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Published on: January 27, 2019
Gut microbiota in preterm infants with late-onset sepsis and pneumonia: a pilot case-control study
Ye Ma1, Xiaoming Peng1, Juan Zhang2
1Department of Neonatology, The Affiliated Children's Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (Hunan Children's Hospital), 86 Ziyuan Road, Yuhua District, Changsha, China.
Insights
Gut microbiota alterations are linked to late-onset sepsis (LOS) and pneumonia in neonates. Elevated Escherichia/Shigella may predict LOS risk in preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal infectious diseases
- Gut microbiome research
- Microbial ecology in infants
Background:
- Late-onset sepsis (LOS) and pneumonia pose significant risks to neonates.
- Understanding gut microbiota differences is crucial for preterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate gut microbiota variations in preterm infants with LOS or pneumonia compared to full-term infants.
- Determine the correlation between intestinal pathogenic colonization and LOS.
Main Methods:
- A single-center case-control study.
- Utilized 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze gut microbiota.
- Compared microbiota composition across LOS, pneumonia, and control groups.
Main Results:
- Gut microbiota diversity was lower in LOS and pneumonia groups versus controls.
- Akkermansia, Escherichia/Shigella, and Enterococcus abundances increased; Bacteroides and Stenotrophomonas decreased in disease groups.
- Escherichia/Shigella abundance increase correlated with LOS risk (AUC=0.773).
Conclusions:
- Gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with increased LOS and pneumonia risk.
- Dominant gut bacteria in LOS infants align with causative pathogens.
- Elevated Escherichia/Shigella may predict LOS onset in preterm infants.
Background:
Late-onset sepsis (LOS) and pneumonia are common infectious diseases, with high morbidity and mortality in neonates. This study aimed to investigate the differences in the gut microbiota among preterm infants with LOS, or pneumonia, and full-term infants. Furthermore, this study aimed to determine whether there is a correlation between intestinal pathogenic colonization and LOS.
Methods:
In a single-center case‒control study, 16 S rRNA gene sequencing technology was used to compare gut microbiota characteristics and differences among the LOS group, pneumonia group, and control group.
Results:
Our study revealed that the gut microbiota in the control group was more diverse than that in the LOS group and pneumonia group (P < 0.05). No significant differences in diversity were detected between the LOS and pneumonia groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the abundances of Akkermansia, Escherichia/Shigella, and Enterococcus increased, while the abundances of Bacteroides and Stenotrophomonas decreased in the LOS and pneumonia groups. The pathogenic bacteria in infants with LOS were consistent with the distribution of the main bacteria in the intestinal microbiota. An increase in Escherichia/Shigella abundance may predict a high risk of LOS occurrence, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.773.
Conclusion:
Changes in the gut microbiota composition were associated with an increased risk of LOS and pneumonia. The dominant bacteria in the gut microbiota of the LOS group were found to be associated with the causative pathogen of LOS. Moreover, preterm infants exhibiting an elevated abundance of Escherichia/Shigella may be considered potential candidates for predicting the onset of LOS.
