| Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a gastrointestinal (GI) disease primarily targeting infants. The etiology of this disease along with the role of the GI microbiome in NEC remains elusive. This study focused on the characterization of the diverse GI microbiome in preterm infants with NEC. We used phenotypic and genotypic analyses to characterize the bacteria associated with infants with NEC. API 20E profile index identified 8 genera belonging to Pantoea, Serratia, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Enterobacter, Kluyvera, Vibrio and Klebsiella. These genera were delineated to 16 species. Isolates identified by phenotypic characterization were confirmed by DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Using 16S rDNA we analyzed 25 sequences generated from fifteen fecal samples. BLAST and PHYLIP sequence alignment revealed a diverse community of 17 phylotypes, most of which were consistent with previously reported commensal enteric microbes. Enterococcus feacalis and Escherichia coli were the most predominant species. It was of interest to find associated with all NEC infants, the pathogenic strain, E. coli 536 along with Shigella boydii, Shigella dysenteriae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio vulnificus, and Vibrio cholerae. The role of these pathogens in the disease pathology of NEC is not clear at this time. Phenotypic and genotypic analyses were both useful in the detection of representative microbiota in the NEC cases as no single method identified all bacterial isolates. |
