Clinical and demographic characteristics of patients, antibiotic resistance patterns, PFGE profile and genetic features of NTHi isolates used in this study.

aAp: ampicillin.bTxS: Trimethoprim-sulfomethoxazole.cCOPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.dSusceptible: susceptible to all antimicrobials tested.eND: not determined.flic2BC: the lic2BC genes encode two glycosyltransferases involved in sugar extension from HepII in the LOS molecule.glic1A: the lic1A gene encodes a choline kinase. lic1A gene potential phase ON/OFF level of gene expression, based on the three translation initiation codons and two initiation codon-containing frames predicted for lic1A[46].