Differences in Fecal Microbiota in Different European Study Populations in Relation to Age, Gender, and Country: a Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

A cross-sectional study on intestinal microbiota composition was performed on 230 healthy subjects at four European locations in France, Germany, Italy, and Sweden. The study participants were assigned to two age groups: 20 to 50 years (mean age, 35 years; n ‫؍‬ 85) and >60 years (mean age, 75 years; n ‫؍‬ 145). A set of 14 group-and species-specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes was applied to the analysis of fecal samples by fluorescence in situ hybridization coupled with flow cytometry. Marked country-age interactions were observed for the German and Italian study groups. These interactions were inverse for the predominant bacterial groups Eubacterium rectale-Clostridium coccoides and Bacteroides-Prevotella. Differences between European populations were observed for the Bifidobacterium group only. Proportions of bifidobacteria were two-to threefold higher in the Italian study population than in any other study group, and this effect was independent of age. Higher proportions of enterobacteria were found in all elderly volunteers independent of the location. Gender effects were observed for the Bacteroides-Prevotella group, with higher levels in males than in females. In summary, age-related differences in the microbiota makeup were detected but differed between the study populations from the four countries, each showing a characteristic colonization pattern.

Lactobacillus acidophilus 74-2 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis DGCC 420 modulate unspecific cellular immune response in healthy adults

“…Secondly, the detection limit of FISH is approximately 0.1% (equal to 1 target cell if 1000 DAPI-stained cells are counted). Harmsen et al (1999Harmsen et al ( , 2002 and Mueller et al (2006) detected between 0.01 and 0.2% of total DAPI counts in faeces using the group-specific probe LAB158. In consideration of the species specificity of the Lba probe used in this study (Pot et al, 1993) relatively high values were observed.…”

Probiotic cheese containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM® modifies subpopulations of fecal lactobacilli and Clostridium difficile in the elderly

“…In addition, increasing evidence suggests that aging is associated with alterations in the gut microbiota (Bartosch et al 2004;Biagi et al 2010;Gavini et al 2001;Hopkins et al 2001;Hopkins and Macfarlane 2002;Mueller et al 2006;Woodmansey et al 2004). Moreover, elderly subjects living in hospitals and nursing homes are susceptible to increased pathogen challenges.…”

Ageing, immunity and influenza: a role for probiotics?

“…A reduction in total gene counts in faecal samples from 178 elderly subjects in long-term care compared with those in the community illustrates the reduction in gut microbiota biodiversity, which is associated with frailty, morbidity and poor nutritional status in elderly subjects (1) . Also commonly reported is an age-related increase in facultative anaerobes, including streptococci, staphylococci, enterococci and enterobacteria (4)(5)(6)(7) . These are sometimes referred to as 'pathobionts'; bacteria, which are present at low concentrations in the healthy gut microbiota, but thrive in inflamed conditions and actively promote the inflammation by producing inflammatory stimuli (7) .…”