Summary
The aim of the present investigation was to study the intestinal colonization ofEscherichia coli in newborn children, and to determine which strains become residential within the human intestine. TheE. coli flora of 89 newborn children was studied by repeated sampling during their first 11 or 18 months of life. TheE. coli isolates from the samples were subdivided into phenotypes by the aid of biochemical finger-printing, a method which measures the kinetics of 24 selected biochemical tests as a tool for discriminating bacterial strains. It was found thatE. coli strains colonizing children soon after birth persisted longer than strains colonizing them later. Especially those phenotypes which were defined as hospital strains persisted longer. Certain phenotypes were commonly found among the children, and these phenotypes were more persistent and more homogeneous than other phenotypes with respect to their pattern of biochemical activities. They might be specially adapted to colonize the human intestine. It was concluded that the generally long persistence of the firstE. coli strains colonizing a newborn child indicates that the first case of bacterial colonization in children may be an event too important to be allowed to happen at random.
Zusammenfassung
Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war, die Darmbesiedelung Neugeborener mitEscherichia coli zu untersuchen und zu prüfen, welche Stämme sich im menschlichen Darm dauerhaft ansiedeln. Durch wiederholte Entnahme von Proben während der ersten 11 oder 18 Lebensmonate wurde dieE. coli-Flora von 89 Neugeborenen untersucht. Die phänotypische Unterteilung derE. coli-Isolate erfolgte mit Hilfe der biochemischen Fingerprint-Methode, die die Kinetik von 24 ausgewählten biochemischen Tests zur Differenzierung von Bakterienstämmen erfaßt. Es zeigte sich, daßE. coli-Stämme, die die Kinder kurz nach der Geburt besiedeln, länger persistieren als Stämme, die sich später ansiedeln. Vor allem die als Hospitalstämme definierten Phänotypen persistieren länger. Häufig fanden sich bei den Kindern bestimmte Phänotypen, die länger persistierten und in ihrem biochemischen Aktivitätsmuster homogener waren als andere Phänotypen. Es ist möglich, daß sie für die Kolonisation des menschlichen Darmes besonders angepaßt sind. Aus der langdauernden Persistenz derE. coli-Stämme, die als erste ein Neugeborenes besiedeln, ist zu schließen, daß die bakterielle Erstbesiedelung eines Kindes ein zu wichtiges Ereignis ist, als daß man dies dem Zufall überlassen dürfte.
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Kühn, I., Möllby, R. & Tullus, K. Colonization and persistence of Escherichia coli phenotypes in the intestines of children aged 0 to 18 months. Infection 14, 7–12 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01644802
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01644802