Gut microbiota and the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates

Nadim Cassir (1) , Umberto Simeoni (2, 3) , Bernard La Scola (1)

1 URMITE - Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes
2 VRCM - Vascular research center of Marseille
3 Service de Médecine Néonatale

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains a devastating intestinal disease in preterm neonates. In this population, disruption of the gut microbiota development, mainly due to organ immaturity, antibiotic use and hospital microbial environment, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of NEC. This gut dysbiosis has been associated with opportunistic pathogens overgrowth, expression of virulence factors, altered metabolic functions and inflammatory dysregulated responses. In this review, we provide an updated summary of the host and gut microbiota interactions during the formative early life. We also explore the key determinants of gut dysbiosis in preterm neonates with NEC. Finally, we discuss the promising role of bacteriotherapy in the management of NEC, the aim being to shape or restore the beneficial gut bacterial communities.

Domaines: Maladies infectieuses

Nadim Cassir, Umberto Simeoni, Bernard La Scola. Gut microbiota and the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates. Future Microbiology, 2016, 11 (2), pp.273-292. ⟨10.2217/fmb.15.136⟩. ⟨hal-01459944⟩