title: Differences between the fecal microbiota of coeliac infants and healthy controls.
abstract: Coeliac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated enteropathy with a multifactorial aetiology, characterized by chronic inflammation of the small intestinal mucosa. Although evidence suggests that the gut microbiota contributes to other chronic inflammatory disorders, its possible role in CD has not been determined. In this study, the composition of the fecal microbiota of coeliac children and age-matched controls was investigated by culture-dependent and -independent methodologies, using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The levels of Bacteroides, Clostridium and Staphylococcus were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in fecal samples from coeliac patients than in healthy subjects when analysed by culture methods. The numbers of Bacteroides-Prevotella, Clostridium histolyticum, Eubacterium rectale-C. coccoides, Atopobium, and sulfate reducing bacterial groups were also significantly higher (p < 0.05) in fecal samples from coeliac infants when analysed by FISH. The counts of Bifidobacterium tended to be higher in healthy controls by the two type of analysis but the differences were not significant. This is the first report on the identification of the specific bacterial groups responsible for alterations in the intestinal microecology of children with active CD. The bacterial pattern detected in coeliac patients, correlates with the epidemiological data and metabolic deviations associated with CD, and involve bacterial groups link to other chronic inflammatory disorders.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (CSIC), Apartado 73, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: María Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Collado
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calabuig
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sanz
mesh_terms: D001439:Bacteroides / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000382:microbiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003013:Clostridium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005051:Eubacterium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007223:Infant; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016999:Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial