A distinctive 'microbial signature' in celiac pediatric patients.
BACKGROUND
Celiac Disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine in which dietary gluten ingestion leads to a chronic enteropathy. Recently, scientific evidence suggested a potential role of gut microbiota in CD. To have a snapshot of dominant duodenal microbiota we analyzed the mucosa-associated microbiota of 20 children with CD, before and after a gluten-free diet (GFD) regimen, and of 10 controls. Total DNA was extracted from duodenal biopsies and amplification products of 16S ribosomal DNA were compared by temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE). TTGE profiles were analyzed by statistical multivariate analysis.


RESULTS
The average number of bands in TTGE profiles was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in active (n.b. 16.7 +/- 0.7) and inactive states (n.b. 13.2 +/- 0.8) than in controls (n.b. 3.7 +/- 1.3). Mean interindividual similarity index was 54.9% +/- 14.9% for active disease, 55.6% +/- 15.7% for remission state and 21.8% +/- 30.16% for controls. Similarity index between celiac children before and after GFD treatment was 63.9% +/- 15.8%. Differences in microbiota biodiversity were among active and remission state (P = 0.000224) and amid active CD and controls (P < 0.001). Bacteroides vulgatus and Escherichia coli were detected more often in CD patients than in controls (P < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the results highlighted a peculiar microbial TTGE profile and a significant higher biodiversity in CD pediatric patients' duodenal mucosa. The possible pathophysiological role of these microbial differences needs further characterization.
Schippa
Serena
S
Department of Public Health Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Rome, 00185, Italy. serena.schippa@uniroma1.it
Iebba
Valerio
V
Barbato
Maria
M
Di Nardo
Giovanni
G
Totino
Valentina
V
Checchi
Monica Proietti
MP
Longhi
Catia
C
Maiella
Giulia
G
Cucchiara
Salvatore
S
Conte
Maria Pia
MP
D000293:Adolescent; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D044822:Biodiversity; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D055050:Diet, Gluten-Free; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S