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Different Fecal Microbiota in Hirschsprung's Patients With and Without Associated Enterocolitis

Alexis P Arnaud1,2, Ianis Cousin3, Françoise Schmitt4

  • 1Institut NuMeCan, INRAE, INSERM, Univ Rennes, Rennes-Saint-Gilles, France.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|July 18, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (HAEC) is linked to gut dysbiosis in infants under two years old. This study found specific bacterial changes in infants with HAEC, suggesting a potential cause for the condition in this age group.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Pediatric gastroenterology
  • Inflammatory bowel disease

Background:

  • Hirschsprung's disease (HD) patients face a risk of developing Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (HAEC), particularly within the first two years of life.
  • The exact cause of HAEC is unknown, but intestinal dysbiosis has been implicated.
  • Understanding the fecal bacterial composition in relation to HAEC is crucial for developing targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between fecal bacterial composition and HAEC in a large cohort of Hirschsprung's disease patients.
  • To compare microbiota alterations in HD patients with and without HAEC across different age groups.
  • To identify specific bacterial taxa linked to HAEC development.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of fecal microbiota structure in 103 Hirschsprung patients (3 months to 16 years) post-surgery.
  • 16S rRNA gene sequencing to compare microbiota composition between HAEC and HD groups.
  • Stratification of patients into age groups: 0-2, 2-6, 6-12, and 12-16 years.

Main Results:

  • Microbiota richness and diversity increased with age but did not differ between HD and HAEC patients.
  • A lower relative abundance of Actinobacteria was observed in HAEC patients under 2 years old.
  • Multivariate analysis identified *Flavonifractor plautii*, *Eggerthella lenta*, and *Ruminococcus gnavus* group as positively associated with HAEC in the 0-2 years age group.

Conclusions:

  • Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis is associated with intestinal dysbiosis in infants (0-2 years), but not in older patients.
  • These findings may explain the higher incidence of HAEC in infants.
  • Targeted interventions focusing on gut microbiota modulation could be beneficial for infants with HD.
Abstract

Keywords:
Hirschsprung diseaseHirschsprung's associated enterocolitis (HAEC)childrenfecal microbiotaproinflammatory bacteria

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