16S rRNA sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis

Checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis (CIP) is a potentially fatal adverse event characterized by the development of new pulmonary infiltrates in cancer patients undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. This study aims to explore the relationship between the microbiota and host immunity in CIP. We recruited 13 patients with CIP, 11 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and 10 with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer as controls. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing.