The Preterm Infant Microbiome: Biological, Behavioral and Health Outcomes at 2 and 4 years of Age

 描述(由申请人提供)：该项目将跟踪78名极低出生体重(VLBW)婴儿之前登记的R21资助，直到4岁。在NICU住院6周期间收集的数据包括多种可能改变肠道微生物组的因素，例如产前和产后事件和疾病、母乳摄入量、牛奶中细胞因子、趋化因子、生长因子和分泌型免疫球蛋白A的周平均值，以及每周粪便钙保护素水平。在目前的研究中，粪便样本已经保存下来，用于微生物组的分析。将在Argonne National Lab的Jack Gilbert博士的实验室使用最先进的微生物sRNA基因深度测序和扩增技术来测量微生物组的种类和多样性。在这些2岁和4岁的儿童的粪便样本中，将再次测量微生物组。将分析出生前后因素、母乳量与免疫生物学、粪便钙保护素水平与极早期微生物群的关系。VLBW婴儿肠道微生物群对儿童后期微生物群的预测能力将被前瞻性地分析。随着时间的推移，微生物群落与后来的生长、发育和健康之间的关系将被确定。极低出生体重儿面临早期和晚期健康影响的风险，在这项前瞻性研究中，将首次测量微生物组在这些影响中的作用。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project will follow 78 Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) infants previously enrolled in a R21 grant through the age of 4 years. The data gathered over 6 weeks of the NICU stay includes multiple factors that potentially could alter the gut micro biome, such as prenatal and postnatal events and illnesses, amount of human milk received, weekly means of cytokines, chemokine's, growth factors and secretory Immunoglobulin A in the milk, and weekly levels of fecal calprotectin. Stool samples have been preserved for analysis of the micro biome in the current study. Micro biome species and diversities will be measured in the laboratory of Dr. Jack Gilbert at Argonne National Lab using state of the science deep sequencing and amplification of microbial sRNA genes. The micro biome will again be measured in stool samples from these children at the ages of 2 and 4 years. Relationship between the pre and postnatal factors, human milk volume and immunobiology, fecal calprotectin levels and the very early micro biome will be analyzed. The predictive power of the VLBW infant gut micro biome for determining later childhood micro biomes will be analyzed prospectively. The relationships between micro biomes across time and later growth, development and health will be determined. VLBW infants are at risk for both early and later health effects, and the role of the micro biome in these effects will be measured for the first tim in this prospective study.