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- Title
Intestinal microbiota and secretory immunoglobulin A in feces of exclusively breast-fed infants with blood-streaked stools.
- Authors
Kumagai, Hideki; Maisawa, Shun-ichi; Tanaka, Mamoru; Takahashi, Motomichi; Takasago, Yuhei; Nishijima, Asaka; Watanabe, Shuhka
- Abstract
ABSTRACT Episodes of blood-streaked stools are not uncommon in exclusively breast-fed infants under 6 months of age. Such bleeding is thought to be associated with food protein-induced proctocolitis, however the pathomechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate intestinal microbiota and secretory immunoglobulin A in the feces of exclusively breast-fed infants with blood-streaked stools. Fecal specimens from 15 full-term infants with blood-streaked stools and 15 breast-fed healthy infants were studied and the results compared. All infants had been delivered vaginally and exclusively breast-fed. The fecal microbiota were investigated by phylogenetic analysis combined with culture methods for some bacterial species, and feces were assessed for the presence of fecal secretory immunoglobulin A by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Phylogenetic cluster analysis revealed four major clusters of fecal bacteria, cluster A being found only in healthy infants. The Bacteroides fragilis group was observed more frequently in controls than in patients ( P < 0.05). In the controls, the predominant species belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae group was Escherichia coli, whereas in the patients it was Klebsiella ( P < 0.05). Concentrations of secretory immunoglobulin A were high in one third of the healthy controls. In conclusion, the pathomechanism of rectal bleeding in exclusively breast-fed infants may be related to differences in the composition of their intestinal flora.
- Subjects
GUT microbiome; IMMUNOGLOBULIN A; FECES; MICROBIOLOGY; BREASTFEEDING; PHYLOGENY; ENZYME-linked immunosorbent assay; ENTEROBACTERIACEAE; ESCHERICHIA coli
- Publication
Microbiology & Immunology, 2012, Vol 56, Issue 10, p657
- ISSN
0385-5600
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1348-0421.2012.00487.x