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

Prevotella intermedia supernatant increases Mycobacterium avium persistence by impairing macrophage autophagy and interferon responses in mice.

• Why it matters: Understanding how microbiome components influence NTM-PD progression is crucial for developing targeted therapies, as Prevotella species are more prevalent in affected patients.
• What they did: The study used in vitro alveolar macrophage-like cells and in vivo mouse models, infecting with M. avium in the presence of P. intermedia supernatant, and analyzed bacterial survival, gene expression, and immune responses.
• The result: P. intermedia supernatant reduced macrophage antimicrobial activity, downregulated key immune genes, increased lung bacterial load, and impaired autophagy, highlighting its role in promoting NTM-PD persistence.