Dynamic changes of respiratory microbiota associated with treatment outcome in drug-sensitive and drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis

Background Respiratory microbiota is closely related to tuberculosis (TB) initiation and progression. However, the dynamic changes of respiratory microbiota during treatment and its association with TB progression remains unclear. Methods A total of 16 healthy individuals and 16 TB patients (10 drug-sensitive TB (DS-TB) and 6 drug-resistant TB (DR-TB)) were recruited. Sputum samples were collected at baseline for all anticipants and after anti-TB treatment at Month-6 for TB patients. High throughput 16 S RNA sequencing was used to characterize the respiratory microbiota composition. Results Compared to the healthy individuals, TB patients exhibited lower respiratory microbiota diversity (p Conclusion Dynamic changes of respiratory microbiota during anti-TB treatment is closely related to TB progression. The involvement of critical microorganisms, such as Parvimonas spp., Rothia spp., Moraxella, and Gemella spp., appears to be associated with pulmonary inflammatory conditions, particularly among DR-TB. These microorganisms could potentially serve as biomarkers or even as targets for therapeutic intervention to enhance the prognosis of tuberculosis patients.