Disrupted progression of the intestinal microbiota with age in children with cystic fibrosis.

ABSTRACT: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that leads to formation of thick epithelial secretions in affected organs. Chronic microbial infections associated with thick mucus secretions are the hallmarks of lung disease in CF. Despite similar conditions existing in the gastrointestinal tract, it is much less studied. We therefore examined the microbial communities within the gastrointestinal tract of children with and without CF (either pancreatic sufficient or insufficient) across a range of childhood ages (0.87-17 years). We observed a substantial reduction in the richness and diversity of gut bacteria associated with CF from early childhood (2 years) until late adolescence (17 years). A number of bacteria that establish themselves in the gut of healthy children were unable to do so in c

SUBMITTER: Nielsen S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4855157 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature