Very preterm gut microbiota development from the first week of life to 3.5 years of age: a prospective longitudinal multicenter study

ABSTRACT This study analyzed the longitudinal evolution of intestinal microbiota in very preterm neonates (PN) during and after their hospitalization. The bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach was applied for the analysis of fecal samples (n = 1,307) from 596 PN. Samples were collected at one...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gaël Toubon, Constance Patin, Johanne Delannoy, Jean-Christophe Rozé, Frédéric Barbut, Pierre-Yves Ancel, Marie-Aline Charles, Marie-José Butel, Patricia Lepage, Julio Aires
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Microbiology 2025-04-01
Series:Microbiology Spectrum
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.01636-24
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850049391035940864
author Gaël Toubon
Constance Patin
Johanne Delannoy
Jean-Christophe Rozé
Frédéric Barbut
Pierre-Yves Ancel
Marie-Aline Charles
Marie-José Butel
Patricia Lepage
Julio Aires
author_facet Gaël Toubon
Constance Patin
Johanne Delannoy
Jean-Christophe Rozé
Frédéric Barbut
Pierre-Yves Ancel
Marie-Aline Charles
Marie-José Butel
Patricia Lepage
Julio Aires
author_sort Gaël Toubon
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT This study analyzed the longitudinal evolution of intestinal microbiota in very preterm neonates (PN) during and after their hospitalization. The bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach was applied for the analysis of fecal samples (n = 1,307) from 596 PN. Samples were collected at one week after birth, at one month, at the neonatal intensive care unit discharge, and at 3.5 years of age. Over time, the intestinal microbiota of the infants matured progressively, with increasing alpha diversity and decreasing beta diversity. Based on a Dirichlet multinomial mixture clustering approach (DMM), during hospitalization, infants progressed among ten different clusters. At 3.5 years of age, only three clusters were identified. The influence of the gestational age, the neonatal antibiotic administration, and the maternal antibiotic therapy during delivery on the gut microbiota varied over time and depended on the sampling period. Preconceptional maternal body mass index (BMI) was associated with the gut microbiota of infants during the hospitalization period and at 3.5 years of age. Infants with a lower gestational age or those born by Cesarean section shifted between clusters more frequently. Using PICRUSt2, the inferred metabolic pathways revealed a change in the functional capacities of the intestinal microbiota over time. We found that preconceptional maternal BMI was the only consistent perinatal factor influencing the development of the gut microbiota over time. After hospital discharge, infants exhibited a transition toward a microbiota community similar to that of adults by 3.5 years of age, in accordance with the functional metabolic pathways of the gut microbiota.IMPORTANCEThis study is among the very few reports analyzing the gut microbiota development in very preterm infants over time in a large, multicenter population of 596 children from a well-described nationwide birth cohort, with a follow-up until the age of 3.5 years. The maturation of the intestinal microbiota was confirmed to occur over time, with increased alpha diversity and decreased beta diversity. Specifically, 13 microbiota clusters were identified during the hospitalization period, while and only three clusters were observed at 3.5 years. Infants born prematurely or via Cesarean section exhibited a less stable microbiota, frequently shifting clusters. A number of perinatal factors were identified as influencing the development of the microbiota. Among these, the preconceptional maternal BMI emerged as the only consistent factor up to 3.5 years. The metabolic pathways of the microbiota evolved over time, in accordance with the maturation of the gut microbiota.
format Article
id doaj-art-e4b1e0a24de34b90a1beba5086ced16c
institution DOAJ
issn 2165-0497
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher American Society for Microbiology
record_format Article
series Microbiology Spectrum
spelling doaj-art-e4b1e0a24de34b90a1beba5086ced16c2025-08-20T02:53:43ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyMicrobiology Spectrum2165-04972025-04-0113410.1128/spectrum.01636-24Very preterm gut microbiota development from the first week of life to 3.5 years of age: a prospective longitudinal multicenter studyGaël Toubon0Constance Patin1Johanne Delannoy2Jean-Christophe Rozé3Frédéric Barbut4Pierre-Yves Ancel5Marie-Aline Charles6Marie-José Butel7Patricia Lepage8Julio Aires9INSERM, UMR1153 Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et StatistiqueS (CRESS), Université Paris Cité, Paris, FranceINRAE, UMR 1319, AgrosParisTech, Institut Micalis, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, FranceINSERM, UMR-S 1139, Physiopathologie et Pharmacotoxicologie Placentaire Humaine Microbiote Pré & Postnatal, Université Paris Cité,, Paris, FranceINRAE, UMR 1280, Physiologie des Adaptations Nutritionnelles (PhAN), Université Hospitalière de Nantes, Nantes, FranceINSERM, UMR-S 1139, Physiopathologie et Pharmacotoxicologie Placentaire Humaine Microbiote Pré & Postnatal, Université Paris Cité,, Paris, FranceINSERM, UMR1153 Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et StatistiqueS (CRESS), Université Paris Cité, Paris, FranceINSERM, UMR1153 Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et StatistiqueS (CRESS), Université Paris Cité, Paris, FranceINSERM, UMR-S 1139, Physiopathologie et Pharmacotoxicologie Placentaire Humaine Microbiote Pré & Postnatal, Université Paris Cité,, Paris, FranceINRAE, UMR 1319, AgrosParisTech, Institut Micalis, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, FranceINSERM, UMR-S 1139, Physiopathologie et Pharmacotoxicologie Placentaire Humaine Microbiote Pré & Postnatal, Université Paris Cité,, Paris, FranceABSTRACT This study analyzed the longitudinal evolution of intestinal microbiota in very preterm neonates (PN) during and after their hospitalization. The bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach was applied for the analysis of fecal samples (n = 1,307) from 596 PN. Samples were collected at one week after birth, at one month, at the neonatal intensive care unit discharge, and at 3.5 years of age. Over time, the intestinal microbiota of the infants matured progressively, with increasing alpha diversity and decreasing beta diversity. Based on a Dirichlet multinomial mixture clustering approach (DMM), during hospitalization, infants progressed among ten different clusters. At 3.5 years of age, only three clusters were identified. The influence of the gestational age, the neonatal antibiotic administration, and the maternal antibiotic therapy during delivery on the gut microbiota varied over time and depended on the sampling period. Preconceptional maternal body mass index (BMI) was associated with the gut microbiota of infants during the hospitalization period and at 3.5 years of age. Infants with a lower gestational age or those born by Cesarean section shifted between clusters more frequently. Using PICRUSt2, the inferred metabolic pathways revealed a change in the functional capacities of the intestinal microbiota over time. We found that preconceptional maternal BMI was the only consistent perinatal factor influencing the development of the gut microbiota over time. After hospital discharge, infants exhibited a transition toward a microbiota community similar to that of adults by 3.5 years of age, in accordance with the functional metabolic pathways of the gut microbiota.IMPORTANCEThis study is among the very few reports analyzing the gut microbiota development in very preterm infants over time in a large, multicenter population of 596 children from a well-described nationwide birth cohort, with a follow-up until the age of 3.5 years. The maturation of the intestinal microbiota was confirmed to occur over time, with increased alpha diversity and decreased beta diversity. Specifically, 13 microbiota clusters were identified during the hospitalization period, while and only three clusters were observed at 3.5 years. Infants born prematurely or via Cesarean section exhibited a less stable microbiota, frequently shifting clusters. A number of perinatal factors were identified as influencing the development of the microbiota. Among these, the preconceptional maternal BMI emerged as the only consistent factor up to 3.5 years. The metabolic pathways of the microbiota evolved over time, in accordance with the maturation of the gut microbiota.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.01636-24very preterm neonatesgut microbiotaenterotypeslongitudinal study16S rRNA gene sequencinggestational age
spellingShingle Gaël Toubon
Constance Patin
Johanne Delannoy
Jean-Christophe Rozé
Frédéric Barbut
Pierre-Yves Ancel
Marie-Aline Charles
Marie-José Butel
Patricia Lepage
Julio Aires
Very preterm gut microbiota development from the first week of life to 3.5 years of age: a prospective longitudinal multicenter study
Microbiology Spectrum
very preterm neonates
gut microbiota
enterotypes
longitudinal study
16S rRNA gene sequencing
gestational age
title Very preterm gut microbiota development from the first week of life to 3.5 years of age: a prospective longitudinal multicenter study
title_full Very preterm gut microbiota development from the first week of life to 3.5 years of age: a prospective longitudinal multicenter study
title_fullStr Very preterm gut microbiota development from the first week of life to 3.5 years of age: a prospective longitudinal multicenter study
title_full_unstemmed Very preterm gut microbiota development from the first week of life to 3.5 years of age: a prospective longitudinal multicenter study
title_short Very preterm gut microbiota development from the first week of life to 3.5 years of age: a prospective longitudinal multicenter study
title_sort very preterm gut microbiota development from the first week of life to 3 5 years of age a prospective longitudinal multicenter study
topic very preterm neonates
gut microbiota
enterotypes
longitudinal study
16S rRNA gene sequencing
gestational age
url https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.01636-24
work_keys_str_mv AT gaeltoubon verypretermgutmicrobiotadevelopmentfromthefirstweekoflifeto35yearsofageaprospectivelongitudinalmulticenterstudy
AT constancepatin verypretermgutmicrobiotadevelopmentfromthefirstweekoflifeto35yearsofageaprospectivelongitudinalmulticenterstudy
AT johannedelannoy verypretermgutmicrobiotadevelopmentfromthefirstweekoflifeto35yearsofageaprospectivelongitudinalmulticenterstudy
AT jeanchristopheroze verypretermgutmicrobiotadevelopmentfromthefirstweekoflifeto35yearsofageaprospectivelongitudinalmulticenterstudy
AT fredericbarbut verypretermgutmicrobiotadevelopmentfromthefirstweekoflifeto35yearsofageaprospectivelongitudinalmulticenterstudy
AT pierreyvesancel verypretermgutmicrobiotadevelopmentfromthefirstweekoflifeto35yearsofageaprospectivelongitudinalmulticenterstudy
AT mariealinecharles verypretermgutmicrobiotadevelopmentfromthefirstweekoflifeto35yearsofageaprospectivelongitudinalmulticenterstudy
AT mariejosebutel verypretermgutmicrobiotadevelopmentfromthefirstweekoflifeto35yearsofageaprospectivelongitudinalmulticenterstudy
AT patricialepage verypretermgutmicrobiotadevelopmentfromthefirstweekoflifeto35yearsofageaprospectivelongitudinalmulticenterstudy
AT julioaires verypretermgutmicrobiotadevelopmentfromthefirstweekoflifeto35yearsofageaprospectivelongitudinalmulticenterstudy