Abstract
BackgroundThe extended 'hygiene hypothesis' suggests that the initial composition of the infant gut microbiota is a key determinant in the development of atopic disease. Several studies have demonstrated that the microbiota of allergic and non-allergic infants are different even before the development of symptoms, with a critical time window during the first 6 months of life. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between early intestinal colonisation and the development of asthma in the first 3 years of life using DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis).MethodsIn a prospective birth cohort, 110 children were classified according to the API (Asthma Predictive Index). A positive index included wheezing during the first three years of life combined with eczema in the child in the first years of life or with a parental history of asthma. A fecal sample was taken at the age of 3 weeks and analysed with DGGE using universal and genus specific primers.ResultsThe Asthma Predictive Index was positive in 24/110 (22%) of the children. Using universal V3 primers a band corresponding to a Clostridum coccoides XIVa species was significantly associated with a positive API. A Bacteroides fragilis subgroup band was also significantly associated with a positive API. A final DGGE model, including both bands, allowed correct classification of 73% (80/110) of the cases.ConclusionFecal colonisation at age 3 weeks with either a Bacteroides fragilis subgroup or a Clostridium coccoides subcluster XIVa species is an early indicator of possible asthma later in life. These findings need to be confirmed in a new longitudinal follow-up study.
Highlights
The extended ‘hygiene hypothesis’ suggests that the initial composition of the infant gut microbiota is a key determinant in the development of atopic disease
There were no differences in the percentage of children with wheeze at any age, parental asthma, and eczema at any age or gender of the infant between children who could or could not be categorized according to Asthma Predictive Index (API) [14]
This study shows an association between early colonisation with a Bacteroides fragilis subgroup species and asthma later in life
Summary
The extended ‘hygiene hypothesis’ suggests that the initial composition of the infant gut microbiota is a key determinant in the development of atopic disease. More recently Rautava et al [2] suggested an extension of this “hygiene hypothesis” describing the importance of the initial composition of the infant gut microbiota as a key determinant in the development of atopic disease. This hypothesis is supported by studies demonstrating that the microbiota of allergic and non-allergic infants are different even before the development of symptoms, with a critical time window during the first 6 months of. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) is a molecular sequence dependent fingerprinting technique that allows to characterize the intestinal microbiota without pre-existing knowledge of its composition. DGGE using universal [7] and bifidobacterial primers [8] based on the bacterial 16S rRNA sequence has been applied successfully to monitor the development of the gut microbiota in infants
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