Neutrophilic Proteolysis in the Cystic Fibrosis Lung Favors a Pathogenic Microbiome

Studies of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung microbiome have consistently shown lung disease progression is associated with decreased microbial diversity due to the dominance of opportunistic pathogens, but it remains unknown how this phenomenon is reflected in the metabolites and chemical environment of lung secretions. We investigated the microbial and metabolomic composition of CF sputum samples to determine the molecular relationships between disease severity, lung function decline and microbial infections.