ArticleMicrobiome2023
Sputum bacterial load and bacterial composition correlate with lung function and are altered by long-term azithromycin treatment in children with HIV-associated chronic lung disease.
Article in Microbiome, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Azithromycin alleviates post-inflammatory wheezing in children by inhibiting SETD1B-mediated histone H3K4me3 methylation and macrophage polarization.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Characterization ofMicrobial genomics · 2026Article
- The effect of atorvastatin combined with azithromycin on lung function and right heart function in COPD patients with concomitant pulmonary hypertension.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Limited effects of azithromycin on the oropharyngeal microbiome in children with CF and early pseudomonas infection.BMC microbiology · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
16 authors at 8 institutions in 9 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundLong-term azithromycin (AZM) treatment reduces the frequency of acute respiratory exacerbation in children and adolescents with HIV-associated chronic lung disease (HCLD). However, the impact of this treatment on the respiratory bacteriome is unknown.
methodAfrican children with HCLD (defined as forced expiratory volume in 1 s z-score (FEV1z) less than - 1.0 with no reversibility) were enrolled in a placebo-controlled trial of once-weekly AZM given for 48-weeks (BREATHE trial). Sputum samples were collected at baseline, 48 weeks (end of treatment) and 72 weeks (6 months post-intervention in participants who reached this timepoint before trial conclusion). Sputum bacterial load and bacteriome profiles were determined using 16S rRNA gene qPCR and V4 region amplicon sequencing, respectively. The primary outcomes were within-participant and within-arm (AZM vs placebo) changes in the sputum bacteriome measured across baseline, 48 weeks and 72 weeks. Associations between clinical or socio-demographic factors and bacteriome profiles were also assessed using linear regression.
resultsIn total, 347 participants (median age: 15.3 years, interquartile range [12.7-17.7]) were enrolled and randomised to AZM (173) or placebo (174). After 48 weeks, participants in the AZM arm had reduced sputum bacterial load vs placebo arm (16S rRNA copies/µl in log
conclusionsAZM treatment preserved sputum bacterial diversity and reduced the relative abundances of the HCLD-associated genera Haemophilus and Moraxella. These bacteriological effects were associated with improvement in lung function and may account for reduced respiratory exacerbations associated with AZM treatment of children with HCLD. Video Abstract.
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