The gut microbiota of hand, foot and mouth disease patients demonstrates down-regulated butyrate-producing bacteria and up-regulated inflammation-inducing bacteria.

Abstract

This study explored the gut microbiota of children with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). We enrolled 15 cases with HFMD admitted to the West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, China, from July to September 2016 at a median age of three years. The controls were 15 healthy children of a similar age who underwent routine health examinations at the hospital during the same period. Gut microbiota was analysed using high throughput 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acidsequencing. The gut microbiota in the HFMD patients was distinct from the controls. Compared with the controls, the composition of gut microbiota in the HFMD cases represented a reduction of two butyrate-producing bacteria, Ruminococcus (0.73±1.28 versus 7.78±20.01, p=0.026) and Roseburia (0.67±1.69 versus 1.61±3.27, p=0.024) and an up-regulation of Escherichia (5.26±10.50 versus 1.59±5.90,p<0.01) and Enterococcus (4.12±12.49 versus 0.12±0.41, p=0.015). The dysbiosis of gut microbiota of the HFMD cases included a reduction of butyrate-producing bacteria and an up-regulation of inflammation-inducing bacteria. These may have impaired the intestinal biological mucosal barrier and host immune functions, promoting the invasion of the enterovirus.