Related Experiment Videos
The Microbiome in Paediatric Crohn's Disease-A Longitudinal, Prospective, Single-Centre Study
Shivani Kansal1,2,3, Anthony G Catto-Smith3,4, Karen Boniface2
1Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Insights
The gut microbiome in pediatric Crohn's disease (CD) patients does not return to a healthy state during remission or relapse. Specific bacterial species are associated with different disease states in pediatric CD.
Area of Science:
- Microbiome research
- Gastroenterology
- Pediatric immunology
Background:
- The gut mucosa is a primary site of inflammation in Crohn's disease (CD).
- Limited data exists on the gut mucosal microbiome during CD relapse and remission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize specific changes in the gut microbiome during relapse and remission.
- To analyze a large, single-center pediatric CD cohort with longitudinal sampling.
Main Methods:
- Microbiome analysis of 345 biopsies from 204 patients (88 CD first diagnosis, 38 relapse, 12 remission, 66 controls).
- Species identification using oligotyping and ARB/SILVA taxonomic annotation.
Main Results:
- 45 bacteria differed significantly between CD first diagnosis and control samples; Fusobacterium was most implicated.
- Gender-specific differences in CD were observed.
- Five species associated with CD relapse, 10 with CD remission; Hespellia porcina linked to relapse; Fusobacterium not associated with relapse.
Conclusions:
- This is the first longitudinal study of the gut mucosal microbiome in a pediatric CD cohort.
- Microbiome in CD remission did not revert to a healthy control state.
- Microbiome in CD relapse did not return to the CD first diagnosis profile.
Background And Aims:
The gut mucosa is the principal site where Crohn's disease [CD] inflammation occurs. Limited information is available about the gut mucosal microbiome during CD relapse and remission. The aim of our study was to characterize specific changes in the gut microbiome during relapse and remission in a large single-centre paediatric CD cohort.
Methods:
We analysed the microbiome of 345 biopsies from 204 patients, including 88 CD first diagnosis [CDFD] patients, 38 relapse [CDRL] patients, 12 remission [CDRM] patients, and 66 controls. Species identification was conducted using oligotyping in combination with ARB/SILVA taxonomic annotation.
Results:
We observed 45 bacteria to differ between CDFD samples and controls with statistical significance, with Fusobacterium being the most implicated species in CDFD patients. We also identified gender-specific differences in CD. Five species showed a strong association with CDRL patients and 10 species with CDRM patients. Three taxa showed a positive co-occurrence across the two groups. Hespellia porcina [closest taxonomic neighbour to Clostridium oroticum] was the most strongly associated with CDRL samples. Interestingly, Fusobacterium was not part of the CDRL-associated taxa group. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii was equally present in CDFD and control samples.
Conclusion:
This is the first study that has investigated the gut mucosal microbiome in a paediatric CD cohort with longitudinal sampling. Importantly, the microbiome of patients in CDRM did not return to a healthy control state. Neither did the microbiome of patients with CDRL return to the profile seen at CDFD.