The Effects of Colonization on Lung Function in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis.

is commonly isolated from CF airways. However, the impact on CF lung progression is not completely understood. In this study, using a 16-year retrospective observational cohort study (2000-2015) that included 132 patients, we determined the annual lung function, measured as percent predicted forced expiratory volume in the first second (ppFEV1), decline before and after the first colonization with . Further, in the same individual, the ratios of lung function when patients were colonized with and when they were not were calculated. The impact of eradication, with antifungal treatment or spontaneously, was assessed. The annual ppFEV1 was significantly lower after the first colonization with . Furthermore, within the same individual, colonization with for two and three years in a row was associated with 4.3% and 7.9% lower ppFEV1, respectively, compared to when not colonized. Finally, patients who eradicated the following two years after colonization exhibited 9.9% and 14.5% higher ppFEV1 compared to patients who continued to produce cultures with for two and three years. Our study demonstrated that colonization was associated with a negative impact on lung function in the long term and eradication, spontaneously or with treatment, was associated with a better pulmonary outcome.