Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have lung infections due to CF-related bacteria, especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were found to have higher levels in their bloodstream of biomarkers of oxidative stress and related tissue damage. These high levels were accompanied by reduced lung function and worse nutritional status, according…

Several potential biomarkers of nontuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM)-associated lung disease were identified in the breath of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) in a recent pilot study. The approach may offer a faster way of reaching an NTM diagnosis, which has historically relied on slow bacterial culture techniques that sometimes delay…

A detailed analysis of lung tissue of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients found specific changes to the extracellular matrix (ECM), the three-dimensional network of molecules and proteins outside the cell that supports lung function, a study showed. Drivers of ECM breakdown may act as therapeutic targets or biomarkers to monitor…

Adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) have significantly higher levels of anti-inflammatory oxylipins — a type of fatty molecule — and lower levels of pro-inflammatory fatty molecules in their saliva relative to healthy individuals, a study shows. This suggests a shift toward an anti-inflammatory response in the fatty molecule profile…

Molecules produced by the environmental bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, called alkyl-quinolones derivatives — which regulate bacterial gene activity and act in cell-to-cell communication — may be useful markers for better management of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), a study suggests. These derivatives also may enable a more clear definition…

Lower levels of certain volatile molecules in the breath of children and adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) can distinguish with good accuracy between those with and without Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection, a Dutch study shows. Notably, a reduction in the levels of a single molecule, called ethyl acetate, was…

Levels of neutrophil elastase, a pro-inflammatory enzyme normally released by immune cells known as neutrophils, plus a greater diversity and amount of microbes could drive disease severity in cystic fibrosis (CF), a study in two siblings suggests. The study, Two Siblings Homozygous for F508del-CFTR Have Varied…

Blood C-reactive protein (CRP) and calprotectin levels can reliably identify pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, making them promising diagnostic biomarkers, a pilot study has found. Although further investigations are necessary to determine their clinical applicability, the researchers note that “a step-wise algorithm that…

A new strategy for detecting very small concentrations of specific molecules could allow for better diagnosis and management of a variety of diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF). The method was described in the journal Nature Communication by a team from the University of Leeds, U.K., in a study titled…

Researchers have developed the first thread-based flexible patch that can be sewn into clothing to monitor — in real time — several molecules in sweat, including chloride ions, which are dysregulated in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The study describing that finding, “Thread-based multiplexed sensor patch for…