L'infection dans la BPCOÂ : histoire naturelle et perspectives thérapeutiques

Lower respiratory tract infections play a central role in COPD, since they cause the majority of acute exacerbations, especially following the acquisition of new bacterial strains; chronic infection is also certainly implicated in the progression of the disease, via an inflammatory state and an increased proteolytic activity in the airways; repeated antibiotic prophylaxis, as tested in the PULSE study, represents an attempt to break this vicious circle of bronchial colonization/ infection.