Niels Høiby
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Title: Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm infections in the united airways of of cystic fibrosis patients
Biography
Biography: Niels Høiby
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients suffer from recurrent and chronic sinus- and lung infections due to the basic defect of the CFTR protein, which is a chloride channel. This leads to decreased volume of the paraciliary fluid in the airways and impaired mucus detachment which interfere with the mucociliary transport and the consequence is therefore defective host defense against bacterial infections. P. aeruginosa is causing the most important chronic lung infection in CF and it was the first biofilm infection which was described in human beings and the most well studied biofilm infection. The inflammatory response - dominated by polymorphonuclear leukocytes - to the chronic infection is the main cause of the lung tissue damage. The antibody response against the sinus biofilm infections is mainly s-IgA which reduce the inflammation, whereas IgG dominates against the lung biofilm infection and aggrevates the inflammation. The antibody response is used diagnostically. The current treatment is early aggressive eradication therapy of intermittent P. aeruginosa colonization to prevent chronic biofilm infection which is treated by chronic suppressive ’maintenance’ therapy to maintain the lung function for decades. Both systemic and inhaled antibiotics are used.