Lactobacilli in the intestinal microbiota of Swedish infants

• Lactobacillus colonisation was examined in 112 Swedish infants. Faecal samples obtained at 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks and at 6, 12 and 18 months of age were cultivated quantitatively on Rogosa agar. Lactobacilli were speciated by PCR and typed to the strain level by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Lactobacilli reached a peak at 6 months when 45% of the infants were colonised. L. rhamnosus and L. gasseri were the most common species in this period. Colonisation by lactobacilli in general (P < 0.01) and L. rhamnosus in particular (P < 0.05) was more common in breast-fed than in weaned infants at 6 months of age. Lactobacillus isolation reached a nadir of 17% by 12 months (P < 0.0001), but increased to 31% by 18 months of age P < 0.05). The food-related species L. paracasei, L. plantarum, L. acidophilus and L. delbrueckii dominated in this second phase. A single strain persisted for at least 3 weeks in 17% of the infants during the first 6 months, most commonly L. rhamnosus. Lactobacillus population counts in colonised infants increased from 10(6.4) cfu/g at 1 week to 10(8.8) cfu/g at 6 months, and then dropped to 10(5.4) cfu/g faeces at 12 months of age. Lactobacillus colonisation was not significantly related to delivery mode, or to presence of siblings or pets in the household. Our results suggest that certain Lactobacillus species, especially L. rhamnosus, thrive in the intestinal flora of breast-fed infants. After weaning they are replaced by other Lactobacillus species of types found in food.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Pediatrik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Pediatrics (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Microbiology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Infektionsmedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Infectious Medicine (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Breast Feeding

Colony Count

Microbial

DNA Fingerprinting

DNA

Bacterial/analysis

Feces/microbiology

Humans

Infant

Infant

Newborn

Intestines/*microbiology

purification

Polymerase Chain Reaction

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique

Sweden

Time Factors

Weaning

Lactobacillus

Colonisation

Intestine

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)