Yang Keng-Chin, Tien Wan-Yu, Cheng Ming-Fang
Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital Tainan Branch, Tainan, Taiwan.
J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2024 Dec;57(6):896-905. doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2024.08.010. Epub 2024 Aug 28.
Antimicrobial resistance, particularly in third-generation cephalosporin-resistant (3GC-R) Escherichia coli (E. coli), poses major global health challenges and has various clinical implications. Researchers have explored the relationship between extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli and gut microbiota composition, which influence host health and disease susceptibility, in adults. In this study, we analyzed gut microbiota composition in Taiwanese children by the colonization status of 3GC-R E. coli.
This cross-sectional study included children (age, 0-6 years) from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Fecal samples were subjected to microbiological and gut microbiome (full-length 16S rRNA sequencing) analyses. The antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli colonies isolated from the samples was tested. Furthermore, gut microbiota compositions and diversity indices were compared between 3GC-R E. coli carriers and noncarriers.
Approximately 46% of all children aged <6 years carried 3GC-R E. coli. The abundances of Drancourtella, Romboutsia, and Desulfovibrio (genus level) were higher in carriers than in noncarriers. By contrast, the abundances of Odoribacteraceae (family level) and Sutterella (genus level) were higher in noncarriers than in carriers. No significant between-group difference was observed in alpha diversity. However, a significant between-group difference was noted in beta diversity (unweighted UniFrac analysis).
This is the first study that investigated differences in the gut microbiota between healthy 3GC-R E. coli carriers and noncarriers in children, suggesting potential mechanisms involving altered utilization of short-chain fatty acids and elevated succinate levels contributing to increased colonization of 3GC-R E. coli. The other taxa identified in this study may contribute to colonization resistance in the pediatric population.
抗菌药物耐药性，尤其是对第三代头孢菌素耐药（3GC-R）的大肠埃希菌，给全球健康带来了重大挑战，并具有多种临床意义。研究人员已探讨了产超广谱β-内酰胺酶的大肠埃希菌与成人肠道微生物群组成之间的关系，而肠道微生物群组成会影响宿主健康和疾病易感性。在本研究中，我们根据3GC-R大肠埃希菌的定植状态分析了台湾儿童的肠道微生物群组成。
这项横断面研究纳入了来自台湾高雄的儿童（年龄0至6岁）。对粪便样本进行微生物学和肠道微生物组（全长16S rRNA测序）分析。检测从样本中分离出的大肠埃希菌菌落的抗菌药物敏感性。此外，比较了3GC-R大肠埃希菌携带者和非携带者之间的肠道微生物群组成及多样性指数。
所有6岁以下儿童中约46%携带3GC-R大肠埃希菌。在携带者中，德兰古菌属、罗姆布茨菌属和脱硫弧菌属（属水平）的丰度高于非携带者。相比之下，在非携带者中，奥氏杆菌科（科水平）和萨特菌属（属水平）的丰度高于携带者。两组之间在α多样性方面未观察到显著差异。然而，在β多样性方面（非加权UniFrac分析）两组之间存在显著差异。
这是第一项研究健康儿童中3GC-R大肠埃希菌携带者和非携带者肠道微生物群差异的研究，提示了潜在机制，包括短链脂肪酸利用改变和琥珀酸水平升高有助于3GC-R大肠埃希菌定植增加。本研究中鉴定出的其他分类群可能有助于儿童群体中的定植抗性。
