Abstract
BackgroundGut bifidobacteria are believed to influence immune-related diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the possible relationships between the gut bifidobacteria composition and coeliac disease (CD) in children.A total of 48 faecal samples (30 and 18 samples from active and no active CD patients, respectively) and 33 duodenal biopsy specimens of CD patients (25 and 8 samples from active and non-active CD patients, respectively) were analysed. Samples (30 faecal samples and 8 biopsies) from a control age-matched group of children were also included for comparative purposes. Gut Bifidobacterium genus and species were analyzed by real-time PCR.ResultsActive and non-active CD patients showed lower numbers of total Bifidobacterium and B. longum species in faeces and duodenal biopsies than controls, and these differences were particularly remarkable between active CD patients and controls. B. catenulatum prevalence was higher in biopsies of controls than in those of active and non-active CD patients, whereas B. dentium prevalence was higher in faeces of non-active CD patients than in controls. Correlations between levels of Bifidobacterium and B. longum species in faecal and biopsy samples were detected in both CD patients and controls.ConclusionReductions in total Bifidobacterium and B. longum populations were associated with both active and non-active CD when compared to controls. These bacterial groups could constitute novel targets for adjuvant dietary therapies although the confirmation of this hypothesis would require further investigations.
Highlights
Gut bifidobacteria are believed to influence immune-related diseases
Active and non-active coeliac disease (CD) patients showed lower numbers of total Bifidobacterium and B. longum species in faeces and duodenal biopsies than controls, and these differences were remarkable between active CD patients and controls
B. catenulatum prevalence was higher in biopsies of controls than in those of active and non-active CD patients, whereas B. dentium prevalence was higher in faeces of non-active CD patients than in controls
Summary
Gut bifidobacteria are believed to influence immune-related diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the possible relationships between the gut bifidobacteria composition and coeliac disease (CD) in children.A total of 48 faecal samples (30 and 18 samples from active and no active CD patients, respectively) and 33 duodenal biopsy specimens of CD patients (25 and 8 samples from active and non-active CD patients, respectively) were analysed. The objective of this study was to assess the possible relationships between the gut bifidobacteria composition and coeliac disease (CD) in children. Gluten removal from the diet is currently the only treatment available This disease often presents in early childhood with small intestinal villous atrophy and signs of malabsorption [1]. BMC Microbiology 2008, 8:232 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/8/232 imbalances in the intestinal microbiota have been reported to be associated with CD [2,3,4,5]. Most of these studies have been focused on faecal microbiota composition but less information is available on mucosa-associated microbiota of CD patients [2,5]. Neither possible relation between faecal and duodenal bacterial populations has been reported in CD
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