To examine the role of smoking on the bacterial community composition of the upper and the lower respiratory tract, a monocentric, controlled prospective study was performed, including healthy smokers, ex-smokers and never-smokers. Smokers were further grouped according to their smoking history. Bacterial diversity was analysed using a molecular barcoding approach based on directly extracted DNA. Our study shows for the first time distinct bacterial response patterns in the upper and lower respiratory tract to cigarette smoking leading to a higher abundance of opportunistic pathogens. The clinical significance of these dysbioses for health needs to be further explored.

中文翻译：

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口腔、鼻腔和肺微生物组对香烟烟雾的不同反应

为了检查吸烟对上呼吸道和下呼吸道细菌群落组成的作用，进行了一项单中心、对照的前瞻性研究，包括健康的吸烟者、戒烟者和从不吸烟者。吸烟者根据他们的吸烟史进一步分组。使用基于直接提取 DNA 的分子条形码方法分析细菌多样性。我们的研究首次表明，上呼吸道和下呼吸道对吸烟的不同细菌反应模式导致机会性病原体的丰度更高。这些生态失调对健康的临床意义需要进一步探索。