title: Effect of preventive administration of a nonpathogenic Escherichia coli strain on the colonization of the intestine with microbial pathogens in newborn infants.
abstract: In a randomized, double-blind study, 27 healthy newborn infants were colonized with the nonpathogenic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (E. coli DSM 6601, Mutaflor) during the first 5 days of life by daily oral inoculation of 1 ml of a suspension with 10(8) living cells. A second group of 27 newborns, used as controls, received a placebo suspension (1 ml of phosphate-buffered saline) instead. Stool samples were taken on days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 21, and 6 months after birth. All samples were examined for the presence of the nonpathogenic E. coli strain and of pathogenic and potentially pathogenic microorganisms. The administered E: coli strain was detected in the stools of the colonized newborns from day 2 and remained present throughout the study in more than 90% of these infants. Colonization with true and potential bacterial pathogens was significantly reduced in infants receiving E. coli strain Nissle 1917 compared to the placebo group--both with respect to numbers of pathogens and to the spectrum of species.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Care of Mother and Child, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lodinová-Zádniková
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sonnenborn
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002954:Citrobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004754:Enterobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011511:Proteus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification