Characterizing the Gut Microbiota Alteration Associated With Severe Acute Malnutrition

Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection

Status

Completed

Conditions

Severe Malnutrition

Child Nutrition Disorders

Malnutrition

Kwashiorkor

Marasmus

Infant Nutrition Disorders

Treatments

Biological: Stool samples

Study type

Observational

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT02413905

SAMGUT

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators performed two case-control studies in Niger and Senegal analysing fecal microbiota to characterize the specificity of the gut microbiota alteration associated with severe acute malnutrition (SAM).

Full description

Fecal samples of cases (severe acute malnutrition (SAM) ascertained according to the WHO definition) and controls (asymptomatic healthy children ascertained by clinical and anthropometric criteria) were analysed by v3v4 16S rRNA sequencing, redox and pH measurement and using specific polymerase chain reaction targeting Methanobrevibacter smithii and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Based on the literature and oxydative stress reported in SAM, the investigators tested if the proportion of aerotolerant prokaryotes is increased among gut prokaryotes enriched in SAM in comparison to prokaryotes enriched in controls. The investigators further linked this to fecal redox potential and assessed the total number of bacteria in feces by flux cytometry.

Enrollment

100 patients

Sex

All

Ages

Under 59 months old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Children aged 0-59 months of varying nutritional status from Niamey (Niger) and Dakar (Senegal).

Exclusion criteria

Absence of parent or patient consent, antibiotic administration <2 months before stool collection and insufficient fecal amount. Exclusion criteria for controls included any form of malnutrition, presence of fever, acute respiratory infection (cough), acute or chronic diarrhea in the previous 4 weeks. Symptoms and complications of malnutrition (cough, fever, diarrhoea, vomiting) nor other form of malnutrition (moderate to severe stunting and underweight) were not a reason of exclusion for cases since they are considered as direct consequence and part of severe acute malnutrition.