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Abstract

Iron availability is critical to many bacteria and increased iron has been described in
airway secretions in cystic fibrosis (CF), The main aim of the present study was to assess the
relationship between iron in CF sputum and the quantitative bacterial burden,
Iron, ferritin and total cell counts (TCC) were assessed in sputum samples obtained from 15
clinically stable CF patients chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Sputum samples
were also obtained at the commencement of episodes of acute exacerbation in 10 subjects and
analyses were repeated in six of these exacerbation cases after t.v. antibiotic treatment The
relationship between iron indices and the presence of P. aeruginosa, as well as total anaerobic
bacterial load, was determined. Sputum was also obtained from 10 CF patients with no evidence
of infection with P. aerug/nosa and 11 normal healthy controls,
Sputum iron, ferritin and TCC were significantly elevated in aU CF patients, even in those not
infected with P. aerug/nosa, compared with healthy controls, There was a strong positive
relationship between sputum iron and P, aemg/nosa in clinically stable patients, but not in
samples obtained during an acute exacerbation. There was no relationship between sputum iron
and anaerobic bacterial load. Antibiotic treatment significantly reduced sputum TCC and
anaerobic bacterial load, but not iron, ferritin or the presence of P. aemg/nosa during an
exacerbation.
In conclusion, the present study suggests that increased airway iron may be important to
Pseudomonas aemg/nosa persistence in cystic fibrosis.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Reid, DW and Carroll, V and O'May, CY and Champion, AC and Kirov, SM
Keywords:	Cystic fibrosis, iron, Pseudomonas aerug/nosa
Journal or Publication Title:	The European Respiratory Journal
Publisher:	European Respiratory Society
ISSN:	0903-1936
DOI / ID Number:	10.1183/09031936.00154006
Additional Information:	Copyright ©ERS Journals Ltd 2007
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