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Meconium Microbiome of Very Preterm Infants across Germany
Jonas Klopp1, Pamela Ferretti2, Claudius U Meyer1
1University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Msphere
|January 12, 2022
Summary
The meconium microbiome in preterm infants is dominated by Bifidobacterium, Staphylococcus, and Enterococcus. A new scoring system, MecBac, helps predict successful bacterial sequencing for these challenging samples.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Neonatal Health
- Human Microbiome Studies
Background:
- Meconium, the first infant stool, differs significantly from later infant and adult feces in consistency and microbial load.
- While evidence suggests in utero sterility, rapid microbial colonization occurs postnatally, with the meconium microbiome linked to adverse health outcomes.
- The composition of the meconium microbiome, particularly in preterm infants, remains under-characterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the meconium microbiome in very preterm infants and compare it with maternal fecal samples.
- To identify factors influencing meconium microbiome composition and bacterial DNA load.
- To develop a method for assessing the suitability of meconium samples for microbiome analysis.
Main Methods:
- 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on meconium samples from 330 very preterm infants and fecal samples from 217 mothers.
- Microbiome profiling included the use of negative and positive controls to ensure data quality.
- A five-level scoring system, "MecBac," was developed to predict the success of bacterial sequencing.
Main Results:
- The meconium microbiome was primarily composed of Bifidobacterium, Staphylococcus, and Enterococcus species, influenced by gestational age and sample collection timing.
- Bifidobacterial abundance showed a negative correlation with potentially pathogenic genera.
- Bacterial DNA concentration varied significantly, affected by time post-birth, and low bacterial loads led to amplification of human mitochondrial DNA, impacting sequencing success in about half the samples.
Conclusions:
- This study provides a foundational characterization of the preterm infant meconium microbiome.
- The findings highlight challenges in meconium microbiome analysis due to variable bacterial load and suggest the MecBac system can aid future study design.
- Understanding the meconium microbiome is crucial for assessing infant health and designing targeted interventions.
