Victoria Ronan
University of Chicago Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois
Disclosure information not submitted.
Bingqing Xie, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar
University of Chicago, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Bree Andrews, MD
Physician
Comer Childrens Hospital, University of Chicago Medical Center, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Erika Claud, MD
Physician
Comer Childrens Hospital, University of Chicago Medical Center, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Title: Association of gut microbiome and early re-hospitalization of preterm infants
Background:
The interplay between the gut microbiome and maturing organ systems in preterm neonates can predispose to increased risk of morbidity later in life. Preterm neonates have multifactorial dysbiosis and are at increased risk of subsequent hospital readmission and specifically ICU admissions in childhood. We sought to determine if there are dominant taxa in the gut microbiome of preterm neonates that may be linked with increased likelihood of readmission to ICU vs. the general pediatric ward over the first four years of life.
Design:
This was a cohort study of preterm neonates cared for in the Comer NICU and enrolled in MIND (Microbiome In Neonatal Development) who were discharged from the NICU without any respiratory support. Stool samples were collected prior to NICU discharge and subsequently analyzed via 16S ribosomal RNA analysis. We performed a chart review to compare demographics and discharge morbidities. Patients were then grouped with respect to readmission type- PICU or general pediatric ward (hospital cohort). Alpha and beta diversity were compared between PICU and hospital cohorts.
Results:
13 patients were included; 8 in the PICU cohort and 5 in the hospital cohort. Length of NICU stay averaged 118 days in the PICU cohort and 105 days in the hospital cohort (p=0.7). Analysis of fecal samples showed notable differences in abundant genera between cohorts. Clostridium paraputrificum, Citrobacter raoultella, and unspecified lancefieldella were among those species more predominant in the hospital cohort, whereas unspecified shigella was more present in PICU samples.
Conclusions and relevance:
Demographic data among cohorts were not statistically significant however there were significant differences in stool microbial abundance. Although little is known about the signifiance of C. paraputrificum, C. raoultella and lancefieldella in infant health., the abundance of genus shigella in PICU cohort is in keeping with published data on its contribution to an inflammasome. This work utilizes gut microbiome data to identify patients most at risk for critical illness, with a look toward precision medicine and future risk mitigation.