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Cefoperazone-treated Mouse Model of Clinically-relevant Clostridium difficile Strain R20291
Published on: December 10, 2016
Clostridium difficile colonization in early infancy is accompanied by changes in intestinal microbiota composition.
Clotilde Rousseau1, Florence Levenez, Charlène Fouqueray
1EA 4043, Ecosystème Microbien Digestif et Santé, Université Paris Sud, Châtenay-Malabry 92290, France.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|December 24, 2010
Summary
Infant gut microbiota composition influences Clostridium difficile colonization. Specific bacterial species like Ruminococcus gnavus and Klebsiella pneumoniae are linked to C. difficile presence, while Bifidobacterium longum is associated with its absence.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Clostridium difficile is a significant cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
- Host susceptibility to C. difficile infections is partly due to the intestinal microbiota's inability to resist colonization.
- Infant gut microbiota has low complexity, facilitating asymptomatic C. difficile colonization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between infant gut microbiota composition and C. difficile colonization.
- To identify specific bacterial signatures associated with C. difficile presence or absence in infants.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of fecal samples from 53 infants (0-13 months) using PCR-temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE).
- Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to decipher bacterial signatures associated with C. difficile colonization.
- Sequencing and BLAST analysis of TTGE bands to identify bacterial species.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in dominant bacterial species were observed between C. difficile-colonized and non-colonized infants (P = 0.017).
- Four bacterial species were specifically associated with C. difficile status: Ruminococcus gnavus and Klebsiella pneumoniae (colonized), and Bifidobacterium longum (non-colonized).
- Global gut microbial biodiversity was not affected by C. difficile colonization.
Conclusions:
- Infant gut microbiota composition is associated with C. difficile colonization.
- Specific bacterial species play a role in the gut's resistance or susceptibility to C. difficile implantation.
- Further research is needed to determine the chronological order of these microbial events.
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