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，这些婴儿以前参加了R21补助金，直到4岁。在NICU停留的6周内收集的数据包括可能改变肠道微生物组的多种因素，例如产前和产后事件和疾病，接受的人乳量，乳汁中细胞因子、趋化因子、生长因子和分泌性免疫球蛋白A的每周平均值，以及粪便钙卫蛋白的每周水平。在本研究中，保存粪便样本用于微生物组分析。将在阿贡国家实验室的Jack吉尔伯特博士实验室中使用微生物sRNA基因的科学深度测序和扩增来测量微生物群落物种和多样性。将在这些儿童2岁和4岁时的粪便样本中再次测量微生物组。将分析产前和产后因素、母乳量和免疫生物学、粪便钙卫蛋白水平和极早期微生物组之间的关系。将前瞻性分析极低出生体重婴儿肠道微生物组确定儿童后期微生物组的预测能力。将确定微生物群之间的关系，随着时间的推移和以后的生长，发育和健康。极低出生体重婴儿有早期和后期健康影响的风险，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.