Late-onset sepsis treatment in very preterm infants alters longitudinal microbiome trajectory with lower abundance of Bifidobacterium despite probiotic supplementation
Loading...
Date
2025-07-06
Authors
Healy, David Brian
Wang, Shuo
Patangia, Dhrati
Grimaud, Ghjuvan
Ross, R. Paul
Stanton, Catherine
Dempsey, Eugene Michael
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Ltd.
Published Version
Abstract
Introduction: Taxonomic instability within the dynamic gut microbiome of very preterm infants can be associated with various adverse outcomes. This longitudinal study was designed to follow the trajectory of microbiome composition and abundance in a cohort of probiotic supplemented very preterm infants with and without sepsis. Methods: Stool samples (n = 180) from probiotic-supplemented participants with culture-positive sepsis (n = 8) and matched healthy controls (n = 10) were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Calculation of total copy number per gram (TCN/g) by DNA spiking provided estimates of total microbial load. Results: TCN/g was significantly different between infants with and without sepsis, the latter having more rapid increase and overall higher TCN/g. In adjusted analysis, sepsis was associated with a significant abundance of Escherichia-Shigella (p = 0.02) and Veillonella (p = 0.01). Microbial load and composition appeared to fluctuate following antibiotic administration. Analysis of pre-sepsis samples showed a non-significant trend toward lower Bifidobacterium abundance and higher Escherichia-Shigella abundance in infants with subsequent sepsis. Antibiotic administration was independently associated with significantly lower (on average 250-fold lower) Bifidobacterium (p = 0.005) abundance, which remained significant after adjustment for confounders. Conclusions: Estimation of absolute abundance reveals fluctuations and blooms in key genera within the gut microbiome of very preterm infants that may not be recognized using relative abundance alone. Very preterm neonates with sepsis have a significantly different longitudinal trajectory of microbiome development, which may, in part, extend to lower Bifidobacterium and higher Escherichia-Shigella abundance prior to the onset of sepsis. Bifidobacterium abundance appears to be particularly affected by antibiotic administration compared to other genera.
Description
Keywords
Absolute abundance , Antibiotics , Bifidobacterium , Microbial load , Microbiome , Prematurity
Citation
Healy, D. B., Wang, S., Patangia, D., Grimaud, G., Ross, R. P., Stanton, C. and Dempsey, E. M. (2025) 'Late-onset sepsis treatment in very preterm infants alters longitudinal microbiome trajectory with lower abundance of Bifidobacterium despite probiotic supplementation', Gut Microbes, 17(1), 2523808 (16pp). https://doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2025.2523808