Gut Microbiota Diversity of Preterm Neonates Is Associated With Clostridioides Difficile Colonization

Abstract

In adults, Clostridioides difficile infections are associated with alterations of the intestinal bacterial populations. Although preterm neonates (PN) are frequently colonized by C. difficile, limited data are available regarding the relationship between C. difficile and the intestinal microbiota of this specific population. Therefore, we studied the intestinal microbiota of PN from two multicenter cohorts using high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Our results showed that alpha diversity was significantly higher in children colonized by C. difficile than those without colonization. Beta diversity significantly differed between the groups. In multivariate analysis, C. difficile colonization was significantly associated with the absence of postnatal antibiotherapy and higher gestational age. Taxa belonging to the Lachnospiraceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Oscillospiraceae families and Veillonella sp. were positively associated with C. difficile colonization, whereas Bacteroidales and Bifidobacterium breve were negatively associated with C. difficile colonization. After adjustment for covariables, Clostridioides, Rothia, Bifidobacterium, Veillonella, Eisenbergiella genera and Enterobacterales were more abundant in the gut microbiota of colonized children. There was no significant association between C. difficile colonization and necrotizing enterocolitis in PN. Our results suggest that C. difficile colonization in PN is related to the establishment of physiological microbiota.

Clostridium neonatale antimicrobial susceptibility, genetic resistance determinants, and genotyping: a multicentre spatiotemporal retrospective analysis

“… 19 Both the EPIFLORE (2011) and ClosNEC (2015–16) cohorts were multicentre NEC case–control studies involving 12 French NICUs, enrolling preterm neonates with gestational age less than 32 weeks . 9 , 20 No NEC outbreak was reported during the inclusion periods. These studies were conducted in accordance with the relevant French guidelines and regulations, and informed consent was obtained from the parents of all enrolled children.…”

Core-genome multilocus sequence typing and core-SNP analysis of Clostridium neonatale strains isolated in different spatio-temporal settings

“…The EPIFLORE study took place in 2011, and the ClosNEC study was conducted between 2015 and 2016. These were NEC case-control multicenter studies that involved preterm neonates less than 32 weeks of gestational age in 12 French NICUs ( 3 , 21 ). NEC cases and control PN were obtained from the same NICU and were matched for gestational age, birth weight, type of feeding, and mode of delivery.…”