OBJECTIVE: To examine the composition of the evolving microbiota of preterm infants at weeks 2 and 4 of life. SETTINGS: The paediatric intensive care unit of the Cork University Maternity Hospital. METHODS: The microbial diversity of faecal samples from 10 preterm infants was determined using 16S rRNA amplicon pyrosequencing technology. RESULTS: In total, 452 863 sequences were obtained from 20 faecal samples collected from 10 preterm infants, allowing a level of analysis not previously reported. The preterm infant microbiota samples were dominated by Proteobacteria (46%), followed by Firmicutes (45%), while the phyla Actinobacteria (2%) and Bacteroidetes (7%) were detected at much lower levels at week 2 of life. This colonisation pattern was similar at week 4 of life. At the family level, Enterobacteriaceae were detected at 50% and 58% at weeks 2 and 4, respectively. The preterm infants were characterised by a lack of detectable Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus genera commonly associated with the infant gut. In addition to the dominance of the Proteobacteria, a high level of interindividual variation was observed, indeed the relative proportions of different phyla, families and genera in different infants ranged from <1% to >90%. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that in addition to an uncharacteristic microbiota relative to that reported for healthy term infants, there was a large interindividual variation in the faecal microbiota diversity of preterm infants suggesting that the preterm microbiota is individual-specific and does not display a uniformity among infants.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the composition of the evolving microbiota of preterm infants at weeks 2 and 4 of life. SETTINGS: The paediatric intensive care unit of the Cork University Maternity Hospital. METHODS: The microbial diversity of faecal samples from 10 preterm infants was determined using 16S rRNA amplicon pyrosequencing technology. RESULTS: In total, 452 863 sequences were obtained from 20 faecal samples collected from 10 preterm infants, allowing a level of analysis not previously reported. The preterm infant microbiota samples were dominated by Proteobacteria (46%), followed by Firmicutes (45%), while the phyla Actinobacteria (2%) and Bacteroidetes (7%) were detected at much lower levels at week 2 of life. This colonisation pattern was similar at week 4 of life. At the family level, Enterobacteriaceae were detected at 50% and 58% at weeks 2 and 4, respectively. The preterm infants were characterised by a lack of detectable Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus genera commonly associated with the infant gut. In addition to the dominance of the Proteobacteria, a high level of interindividual variation was observed, indeed the relative proportions of different phyla, families and genera in different infants ranged from <1% to >90%. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that in addition to an uncharacteristic microbiota relative to that reported for healthy term infants, there was a large interindividual variation in the faecal microbiota diversity of preterm infants suggesting that the preterm microbiota is individual-specific and does not display a uniformity among infants.
Authors: Anne L Dunlop; Jennifer G Mulle; Erin P Ferranti; Sara Edwards; Alexis B Dunn; Elizabeth J Corwin Journal: Adv Neonatal Care Date: 2015-12 Impact factor: 1.968
Authors: Aloka L Patel; Ece A Mutlu; Yan Sun; Lars Koenig; Stefan Green; Andrew Jakubowicz; Janet Mryan; Phillip Engen; Louis Fogg; Andrea L Chen; Xavier Pombar; Paula P Meier; Ali Keshavarzian Journal: J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr Date: 2016-02 Impact factor: 2.839
Authors: Tali Raveh-Sadka; Brian Firek; Itai Sharon; Robyn Baker; Christopher T Brown; Brian C Thomas; Michael J Morowitz; Jillian F Banfield Journal: ISME J Date: 2016-06-03 Impact factor: 10.302
Authors: Manoj Kumar; Parul Singh; Selvasankar Murugesan; Marie Vetizou; John McCulloch; Jonathan H Badger; Giorgio Trinchieri; Souhaila Al Khodor Journal: Methods Mol Biol Date: 2020