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  • Title: The individual-specific and diverse nature of the preterm infant microbiota.
    Author: Barrett E, Kerr C, Murphy K, O'Sullivan O, Ryan CA, Dempsey EM, Murphy BP, O'Toole PW, Cotter PD, Fitzgerald GF, Ross RP, Stanton C.
    Journal: Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed; 2013 Jul; 98(4):F334-40. PubMed ID: 23303303.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: To examine the composition of the evolving microbiota of preterm infants at weeks 2 and 4 of life. SETTINGS: The paediatric intensive care unit of the Cork University Maternity Hospital. METHODS: The microbial diversity of faecal samples from 10 preterm infants was determined using 16S rRNA amplicon pyrosequencing technology. RESULTS: In total, 452 863 sequences were obtained from 20 faecal samples collected from 10 preterm infants, allowing a level of analysis not previously reported. The preterm infant microbiota samples were dominated by Proteobacteria (46%), followed by Firmicutes (45%), while the phyla Actinobacteria (2%) and Bacteroidetes (7%) were detected at much lower levels at week 2 of life. This colonisation pattern was similar at week 4 of life. At the family level, Enterobacteriaceae were detected at 50% and 58% at weeks 2 and 4, respectively. The preterm infants were characterised by a lack of detectable Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus genera commonly associated with the infant gut. In addition to the dominance of the Proteobacteria, a high level of interindividual variation was observed, indeed the relative proportions of different phyla, families and genera in different infants ranged from <1% to >90%. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that in addition to an uncharacteristic microbiota relative to that reported for healthy term infants, there was a large interindividual variation in the faecal microbiota diversity of preterm infants suggesting that the preterm microbiota is individual-specific and does not display a uniformity among infants.
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