Adult Bronchiectasis Patients: A First Look at the United States Bronchiectasis Research Registry.

Abstract We sought to describe the characteristics of adult bronchiectasis patients enrolled in the United States Bronchiectasis Research Registry (BRR). The BRR is a database of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) patients enrolled at 13 sites within the United States. Baseline demographic, spirometric, imaging, microbiologic, and therapeutic data were entered into a central web-based database. Patients were subsequently analyzed by the presence NTM. We enrolled 1826 patients between 2008 and 2014. Patients were predominantly female (79%), white (89%), and never smokers (60%) with a mean age 64±14 years. Sixty-three percent of the patients had a history of NTM disease or NTM isolated at baseline evaluation into the BRR. NTM patients were older, predominantly female, and had bronchiectasis diagnosed at a later age than those without NTM. Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) was more common in those with NTM whereas asthma, primary immunodeficiency and primary ciliary dyskinesia were more common in those without NTM. Fifty-one percent of patients had spirometric evidence of airflow obstruction. NTM patients were more likely to have diffusely dilated airways and tree-in-bud abnormalities. Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus aureus isolates were less commonly cultured among patients with NTM. Bronchial hygiene measures were used more often in those with NTM; whereas antibiotics used for exacerbations, rotating oral antibiotics, steroid use, and inhaled bronchodilators were more commonly used in those without NTM. Adult bronchiectasis patients enrolled in the US BRR are described with differences noted in demographic, radiographic, microbiologic, and treatment variables based on stratification of the presence of NTM.