Abstract
ObjectiveTo investigate factors related to bifidobacterial colonization in early infancy, with a focus on maternal antimicrobial use at delivery.Study designA cross-sectional pilot study was performed. Feces samples of 33 Japanese healthy infants were collected over 10 months and analyzed by next-generation sequencing to examine the diversity and abundance of the gut microbiota.ResultsThe beta diversity index of the gut microbiota differed significantly based on maternal antimicrobial use at delivery (P < 0.05). The most dominant genus was bifidobacteria, and the relative abundance of bifidobacteria in infants exposed to maternal antibiotics was significantly lower than in those who were not exposed (P < 0.05). In contrast, the delivery mode showed no significant relationship with gut microbiota diversity.ConclusionsMaternal antimicrobial use at delivery has a stronger effect than delivery mode on the gut microbiota, especially for colonization of bifidobacteria.
Highlights
There are 100 trillion to 1 quadrillion bacteria consisting of 1000 bacterial species inhabiting the human intestine, and mutual metabolic activity between enterobacteria plays important roles in host health and disease onset [1,2,3]
The change in the composition of gut microbiota in early infancy over the first 6 months is thought to be crucial in establishing the immune system against allergy or infections, and dysbiosis during this period can lead to future development of diseases [8]
Several studies have evaluated the relationship of bifidobacterial colonization with allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis and asthma [9,10,11], and bifidobacteria play a protective role in building the immune system in the intestinal mucosa [12,13,14]
Summary
There are 100 trillion to 1 quadrillion bacteria consisting of 1000 bacterial species inhabiting the human intestine, and mutual metabolic activity between enterobacteria plays important roles in host health and disease onset [1,2,3]. The change in the composition of gut microbiota in early infancy over the first 6 months is thought to be crucial in establishing the immune system against allergy or infections, and dysbiosis during this period can lead to future development of diseases [8]. Several studies have evaluated the relationship of bifidobacterial colonization with allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis and asthma [9,10,11], and bifidobacteria play a protective role in building the immune system in the intestinal mucosa [12,13,14]. The proportion of bifidobacteria in the intestine of infants in the early stage has varied among studies [15, 16]
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