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MOLECULAR ASSESSMENT OF FECAL LACTOBACILLI POPULATIONS IN CHILDREN WITH FUNCTIONAL CONSTIPATION
Nabi Jomehzadeh1,2, Mansour Amin3,4, Hazhir Javaherizadeh5
1Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran.
Insights
The quantity of intestinal lactobacilli, not just their presence, is crucial for preventing functional constipation in children. Lower lactobacilli populations were observed in constipated children compared to healthy controls.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Gut Microbiome Research
Background:
- Investigating gut-specific bacteria like lactobacilli is key to understanding constipation's bacterial causes.
- Lactobacilli play a significant role in gut health and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the prevalence and quantity of intestinal lactobacilli in children with functional constipation versus healthy controls.
- To identify specific Lactobacillus species associated with childhood constipation.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 40 children with functional constipation (Rome IV criteria) and 40 healthy controls.
- Analyzed fecal samples using species-specific PCR, random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR (RAPD-PCR), and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).
Main Results:
- Seven Lactobacillus species were detected; L. paracasei and L. plantarum were most prevalent.
- Constipated children had significantly lower total lactobacilli populations per gram of feces compared to healthy controls.
- Lactobacillus strains from constipated and healthy children showed high similarity (>90% similarity coefficients).
Conclusions:
- The mere presence of diverse Lactobacillus species is insufficient to prevent functional constipation.
- The quantity of Lactobacillus in the gut is a more critical factor in preventing functional constipation than species diversity alone.
Background:
Investigation of the gut-specific bacterial strains including lactobacilli is essential for understanding the bacterial etiology of constipation.
Objective:
This study aimed to compare the prevalence and quantity of intestinal lactobacilli in constipated children and healthy controls.
Methods:
Forty children fulfilling Rome IV criteria for functional constipation and 40 healthy controls were recruited. Fecal samples were analyzed using species-specific polymerase chain reaction followed by random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR.
Results:
Totally, seven different species of lactobacilli were detected. Out of 80 volunteers, 65 (81.3%) were culture and species-specific PCR positive from which 25 (38.46%) constipated children and 40 (61.54%) healthy subjects. The most prevalent species were L. paracasei 21 (32.3%) followed by L. plantarum 18 (27.7%) among both healthy and patient groups. Analysis of the RAPD dendrograms displayed that strains isolated from constipated and non-constipated children have similarity coefficients of more than 90%. The qPCR assays demonstrated constipated children had a lower amount of total lactobacilli population (per gram of feces) than healthy controls.
Conclusion:
Our findings showed that the mere existence of various species of Lactobacillus in the gut does not enough to prevent some gastrointestinal disorders such as functional constipation, and their quantity plays a more important role.
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