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Updated: May 31, 2025
Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
A multidimensional fecal microbial and inflammatory biomarker profiling in preterm and full-term neonates
Rita Hannawayya1, Rodrigo Puentes1, Niloofar Mirzadzare1
1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Insights
Preterm infants show heightened immune responses, gut dysbiosis, and altered metabolism shortly after birth. These factors may increase their risk for gut inflammation and intestinal disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal immunology
- Gastrointestinal microbiome research
- Metabolomics in neonates
Background:
- Preterm birth impacts 1 in 10 neonates, with outcomes influenced by delivery method and antibiotic use.
- Understanding the neonatal gut environment is crucial for managing preterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate inflammatory, metabolomic, and microbial profiles in preterm neonates.
- To identify potential biomarkers for early detection of gut inflammation in preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Observational cohort study analyzing fecal samples from preterm and full-term neonates.
- Assessed antimicrobial peptides, proteases, metabolomic profiles, and microbiome composition.
Main Results:
- Preterm neonates exhibited elevated alpha-defensins, serine proteases, and matrix metalloproteinases.
- Distinct metabolic signatures included decreased kynurenic acid and increased mevalonate.
- Reduced microbial diversity and short-chain fatty acid production were observed in preterm infants.
Conclusions:
- Heightened immune response, proteolytic activity, and gut dysbiosis in preterm neonates may predispose them to gut inflammation.
- Elevated fecal mevalonate levels show potential as biomarkers for metabolic disturbances linked to gut inflammation.
- Findings offer insights into inflammatory conditions and identify targets for neonatal care interventions.
Background:
Preterm birth affects approximately one in every ten neonates. The clinical outcomes depend on care and management factors, including the birth delivery method and the use of antibiotics.
Methods:
This observational cohort study determined antimicrobial peptides, proteases, metabolomic, and microbiome profiles in fecal samples collected from 20 preterm and nine full-term neonates 48 h after birth.
Results:
The results show that preterm neonates have increased levels of α-defensins, serine proteases, and matrix metalloproteinases. They also have distinct metabolic signatures characterized by decreased kynurenic acid and increased mevalonate levels. These neonates also exhibit reduced microbial diversity.
Conclusion:
This study highlights that heightened immune response and proteolytic activity, marked dysbiosis, and reduced short-chain fatty acids within the preterm gastrointestinal tract immediately after birth might predispose neonates to exacerbated gut inflammation. Some of the findings, including the elevated fecal mevalonate levels, are potential biomarkers in neonatology for early identification of metabolic disturbances linked to gut inflammation, emphasizing further studies to explore its association with inflammatory conditions in preterm infants.
Impact:
Inflammatory markers that can predict intestinal disorders are insufficiently characterized in preterm neonates. This study identified antimicrobial peptide responses, proteolytic activity, marked dysbiosis, and reduced short-chain fatty acid production in feces from preterm neonates. These critical differences in inflammatory, metabolomic, and microbial signatures may predispose to exacerbated gut inflammation in preterm neonates. Some inflammatory effectors in feces are potential biomarkers for the early detection of intestinal inflammatory conditions in preterm neonates. This study contributes to understanding the inflammatory conditions in the guts of preterm babies and identifies novel targets for timely diagnosis, interventions, and management practices in neonatal care.
