Journal Article

Short-Term Antibiotic Treatment Has Differing Long-Term Impacts on the Human Throat and Gut Microbiome

Jakobsson, Hedvig E., Jernberg, Cecilia, Sjölund-Karlsson, Maria, Engstrand, Lars, Jansson, Janet K., Andersson, Anders F.

2010

Overview

Antibiotic administration is the standard treatment for the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, the main causative agent of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. However, the long-term consequences of this treatment on the human indigenous microbiota are relatively unexplored. Here we studied short- and long-term effects of clarithromycin and metronidazole treatment, a commonly used therapy regimen against H. pylori, on the indigenous microbiota in the throat and in the lower intestine. The bacterial compositions in samples collected over a four-year period were monitored by analyzing the 16S rRNA gene using 454-based pyrosequencing and terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). While the microbial communities of untreated control subjects were relatively stable over time, dramatic shifts were observed one week after antibiotic treatment with reduced bacterial diversity in all treated subjects in both locations. While the microbiota of the different subjects responded uniquely to the antibiotic treatment some general trends could be observed; such as a dramatic decline in Actinobacteria in both throat and feces immediately after treatment. Although the diversity of the microbiota subsequently recovered to resemble the pre treatment states, the microbiota remained perturbed in some cases for up to four years post treatment. In addition, four years after treatment high levels of the macrolide resistance gene erm(B) were found, indicating that antibiotic resistance, once selected for, can persist for longer periods of time than previously recognized. This highlights the importance of a restrictive antibiotic usage in order to prevent subsequent treatment failure and potential spread of antibiotic resistance.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: 16S/genetics / Analysis / Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use / Antibiotic resistance / ANTIBIOTICS / Antiulcer agents / Bacteria / Bacteriology / Bacteroides / Basic Medicine / Biologi / Biology / Care and treatment / Case-Control Studies / Clarithromycin / Clarithromycin - administration & dosage / Colorectal cancer / COMMUNITIES / Deoxyribonucleic acid / Digestive system / Disease control / DISEASES / DNA / Drug Resistance / Drug Resistance, Microbial - genetics / Dyspepsia - drug therapy / FECES / Firmicutes / Gastric cancer / Gastrointestinal Tract - drug effects / Gastrointestinal Tract - microbiology / Gastrointestinal Tract/drug effects/microbiology / Gene polymorphism / GENES / Helicobacter pylori / Humans / Infectious diseases / Infectious Diseases/Antimicrobials and Drug Resistance / Infectious Diseases/Gastrointestinal Infections / Intestinal microflora / Intestine / Long-term effects / Medical and Health Sciences / MEDICIN / Medicin och hälsovetenskap / MEDICINE / Medicinska grundvetenskaper / METRONIDAZOLE / Metronidazole - administration & dosage / Microbial activity / Microbial drug resistance / Microbial/genetics / Microbiology / Microbiology in the medical area / Microbiology/Medical Microbiology / Microbiota / Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms) / Microorganisms / Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området / NATURAL SCIENCES / NATURVETENSKAP / NEOPLASMS / Oligonucleotides - genetics / Omeprazole - administration & dosage / Peptic ulcer / Pharynx / Pharynx - drug effects / Pharynx - microbiology / Pharynx/drug effects/microbiology / Phylogenetics / Phylogeny / Polymerase chain reaction / Polymorphism / Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length / Restriction Fragment Length / Restriction fragment length polymorphism / Ribosomal / RNA / RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics / rRNA 16S / Short term / Stomach cancer / THERAPY / Time Factors / ULCERS