Abstract
The preterm infant gut microbiota is influenced by environmental, endogenous, maternal, and genetic factors. Although siblings share similar gut microbial composition, it is not known how genetic relatedness affects alpha diversity and specific taxa abundances in preterm infants. We analyzed the 16S rRNA gene content of stool samples, ≤ and >3 weeks postnatal age, and clinical data from preterm multiplets and singletons at two Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), Tampa General Hospital (TGH; FL, USA) and Carle Hospital (IL, USA). Weeks on bovine milk-based fortifier (BMF) and weight gain velocity were significant predictors of alpha diversity. Alpha diversity between siblings were significantly correlated, particularly at ≤3 weeks postnatal age and in the TGH NICU, after controlling for clinical factors. Siblings shared higher gut microbial composition similarity compared to unrelated individuals. After residualizing against clinical covariates, 30 common operational taxonomic units were correlated between siblings across time points. These belonged to the bacterial classes Actinobacteria, Bacilli, Bacteroidia, Clostridia, Erysipelotrichia, and Negativicutes. Besides the influence of BMF and weight variables on the gut microbial diversity, our study identified gut microbial similarities between siblings that suggest genetic or shared maternal and environmental effects on the preterm infant gut microbiota.
Highlights
IntroductionCompared to the term infant gut microbiota, the preterm infant gut microbiota is characterized by reduced microbial diversity, lower abundances of obligate anaerobes, dominance of potentially pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae (including Citrobacter, Escherichia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and Serratia, among others), and delayed colonization by commensal gut bacteria (such as Clostridium and Veillonella) typical of adult gut microbiota [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]
The preterm infant gut microbiota is influenced by gestational age, birth weight, and other clinical factors associated with preterm birth [6]
2 triplet sets, and 32 singletons were recruited from the Carle Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), while 22 twin sets, 4 triplet sets, and 24 singletons were recruited from the Tampa General Hospital (TGH) NICU
Summary
Compared to the term infant gut microbiota, the preterm infant gut microbiota is characterized by reduced microbial diversity, lower abundances of obligate anaerobes, dominance of potentially pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae (including Citrobacter, Escherichia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and Serratia, among others), and delayed colonization by commensal gut bacteria (such as Clostridium and Veillonella) typical of adult gut microbiota [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11] These deviations, collectively referred to as dysbiosis, are associated with increased susceptibility of infections and diseases, including necrotizing colitis (NEC) [11,12], bacteremia [13,14], late onset sepsis [15], impaired growth [4], and possibly other long-term health consequences [6]
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