Prevotella intermedia culture supernatant impairs alveolar macrophage function and promotes Mycobacterium avium persistence.

Prevotella intermedia culture supernatant increases Mycobacterium avium burden by impairing alveolar macrophage antimicrobial functions in mice.

• Why it matters: Understanding how microbiome components influence NTM-PD progression is crucial, as Prevotella species are more prevalent in patients with the disease, yet their role remains unclear.
• What they did: The study used bone marrow-derived alveolar macrophage-like cells infected with M. avium in the presence of P. intermedia supernatant, combined with in vivo mouse models, analyzing phagocytic activity, gene expression, and bacterial load.
• The result: P. intermedia supernatant impaired bacterial killing, downregulated autophagy and interferon-related genes, increased pulmonary M. avium load, and inhibited lysosome maturation, suggesting a role in promoting NTM-PD persistence.