Akkermansia muciniphila Associated with Improved Linear Growth among Young Children, Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Christine Marie George, Alves Birindwa, Shan Li

    Emerging Infectious Diseases
    |December 27, 2022
    PubMed

    Insights

    High rates of enteric pathogens impact child growth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The gut microbe Akkermansia muciniphila may improve growth, while Cryptosporidium is linked to declines.

    Area of Science:

    • Microbiology
    • Pediatric Health
    • Nutritional Science

    Background:

    • Child growth is crucial for long-term health.
    • Enteric pathogens and gut microbiome alterations are implicated in growth faltering.
    • Limited data exists on these associations in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To examine the relationship between enteric pathogens, fecal microbial composition, and child growth.
    • To identify potential microbial targets for improving pediatric growth in low-resource settings.

    Main Methods:

    • Prospective cohort study of 236 children under 5 years in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
    • Quantitative PCR analysis of fecal specimens for enteric pathogens.
    • Measurement of child height and weight at baseline and 6-month follow-up.

    Main Results:

    • High prevalence of enteric pathogens (>3 detected in 66% of children at baseline).
    • Children with Akkermansia muciniphila showed improved height-for-age z-scores (coefficient 0.02, p=0.04).
    • Children with Cryptosporidium exhibited decreased weight-for-height/length z-scores (coefficient -0.03, p=0.02).

    Conclusions:

    • Enteric pathogens are highly prevalent in this pediatric cohort.
    • Akkermansia muciniphila shows potential as a probiotic to enhance child growth.
    • Cryptosporidium infection is associated with negative impacts on child growth parameters.

    Keywords:
    Akkermansia muciniphilaDRCDemocratic Republic of the Congoanthropometricsbacteriachild growthcommensal microbesdiarrheaenteric infectionspathogenic microbesprospective cohort studies

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