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Gastrointestinal Pathobionts in Pediatric Crohn's Disease Patients
Rachel V Purcell1, Nadeem O Kaakoush2, Hazel M Mitchell3
1Department of Surgery, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Insights
Fusobacterium nucleatum is more common in children with Crohn's disease (CD). This finding suggests F. nucleatum may serve as a biomarker for pediatric CD, aiding in early diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research
Background:
- Crohn's disease (CD) is a gastrointestinal inflammatory condition with increasing global incidence, especially in children.
- The etiology of CD is complex, involving immune responses to environmental factors, with a growing focus on the role of gut bacteria.
- Specific bacteria, including enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) and Fusobacterium nucleatum, have been implicated in gastrointestinal pathologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of ETBF and F. nucleatum in pediatric patients with treatment-naïve Crohn's disease.
- To assess the association between these bacterial species and CD occurrence, disease severity, and co-infection with other bacteria.
- To explore the potential of F. nucleatum as a biomarker for pediatric CD.
Main Methods:
- Collection and DNA extraction from stool samples of 30 pediatric CD patients and 30 age/sex-matched controls.
- Quantitative PCR (qPCR) to determine the levels of ETBF and F. nucleatum in stool samples.
- Statistical analysis to compare bacterial prevalence and abundance between CD patients and controls, and in relation to disease characteristics.
Main Results:
- No significant association was found between ETBF colonization and pediatric CD.
- No association was observed between ETBF or F. nucleatum colonization and CD disease severity or presence of C. concisus.
- A significant association was found between F. nucleatum positivity and the occurrence of CD in pediatric patients (25/30) compared to controls (8/30) (P=0.003).
Conclusions:
- Fusobacterium nucleatum is significantly more prevalent in the stool of pediatric CD patients than in healthy controls.
- F. nucleatum may serve as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of pediatric Crohn's disease.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the specific role of F. nucleatum in the pathogenesis of pediatric CD.
Abstract:
Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, with a rising incidence worldwide, particularly in children. CD is thought to arise due to an immune response to environmental factors. The role of bacteria in CD has recently been highlighted, and here, we examine the prevalence of two bacterial species, enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) and Fusobacterium nucleatum, implicated in gastrointestinal pathologies, in a pediatric CD cohort. Stool samples from 30 children with treatment-naïve CD and 30 age- and sex-matched controls were collected, and DNA was extracted. Quantitative PCR was used to determine the levels of ETBF and F. nucleatum in stool samples. Bacterial positivity and relative abundance were assessed between cases and controls and in relation to disease severity. No associations were found between colonization with ETBF and CD, or between colonization with either ETBF or F. nucleatum and disease severity or presence of C. concisus. However, a strong association was observed between positivity for F. nucleatum in the stool samples and the occurrence of CD in patients (25/30) as compared to controls (8/30) (P=0.003). F. nucleatum is more prevalent in the stool samples of pediatric CD patients, compared to healthy controls, and may have potential use as a biomarker of pediatric CD.