Background Respiratory microbiome composition depends on an intricate balance between
host characteristics, diet, and environmental factors. Some studies indicate a bidirectional …

The analysis of human microbiome is an exciting and rapidly expanding field of research. In
the past decade, the biological relevance of the microbiome for human health has become …

Lung cancer (LC) is the most prevalent cancer worldwide, and responsible for over 1.3
million deaths each year. Currently, LC has a low five year survival rates relative to other …

The lung is a complex ecosystem of host cells and microbes often disrupted in pathological
conditions. Although bacteria have been hypothesized as agents of carcinogenesis, little is …

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a heterogeneous disease, is the leading
cause of death worldwide. In recent years, air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM) …

Alteration of the lung microbiome has been observed in several respiratory tract diseases.
However, most previous studies were based on 16S ribosomal RNA and shotgun …

Objective: The development of culture-independent techniques for microbiological analysis
shows that bronchial tree is not sterile in either healthy or chronic obstructive pulmonary …

Background Ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure has been associated with respiratory
function decline in epidemiological studies. We hypothesize that a possible underlying …

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease accounts for a large burden of lung
disease. It can 'overlap'with other respiratory diseases including bronchiectasis, fibrosis and …

Background Increased particulate air pollution has been associated with both an increased
risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and adverse changes in cardiac biomarkers. Up to 30% of …