title: Dysbiosis of bifidobacteria and Clostridium cluster XIVa in the cystic fibrosis fecal microbiota.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recurrent antimicrobial interventions and disease-related intestinal dysfunction are suspected to contribute to the dysbiosis of the gastrointestinal microbial ecosystem in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The present study set out to detect and identify microbial discriminants in the gut microbiota composition that are associated with CF-related intestinal dysbiosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  An in-depth description of CF-associated gut dysbiosis was obtained by screening denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprints for potentially discriminating bacterial species, and quantification by means of real-time PCR analyses using group-specific primers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 8 DGGE band-classes assigned to the genus Bifidobacterium (n=3), and members of Clostridium clusters XIVa (n=3) and IV (n=2), were significantly (p<0.05) underrepresented in samples of patients with CF. Real-time PCR analyses confirmed a significantly lower abundance and temporal stability of bifidobacteria and Clostridium cluster XIVa in the fecal microbiota of patients with CF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to report specific microbial determinants of dysbiosis in patients with CF.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gwen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Duytschaever
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huys
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bekaert
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boulanger
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Boeck
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vandamme
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003013:Clostridium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D054892:Metagenome; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction