title: Effect of Saccharomyces boulardii and Mode of Delivery on the Early Development of the Gut Microbial Community in Preterm Infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent advances in culture-independent approaches have enabled insights into the diversity, complexity, and individual variability of gut microbial communities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of oral administration of Saccharomyces (S.) boulardii and mode of delivery on the intestinal microbial community in preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stool samples were collected from preterm newborns randomly divided into two groups: a probiotic-receiving group (n = 18) or a placebo group (n = 21). Samples were collected before probiotic intake (day 0), and after 2 and 6 weeks of supplementation. The composition of colonizing bacteria was assessed by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing of fecal samples using the Ion 16S Metagenomics Kit and the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine platform.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 11932257 reads were generated, and were clustered into 459, 187, and 176 operational taxonomic units at 0 days, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks, respectively. Of the 17 identified phyla, Firmicutes Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were universal. The microbial community differed at day 0 compared with at 2 weeks and 6 weeks. There was a tendency for increased bacterial diversity at 2 weeks and 6 weeks compared with day 0, and infants with a gestational age of 31 weeks or higher presented increased bacterial diversity prior to S. boulardii administration. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria remained stable during the observation period, whereas Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes increased in abundance, the latter particularly more sharply in vaginally delivered infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While the mode of delivery may influence the development of a microbial community, this study had not enough power to detect statistical differences between cohorts supplemented with probiotics, and in a consequence, to speculate on S. boulardii effect on gut microbiome composition in preterm newborns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Oncology, Medical Center for Postgraduate Education, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zeber-Lubecka
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Oncology, Medical Center for Postgraduate Education, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kulecka
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Oncology, Medical Center for Postgraduate Education, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ambrozkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Oncology, Medical Center for Postgraduate Education, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paziewska
authors.affiliation: Neonatal and Intensive Care Department, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Milosz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lechowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Konopka
authors.affiliation: Neonatal and Intensive Care Department, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Majewska
authors.affiliation: Neonatal and Intensive Care Department, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borszewska-Kornacka
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikula
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Bozena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cukrowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Oncology, Medical Center for Postgraduate Education, Warsaw, Poland.|Department of Genetics, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ostrowski
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D054892:Metagenome; D019936:Probiotics; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D021521:Ribotyping; D012440:Saccharomyces; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic