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Updated: Jul 5, 2025
An In Vitro Batch-culture Model to Estimate the Effects of Interventional Regimens on Human Fecal Microbiota
Published on: July 31, 2019
A pilot study of fecal pH and redox as functional markers in the premature infant gut microbiome
Jeffrey Letourneau1, LaShawndra Walker2, Se Hyang Han2
1Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America.
Insights
Fecal pH and redox potential may serve as biomarkers for preterm infant gut health. These factors, along with short-chain fatty acids, correlate with microbiome composition and clinical outcomes, aiding in early risk identification.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Microbiome Research
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- The infant gut microbiome is vital for development, but alterations in preterm infants are linked to severe complications like necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis.
- Current research identifies links between microbiome composition and disease risk, yet practical biomarkers for early identification of at-risk infants are lacking.
- Understanding the gut environment's metabolic state is crucial for predicting and managing neonatal health issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of fecal pH and redox potential in preterm infant gut microbiome development.
- To assess the potential of pH and redox as biomarkers for identifying infants at risk of neonatal complications.
- To correlate physiological measurements (pH, redox) with microbiome composition and clinical data.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal stool sample collection from preterm infants during the first postnatal months.
- Measurement of fecal pH, redox potential, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) content.
- Microbiome composition analysis using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and comparison with clinical data.
Main Results:
- Infants born earlier or exposed to antibiotics showed increased fecal pH.
- Redox potential increased with postnatal age.
- SCFA content correlated with pH and increased with age, while microbiome composition related to birth weight, age, pH, and redox.
Conclusions:
- Fecal pH and redox potential show potential as biomarkers for the metabolic state of the preterm infant gut.
- These physiological parameters are associated with microbiome composition and developmental factors.
- Further research can validate pH and redox as clinical tools for monitoring preterm infant health and predicting complications.
Abstract:
The infant gut microbiome is a crucial factor in health and development. In preterm infants, altered gut microbiome composition and function have been linked to serious neonatal complications such as necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis, which can lead to long-term disability. Although many studies have described links between microbiome composition and disease risk, there is a need for biomarkers to identify infants at risk of these complications in practice. In this pilot study, we obtained stool samples from preterm infant participants longitudinally during the first postnatal months, and measured pH and redox, as well as SCFA content and microbiome composition by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. These outcomes were compared to clinical data to better understand the role of pH and redox in infant gut microbiome development and overall health, and to assess the potential utility of pH and redox as biomarkers. We found that infants born earlier or exposed to antibiotics exhibited increased fecal pH, and that redox potential increased with postnatal age. These differences may be linked to changes in SCFA content, which was correlated with pH and increased with age. Microbiome composition was also related to birth weight, age, pH, and redox. Our findings suggest that pH and redox may serve as biomarkers of metabolic state in the preterm infant gut.
