Non-invasive analysis of intestinal development in preterm and term infants using RNA-Sequencing.

ABSTRACT: The state and development of the intestinal epithelium is vital for infant health, and increased understanding in this area has been limited by an inability to directly assess epithelial cell biology in the healthy newborn intestine. To that end, we have developed a novel, noninvasive, molecular approach that utilizes next generation RNA sequencing on stool samples containing intact epithelial cells for the purpose of quantifying intestinal gene expression. We then applied this technique to compare host gene expression in healthy term and extremely preterm infants. Bioinformatic analyses demonstrate repeatable detection of human mRNA expression, and network analysis shows immune cell function and inflammation pathways to be up-regulated in preterm infants. This study provides incontroverti

SUBMITTER: Knight JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4071321 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature