Presence of Distinctive Microbiome in the First-pass Meconium of Newborn Infants

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2021 Oct 1

PMID 34593932

Citations 21

Authors

Jenni Turunen

Mysore V Tejesvi

Niko Paalanne

Jenni Hekkala

Outi Lindgren

Mika Kaakinen

Tytti Pokka

Anna Kaisanlahti

Justus Reunanen

Terhi Tapiainen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We critically evaluated the fetal microbiome concept in 44 neonates with placenta, amniotic fluid, and first-pass meconium samples. Placental histology showed no signs of inflammation. Meconium samples were more often bacterial culture positive after vaginal delivery. In next-generation sequencing of the bacterial 16S gene, before and after removal of extracellular and PCR contaminant DNA, the median number of reads was low in placenta (48) and amniotic fluid (46) and high in meconium samples (14,556 C-section, 24,860 vaginal). In electron microscopy, meconium samples showed extracellular vesicles. Utilizing the analysis of composition of microbiomes (ANCOM) against water, meconium samples had a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, and Escherichia-Shigella. Our results did not support the existence of the placenta and amniotic fluid microbiota in healthy pregnancies. The first-pass meconium samples, formed in utero, appeared to harbor a microbiome that may be explained by perinatal colonization or intrauterine colonization via bacterial extracellular vesicles.

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