 372-381, e371-e373 (2011). In a recently performed case control study, characteristics of the airway microbiota in suboptimally controlled adult asthmatics were compared with those of healthy, nonasthmatic adult subjects. Bacterial burden was significantly greater in asthmatic subjects. Further, increased airway microbiota variability and diversity were correlated with increased bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Although several limitations are present, this study provides an intriguing initial insight into the possible relationship between the airway microbiota and asthma pathogenesis.