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Comparative Analysis of Mucosa-Associated and Luminal Gut Microbiota in Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis

Takeo Kondo1, Sonoko Kondo1, Haruyuki Nakayama-Imaohji2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki, Kita, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|November 13, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) disrupts the gut's mucosal-associated microbiota (MAM), making it similar to fecal bacteria. This indicates a compromised mucus barrier, potentially aiding in UC prognosis evaluation.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Microbiology
  • Pediatric Medicine

Background:

  • Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease, are linked to gut microbiota dysbiosis.
  • Severe pancolitis is more common in pediatric UC than adult UC.
  • Alterations in colon mucosa-associated microbiota (MAM) and their link to disease severity in pediatric UC require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare gut microbiota in colon lavage fluids (CLFs) and fecal samples from pediatric UC patients and non-IBD controls.
  • To investigate the association between MAM composition, disease severity, and mucus barrier integrity in pediatric UC.

Main Methods:

  • 16S metagenomic analysis of colon lavage fluids (CLFs) and fecal samples from 19 pediatric UC patients and 19 non-IBD controls.
  • Comparison of MAM community structure and bacterial composition between different colonic locations and between MAM and fecal samples.
  • Assessment of MAM distribution and its relationship with disease activity and mucosal inflammation.

Main Results:

  • MAM community structure was similar throughout the colon in both groups.
  • In non-IBD individuals, MAM and fecal bacterial compositions differed significantly, but not in pediatric UC patients, suggesting a compromised mucus barrier in UC.
  • In pediatric UC, MAM distribution became disordered with increased disease activity, showing higher abundance of bacteria from the upper digestive tract or environmental origins.
  • Key bacterial markers like increased *Lactobacillus* and *Enterococcus*, or decreased *Faecalibacterium* and *Blautia* were observed in pediatric UC MAM.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights a compromised mucus barrier in pediatric UC, leading to MAM and fecal microbiota intermixing.
  • Disordered MAM and the presence of aberrant bacteria correlate with disease activity in pediatric UC.
  • Monitoring specific bacterial markers in MAM may offer a valuable tool for evaluating prognosis in pediatric UC patients.

Keywords:
16S rRNA gene analysiscolonoscopyintestinal lavage fluidsmucosa-associated microbespediatric ulcerative colitis

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