While the UniFrac analyses we performed suggest independent associations
between microbiome composition and both delivery mode and feeding method, the substantial overlap between the communities defined by both factors suggests that there are other important drivers of microbiome community composition that remain to be identified in future analyses.
Not exact matches
We characterized the intestinal
microbiome of 102 6 - week - old infants and observed independent associations
between stool microbial community
composition, mode of delivery, and feeding method.
We evaluated the associations
between the
composition of the 6 - week intestinal
microbiome and both delivery mode and feeding method in 102 full - term, appropriately grown infants enrolled in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study.
Although a few previous studies have found associations
between infant feeding and intestinal
microbiome composition,9 - 12, 14 to our knowledge, none has examined the relative contribution of combination feeding (breast milk and formula) alongside exclusive formula or breastfeeding to overall microbial community
composition.
An emerging body of literature in adults has begun to establish clear associations
between gut
microbiome composition and a wide range of health outcomes.1 - 6 In contrast, comparatively little is known about the gut
microbiome in infants and children, the exposures that shape it, and its lifelong health effects.7 Although limited in their size and scope, a number of studies have established associations
between intestinal
microbiome profiles in infants, delivery mode, and / or breast milk exposure.8 - 15 These factors both have long - term health consequences.
In a previous study of 24 healthy women, vaginal
microbiome composition became less diverse
between the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and just before delivery was enriched with Lactobacillus species, likely contributing to vertical transmission of these bacteria during vaginal birth.21 In a study of 10 newborns in Venezuela, within hours of delivery, the intestinal tracts of infants born vaginally were colonized by Lactobacillus and Prevotella, whereas infants delivered operatively acquired bacteria present on the mother's skin and the hospital environment, such as Staphylococcus, Proprionibacterium, and Corynebacterium.15 Quiz Ref ID Our findings, based on a large group of 6 - week - old infants, indicated that Lactobacillus also contributes to the microbial environment of the gut but to a lesser extent than Bifidobacteria, Bacteroides, and Streptococcus.
We observed significant independent associations
between the
composition of the infant gut
microbiome and both delivery mode and feeding method.
«Several studies have detected differences in the
composition of the gut
microbiome between healthy people and those with obesity and type 2 diabetes, but the cause and effect remain unclear,» says Mark McCarthy, and continues:
Further comparisons with western
microbiome data showed that the Bantu
microbiome composition falls on a spectrum
between the BaAka and western populations.
Rather, it conveys the subtle and elegant choreography of one part of the human
microbiome: The relationships
between the mothers» genetics, the
composition of her breast milk and the development of her infant's gut microbiota.
In both AP1 and AP2, the associations
between the
composition of the
microbiome and specific inflammatory cytokines were decreased after treatment with an inhaled corticosteroid, a common asthma therapy.
They found that, while the species of bacteria present in the gut
microbiome vary greatly
between individuals, the
composition of the
microbiome is generally stable within the individual over time.
However, the Weizmann researchers were surprised to discover that the host's genetics play a very minor role in determining
microbiome composition — only accounting for about 2 % of the variation
between populations.
Another study from Sweden even demonstrated that the specific
microbiome composition occurring in Alzheimer's patients induces the development of disease - specific amyloid - beta plaques, thereby establishing a direct functional link
between the gut
microbiome and Alzheimer's disease — at least in mice.
While genetic and epigenetic factors play
between the host organism and the microbiota — determining which microbes successfully colonize the gut and other organs — the ultimate dictating force of the
composition of an organism's
microbiome is diet and environment.
They looked for correlations
between specific mutations in the tumor cells and the
composition of the tumor
microbiome — the types of bacteria present in the tumor's immediate environment and their relative abundance — and found relationships
between the two.
The delicate balance
between the human
microbiome and the development of psychopathologies is particularly interesting given the ease with which the
microbiome can be altered by external factors, such as diet, 23 exposure to antimicrobials24, 25 or disrupted sleep patterns.26 For example, a link
between antibiotic exposure and altered brain function is well evidenced by the psychiatric side - effects of antibiotics, which range from anxiety and panic to major depression, psychosis and delirium.1 A recent large population study reported that treatment with a single antibiotic course was associated with an increased risk for depression and anxiety, rising with multiple exposures.27 Bercik et al. 28 showed that oral administration of non-absorbable antimicrobials transiently altered the
composition of the gut microbiota in adult mice and increased exploratory behaviour and hippocampal expression of brain - derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), while intraperitoneal administration had no effect on behaviour.
Given the dynamic relationship that is emerging
between diet and the
composition of our
microbiome, researchers have observed that adult germ - free mice had 40 % less body fat their germ - bearing (conventionalized) littermates consuming the same diet.