Citation

Earley ZM, Akhtar S, Green SJ, Naqib A, Khan O, Cannon AR, Hammer AM, Morris NL, Li X, Eberhardt JM, Gamelli RL, Kennedy RH, Choudhry MA. PLoS One 2015; 10(7): e0129996.

Affiliation

Burn & Shock Trauma Research Institute, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division, Maywood, IL, 60153, United States of America; Integrative Cell Biology Program, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division, Maywood, IL, 60153, United States of America; Departments of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division, Maywood, IL, 60153, United States of America; Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division, Maywood, IL, 60153, United States of America.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Public Library of Science)

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0129996

PMID

26154283

Abstract

Sepsis remains one of the leading causes of death in burn patients who survive the initial insult of injury. Disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier has been shown after burn injury; this can lead to the translocation of bacteria or their products (e.g., endotoxin) from the intestinal lumen to the circulation, thereby increasing the risk for sepsis in immunocompromised individuals. Since the maintenance of the epithelial barrier is largely dependent on the intestinal microbiota, we examined the diversity of the intestinal microbiome of severely burned patients and a controlled mouse model of burn injury. We show that burn injury induces a dramatic dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiome of both humans and mice and allows for similar overgrowths of Gram-negative aerobic bacteria. Furthermore, we show that the bacteria increasing in abundance have the potential to translocate to extra-intestinal sites. This study provides an insight into how the diversity of the intestinal microbiome changes after burn injury and some of the consequences these gut bacteria can have in the host.

Language: en