PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Jones, A M AU - Dodd, M E AU - Govan, J R W AU - Barcus, V AU - Doherty, C J AU - Morris, J AU - Webb, A K TI - <em>Burkholderia cenocepacia</em> and <em>Burkholderia multivorans</em>: influence on survival in cystic fibrosis AID - 10.1136/thx.2003.017210 DP - 2004 Nov 01 TA - Thorax PG - 948--951 VI - 59 IP - 11 4099 - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/59/11/948.short 4100 - http://thorax.bmj.com/content/59/11/948.full SO - Thorax2004 Nov 01; 59 AB - Introduction:Burkholderia cepacia infection has been associated with a poor prognosis for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). It is now recognised that organisms classified as B cepacia comprise a number of distinct genomic species each known as a genomovar of the B cepacia complex (BCC). The outcome of infection for CF patients with individual genomovars is unknown. The clinical outcome of infection with the two most commonly isolated genomovars (B cenocepacia and B multivorans) was studied at a specialist CF centre between 1982 and 2003. Methods: The numbers of patients who progressed from initial to chronic infection were assessed. Control groups were created by matching patients with chronic BCC infection by percentage forced expiratory volume in 1 second with patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Outcome measures were survival time, deaths from “cepacia syndrome”, rate of decline in spirometry and body mass index (BMI), and treatment requirements. Results: Forty nine patients had an initial infection with either B multivorans (n = 16) or B cenocepacia (n = 33); 8/16 and 31/33, respectively, developed chronic infection (p&lt;0.001). Deaths from “cepacia syndrome” occurred in both BCC groups. Patients with B cenocepacia infection had a shorter survival than patients with P aeruginosa infection (p = 0.01). There was no difference in survival between CF patients infected with B multivorans and P aeruginosa. There were no observed differences in changes in spirometry and BMI or treatment requirements between the BCC groups and respective controls. Conclusion: In CF, the genomovar status of BCC may influence both the likelihood of progression from initial to chronic infection and the overall survival of the patients.