Magnetic activated cell-sorting identifies a unique lung microbiome community associated with disease states

Studies of lung microbiome taxonomy often reveal few differences between health and disease, but microbial host response may be different between members of similar communities in health and disease. We adapted magnetic-activated cell sorting to examine populations of immunoglobulin-bound lung bacteria, determine differences in the normal lung microbiome, and distinguish the lung microbiome in HIV as a representative disease. Using bronchoalveolar lavage from 42 people living with HIV and 22 HIV-uninfected individuals, we found that while bacteria in raw BAL samples did not differ by HIV status, the immunoglobulin G-bound lung microbiome differed by disease state and was associated with an inflammatory response.