Altered fecal short chain fatty acid composition in children with a history of Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Children with Hirschsprung disease (HD) who have a history of enterocolitis (HAEC) have a shift in colonic microbiota, many of which are necessary for short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. As SCFAs play a critical role in colonic mucosal preservation, we hypothesized that fecal SCFA composition is altered in children with HAEC.

METHODS:

A multicenter study enrolled 18 HD children, abstracting for history of feeding, antibiotic/probiotic use, and enterocolitis symptoms. HAEC status was determined per Pastor et al. criteria (12). Fresh feces were collected for microbial community analysis via 16S sequencing as well as SCFA analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

RESULTS:

Nine patients had a history of HAEC, and nine had never had HAEC. Fecal samples from HAEC children showed a 4-fold decline in total SCFA concentration vs. non-HAEC HD patients. We then compared the relative composition of individual SCFAs and found reduced acetate and increased butyrate in HAEC children. Finally, we measured relative abundance of SCFA-producing fecal microbiota. Interestingly, 10 of 12 butyrate-producing genera as well as 3 of 4 acetate-producing genera demonstrated multi-fold expansion.

CONCLUSION:

Children with HAEC history have reduced fecal SCFAs and altered SCFA profile. These findings suggest a complex interplay between the colonic metabolome and changes in microbiota, which may influence the pathogenesis of HAEC.

• Authors: Farokh R Demehri, Philip K Frykman, Zhi Cheng, Chunhai Ruan, Tomas Wester, Agneta Nordenskjöld, Akemi Kawaguchi, Thomas T Hui, Anna L Granström, Vince Funari, Daniel H Teitelbaum, HAEC Collaborative Research Group
• Journal: Journal of pediatric surgery (J Pediatr Surg) Vol. 51 Issue 1 Pg. 81-6 (Jan 2016) ISSN: 1531-5037 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 26561246 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• Fatty Acids, Volatile

Topics

• Adolescent
• Biomarkers (metabolism)
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Enterocolitis (etiology, metabolism, microbiology)
• Fatty Acids, Volatile (metabolism)
• Feces (chemistry)
• Female
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
• Gastrointestinal Microbiome (physiology)
• Hirschsprung Disease (complications, metabolism, microbiology, surgery)
• Humans
• Infant
• Male