Figure 4

Diversity does not correlate with clinical stage. (A) Simpson diversity index for the six patients with samples from all four stages (BETR) are color-coded. A mixed-effect linear model with treatment status as a categorical variable was used to identify significant differences in diversity as a function of clinical status. Analysis of variance showed no significant association between diversity and status. Aggregated Simpson diversity index (SDI) of the six patients with all four BETR samples (B) or from all seventeen patients (C). There is no statistically significant difference between stages for patients with all four BETR samples (ANOVA, Tukey post-test, P values all >0.05). Paired t-test for all patients reveals no statistical difference between any stage (P > 0.05). B, baseline; BETR, baseline, exacerbation, treatment and recovery; E, exacerbation; R, recovery; SDI, Simpson diversity index; T, treatment.