Fecal bacteriome in pediatric celiac disease
This prospective longitudinal study investigated fecal bacteriome dynamics in children with biopsy-confirmed celiac disease (CD) during gluten-free diet (GFD) treatment. Fecal samples were collected from 23 children with CD at diagnosis and after 4–6 and 12–18 months of GFD, together with samples from 23 matched children with GERD as controls. Bacteriome composition was assessed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and qPCR. At diagnosis, children with CD exhibited reduced bacterial diversity and altered community structure characterized by decreased abundance of beneficial commensal taxa, including Faecalibacterium, and increased abundance of dysbiosis-associated genera such as Clostridium. During GFD, bacteriome composition shifted toward that of healthy controls; however, complete restoration was not achieved, and several taxonomic differences persisted throughout follow-up. Functional prediction analyses suggested partial recovery of microbial metabolic pathways associated with short-chain fatty acid production. These data provide a longitudinal view of gut bacteriome alterations and their incomplete normalization during dietary treatment of pediatric CD.
This prospective longitudinal study investigated fecal bacteriome dynamics in children with biopsy-confirmed celiac disease (CD) during gluten-free diet (GFD) treatment. Fecal samples were collected from 23 children with CD at diagnosis and after 4–6 and 12–18 months of GFD, together with samples from 23 matched children with GERD as controls. Bacteriome composition was assessed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and qPCR. At diagnosis, children with CD exhibited reduced bacterial diversity and altered community structure characterized by decreased abundance of beneficial commensal taxa, including Faecalibacterium, and increased abundance of dysbiosis-associated genera such as Clostridium. During GFD, bacteriome composition shifted toward that of healthy controls; however, complete restoration was not achieved, and several taxonomic differences persisted throughout follow-up. Functional prediction analyses suggested partial recovery of microbial metabolic pathways associated with short-chain fatty acid production. These data provide a longitudinal view of gut bacteriome alterations and their incomplete normalization during dietary treatment of pediatric CD.