RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Burkholderia cenocepacia and Burkholderia multivorans: influence on survival in cystic fibrosis JF Thorax JO Thorax FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Thoracic Society SP 948 OP 951 DO 10.1136/thx.2003.017210 VO 59 IS 11 A1 Jones, A M A1 Dodd, M E A1 Govan, J R W A1 Barcus, V A1 Doherty, C J A1 Morris, J A1 Webb, A K YR 2004 UL http://thorax.bmj.com/content/59/11/948.abstract 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<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.