Work

Characterization of lower-airway microbial communities in pulmonary tuberculosis by BALF metagenomic sequencing

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Objective Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is an infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). This study aimed to characterize the lower-airway microbiome in patients with PTB and compare it with that of patients without PTB (Non-PTB) undergoing bronchoscopy for pulmonary disease, in order to describe differences in microbial composition between the two groups and improve our understanding of pulmonary microbial ecology in tuberculosis. Methods We performed metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from 75 patients (38 PTB, 37 Non-PTB). Microbial diversity, composition, and differential taxa were analyzed using standard bioinformatics tools. Results PTB samples showed higher Shannon and Simpson indices, whereas Richness did not differ significantly between groups. Beta diversity analyses revealed modest but statistically detectable differences in microbial community composition between PTB and Non-PTB samples. The PTB group showed higher relative abundances of MTBC and several oral-associated taxa (e.g., Prevotella and Fusobacterium ), whereas Non-PTB samples showed higher relative abundances of taxa including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus fumigatus . Conclusion This BALF metagenomic study characterized lower-airway microbial features in patients with PTB and identified differences in microbial community composition and structure between PTB and patients with heterogeneous Non-PTB pulmonary diseases.

Source: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2026.1938581