The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 46, Issue 1 85-91, Copyright © 1997 by Society for General Microbiology

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Mucosa-associated bacterial flora of the human colon

I. R. Poxton, R. Brown, A. Sawyerr and A. Ferguson
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Edinburgh Medical School.

Biopsy samples of mucosa were taken during colonoscopy from the proximal colon and rectum of 12 patients, six with ulcerative colitis (UC) and six with non-inflammatory conditions. After anaerobic transport to the laboratory, biopsy specimens were examined by quantitative bacteriological culture on selective and non-selective media for total aerobic count, total anaerobic count, Bacteroides spp., lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and asaccharolytic, lactic acid producers. Isolates of the genus Bacteroides were identified to species level. Counts from proximal colonic and rectal biopsy samples in the same patient were not significantly different. Viable aerobic counts (aerobes and facultative organisms) ranged from 2.4 x 10(3) to 1.3 x 10(6) cfu/sample biopsy (5.6 mg) and total anaerobic counts were 10-10(2) times higher at (1.4 x 10(5))-(3 x 10(7)) cfu/sample. Bacteroides spp. predominated at both sites (range 8.6 X 10(4) to 1.4 x 10(7) cfu/sample), comprising 66% of total counts from proximal colon (range in individual patients 31-80%) and 68.5% from rectum (range 38-91%). Lactobacilli were isolated from eight biopsy samples from five patients, counts ranging from 3.6 X 10(2) to 1 X 10(5) cfu/sample; bifidobacteria were isolated from both sites from 10 of the 12 patients, counts ranging from 50 to 1.8 x 10(6) cfu/sample. From the 24 biopsy samples, 235 isolates representing 11 species of Bacteroides were identified. For any individual patient, only a few species (2-7; mean 4.4) of Bacteroides were found, with just one or two species predominating. B. vulgatus was cultured from both samples of seven patients (where it was the major isolate in four) and from single samples of two others; B. fragilis was cultured from both sites in six patients, being the major isolate in one patient and second commonest in three, but was not detected in the other six; the majority of other isolates were B. merdae/distasonis, B. ovatus, B. thetaiotaomicron and B. uniformis. B. thetaiotaomicron was isolated from both biopsy samples in all three UC patients with active inflammation (16 of the 60 isolates from these patients) but from only four of the other 18 samples from non-inflamed colonic mucosa (nine of 175 isolates).

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. O. Canny and B. A. McCormick Bacteria in the Intestine, Helpful Residents or Enemies from Within? Infect. Immun., August 1, 2008; 76(8): 3360 - 3373. [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. D. Wagner, S. J. Johnson, and C. E. Cerniglia In Vitro Model of Colonization Resistance by the Enteric Microbiota: Effects of Antimicrobial Agents Used in Food-Producing Animals Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., April 1, 2008; 52(4): 1230 - 1237. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Ahmed, G. T. Macfarlane, A. Fite, A. J. McBain, P. Gilbert, and S. Macfarlane Mucosa-Associated Bacterial Diversity in Relation to Human Terminal Ileum and Colonic Biopsy Samples Appl. Envir. Microbiol., November 15, 2007; 73(22): 7435 - 7442. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. B. Roberfroid Inulin-Type Fructans: Functional Food Ingredients J. Nutr., November 1, 2007; 137(11): 2493S - 2502S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Zhang, B. Liu, Y. Zhang, H. Wei, Y. Lei, and L. Zhao Structural Shifts of Mucosa-Associated Lactobacilli and Clostridium leptum Subgroup in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis J. Clin. Microbiol., February 1, 2007; 45(2): 496 - 500. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M P Conte, S Schippa, I Zamboni, M Penta, F Chiarini, L Seganti, J Osborn, P Falconieri, O Borrelli, and S Cucchiara Gut-associated bacterial microbiota in paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease Gut, December 1, 2006; 55(12): 1760 - 1767. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Macfarlane and G. T. Macfarlane Composition and Metabolic Activities of Bacterial Biofilms Colonizing Food Residues in the Human Gut Appl. Envir. Microbiol., September 1, 2006; 72(9): 6204 - 6211. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Macfarlane, E. J. Woodmansey, and G. T. Macfarlane Colonization of Mucin by Human Intestinal Bacteria and Establishment of Biofilm Communities in a Two-Stage Continuous Culture System Appl. Envir. Microbiol., November 1, 2005; 71(11): 7483 - 7492. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E Furrie, S Macfarlane, A Kennedy, J H Cummings, S V Walsh, D A O'Neil, and G T Macfarlane Synbiotic therapy (Bifidobacterium longum/Synergy 1) initiates resolution of inflammation in patients with active ulcerative colitis: a randomised controlled pilot trial Gut, February 1, 2005; 54(2): 242 - 249. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S J Langlands, M J Hopkins, N Coleman, and J H Cummings Prebiotic carbohydrates modify the mucosa associated microflora of the human large bowel Gut, November 1, 2004; 53(11): 1610 - 1616. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E Furrie, S Macfarlane, J H Cummings, and G T Macfarlane Systemic antibodies towards mucosal bacteria in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease differentially activate the innate immune response Gut, January 1, 2004; 53(1): 91 - 98. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Saitoh, S. Noda, Y. Aiba, A. Takagi, M. Sakamoto, Y. Benno, and Y. Koga Bacteroides ovatus as the Predominant Commensal Intestinal Microbe Causing a Systemic Antibody Response in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clin. Vaccine Immunol., January 1, 2002; 9(1): 54 - 59. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. J. McCracken, J. M. Simpson, R. I. Mackie, and H. R. Gaskins Molecular Ecological Analysis of Dietary and Antibiotic-Induced Alterations of the Mouse Intestinal Microbiota J. Nutr., June 1, 2001; 131(6): 1862 - 1870. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				S. Patrick, D. Gilpin, and L. Stevenson Detection of Intrastrain Antigenic Variation of Bacteroides fragilis Surface Polysaccharides by Monoclonal Antibody Labelling Infect. Immun., September 1, 1999; 67(9): 4346 - 4351. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. K. Buddington and E. Weiher The Application of Ecological Principles and Fermentable Fibers to Manage the Gastrointestinal Tract Ecosystem J. Nutr., July 1, 1999; 129(7): 1446 - 1446. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				J Tillonen, N Homann, M Rautio, H Jousimies-Somer, and M Salaspuro Ciprofloxacin decreases the rate of ethanol elimination in humans Gut, March 1, 1999; 44(3): 347 - 352. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]