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Published on: August 7, 2017
Development of the early-life gut microbiome and associations with eczema in a prospective Chinese cohort
Man Kit Cheung1, Ting Fan Leung2,3, Wing Hung Tam3,4
1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region , Hong Kong, China.
Insights
Infant gut bacteria changes may predict eczema development in Chinese babies. Specific bacterial enrichments and depletions were observed before eczema onset, offering potential prevention targets.
Area of Science:
- Microbiome research
- Pediatric allergy
- Infant health
Background:
- Eczema is a common allergic condition in infants, particularly in China.
- Previous studies suggest a link between Cesarean section birth and increased eczema risk.
- The role of the infant gut microbiome in eczema development is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate alterations in the infant gut microbiota preceding eczema development in a Chinese cohort.
- To identify specific bacterial genera associated with eczema in early infancy.
- To explore the gut microbiome's role in the association between Cesarean section and eczema risk.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of Chinese infants.
- Analysis of infant gut microbiota composition at various time points (1, 3, and 6 months).
- Comparison of microbiota profiles between infants who developed eczema and healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Alterations in gut microbiota composition were observed to precede eczema development.
- Enrichment of *Clostridium sensu stricto 1* and *Finegoldia* genera were found in eczema cases.
- Depletion of *Bacteroides* and enrichment of *Clostridium sensu stricto 1* in eczema cases mirrored patterns in Cesarean-section-born infants.
Conclusions:
- Changes in the infant gut microbiome precede eczema development.
- Specific bacterial taxa may serve as biomarkers or targets for eczema prevention.
- The gut microbiota may mediate the link between Cesarean section delivery and infantile eczema.
Importance:
Eczema is a major allergic disease in children, which is particularly prevalent in Chinese children during their first year of life. In this study, we showed that alterations in the infant gut microbiota precede the development of eczema in a prospective Chinese cohort. In particular, we discovered enrichments of the genera Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia in the cases at 3 and 1 month of age, respectively, which may represent potential targets for intervention to prevent eczema. Besides, we identified a depletion of Bacteroides from 1 to 6 months of age and an enrichment of Clostridium sensu stricto 1 at 3 months in the eczema cases, patterns also observed in C-section-born infants within the same time frames, providing first evidence to support a role of the gut microbiota in previously reported associations between C-section and increased risk of eczema in infancy.
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