TY - JOUR T1 - Adherence of <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> to cystic fibrosis buccal epithelial cells JF - ERJ Open Research JO - erjor DO - 10.1183/23120541.00095-2016 VL - 3 IS - 1 SP - 00095-2016 AU - Meike Lingner AU - Susanne Herrmann AU - Burkhard Tümmler Y1 - 2017/01/01 UR - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/3/1/00095-2016.abstract N2 - The cystic fibrosis (CF) respiratory tract is inhabited by complex polymicrobial communities [1–4]. The sinonasal site has been proposed as a gateway and reservoir for subsequent pulmonary infection with the major CF pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa [5, 6]. To colonise and infect the lungs, the bacteria must first colonise the oropharynx and then, on occasion, pass this barrier. Here, we report on the adherence of P. aeruginosa to oropharyngeal epithelial cells, namely buccal epithelial cells that were collected from CF patients during the initial and chronic phase of P. aeruginosa lung colonisation, and from P. aeruginosa-negative patients. Based on an assay with radioactively labelled bacteria published in the late 1970s [7], we established a low-cost, nonradioactive assay of P. aeruginosa adherence to buccal epithelial cells that may be useful for patient monitoring or as a biomarker for clinical studies.Pseudomonas aeruginosa cystic fibrosis buccal adherence assay http://ow.ly/lPtB306VKIQThe authors thank Günter Maaß (Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany), Dieter Bitter-Suermann (Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Krankenhaushygiene, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany) and the late Jürgen Potel (Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Krankenhaushygiene, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany) for their generous support. ER -