Impact of Clinical Factors on the Intestinal Microbiome in Infants With Gastroschisis
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Published on: June 24, 2020
Allison J Wu1,2, David J Lee1, Fan Li1
1Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Insights
The gut microbiome of infants with gastroschisis is less diverse and has different bacteria compared to healthy infants. Mode of delivery and antibiotic exposure influence these microbial changes.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Gastroschisis is a congenital condition requiring surgery and causing intestinal dysmotility in infants.
- Gut dysbiosis may play a role in the intestinal problems experienced by infants with gastroschisis.
- Limited data exists on the gut microbiome composition in infants diagnosed with gastroschisis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the fecal microbiome characteristics of infants with gastroschisis.
- To compare the gut microbiome of gastroschisis infants to that of healthy controls.
- To explore the impact of birth mode, gestational age, antibiotic exposure, and nutrition on the infant gut microbiome.
Main Methods:
- Fecal samples were collected from infants with gastroschisis and healthy controls.
- Microbiome profiling was conducted using 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V4 region).
- Statistical analyses were performed to compare microbial diversity and composition, and to assess influencing factors.
Main Results:
- Infants with gastroschisis exhibited reduced microbial diversity (Chao1 index) and a lack of Bifidobacterium, with increased Staphylococcus, compared to controls.
- Mode of delivery, antibiotic duration (≥7 days), age at sampling, and gestational age were significant factors influencing microbiome variation.
- Escherichia-Shigella was the dominant genus in gastroschisis infants; cesarean delivery was associated with distinct microbial communities (Staphylococcus, Streptococcus) compared to vaginal delivery.
Conclusions:
- The gut microbiome in infants with gastroschisis is characterized by dysbiosis.
- Factors such as mode of birth delivery, antibiotic exposure duration, and gestational age contribute to variations in the gut microbiome of these infants.
Background:
Infants with gastroschisis require operations and lengthy hospitalizations due to intestinal dysmotility. Dysbiosis may contribute to these problems. Little is known on the microbiome of gastroschisis infants.
Methods:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the fecal microbiome in gastroschisis infants. Microbiome profiling was performed by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The microbiome of gastroschisis infants was compared with the microbiome of healthy controls, and the effects of mode of birth delivery, gestational age, antibiotic duration, and nutrition type on microbial composition and diversity were investigated.
Results:
The microbiome of gastroschisis infants (n = 13) was less diverse (Chao1, P < .001), lacked Bifidobacterium (P = .001), and had increased Staphylococcus (P = .007) compared with controls (n = 83). Mode of delivery (R2 = 0.04, P = .001), antibiotics duration ≥7 days (R2 = 0.03, P = .003), age at sample collection (R2 = 0.03, P = .009), and gestational age (R2 = 0.02, P = .035) explained a small portion of microbiome variation. In gastroschisis infants, Escherichia-Shigella was the predominate genus, and those delivered via cesarean section had different microbial communities, predominantly Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, from those delivered vaginally. Although antibiotic duration contributed to the variation in microbiome composition, there were no significant differences in taxa distribution or α diversity by antibiotic duration or nutrition type.
Conclusion:
The microbiome of gastroschisis infants is dysbiotic, and mode of birth delivery, antibiotic duration, and gestational age appear to contribute to microbial variation.
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