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Session includes an in person invitee/speaker with CF

Symposium

APPTT

IMI

S26-- Beyond Sputum: Advanced Biomarkers & Surveillance Strategies for Pathogen Detection in CF Patients on Modulator Therapy

Saturday, October 10, 2026
10:15 AM - 12:15 PM EDT
A positive development of the CFTR modulators is that persons with CF cough less and they may even stop producing sputum. There has been a marked reduction in the number of respiratory cultures performed on patients and a greater reliance on oropharyngeal (OP) swabs given the absence of sputum. Nonetheless, studies have demonstrated a persistence of bacteria in the lower airways despite negative OP swab cultures, so we remain interested in the presence of infection in the CF airways. This session will explore the current status of identifying potential pathogens in the respiratory tract using respiratory and non-respiratory samples. But the identification of an organism does not mean it is pathogenic, so we will also explore what is known about host and microbial factors that might indicate disease.

Presentation Order:


1. When Do OP Swab Cultures Reflect Lower Airway Infection? – Presented by Anthony Fischer

2. What Else Can Be Done with Respiratory Samples to Detect Airway Opportunists? – Presented by Robert Quinn

3. What Else Can Be Done with Non-Respiratory Samples to Detect Airway Opportunists? – Presented by Jerry Nick

4. Are There Biomarkers (Host or Bacterial) That Predict a Poor Outcome? – Presented by Lindsay Caverly