Background: The bacterial diversity and microbial communities in the feces of children with cow milk protein allergy (CMPA) may
be altered; these changes have not been clearly elucidated in 5 - 8-year-old children with CMPA.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the bacterial diversity and microbial communities of feces in 5 - 8-year-old children
with CMPA and those of healthy children of the same age.
Methods: Stool samples from 12 children with CMPA and 12 healthy individuals were collected. Total bacterial DNA of all samples
were extracted and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) using bacterial v3
universal primers and the species-specific primers of
Bifidobacterium
,
Lactobacillus
, and
Clostridium coccoides
. The preponderant
bacterial bands were identified by gene sequencing.
Results: The results revealed that the diversity of fecal dominant microbiota and
C. coccoides group in children with CMPA were
significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in healthy children. Meanwhile, a lower degree of diversity in the
Bifidobacterium group and
no difference in the diversity of the
Lactobacillus group were found in the feces of children with CMPA.
Bacteroides
,
Clostridium, and
Escherichia coli
were more abundant in the fecal microbiota of CMPA children than in healthy controls. In addition,
C. celerecrescens
was found only in the fecal microbiota of CMPA children, whereas
B. bifidum
was found only in the feces of healthy children.
Conclusions: There were some notable changes in the fecal microbiota of 5 - 8-year-old children with CMPA.
