Abstract
The possibility that the large amounts of bile acids found in CF stools could be related to an abnormal fecal flora giving rise to altered microbial bile acid transformation was examined in 7 CF off antibiotics (CF1), in 10 on oral cloxacillin (CF2) and in 6 on I.V. cloxacillin, gentamycin and carbenicillin (CF3). Their fecal flora and bile acids were also compared to those of 7 control children. The concentration (mg/g wet stool) of bile acids in CF1 (5.5 ± 1.0) decreased to (2.2 ± .4) in CF2 and to (1.0 ± .4) in CF3. A larger % of fecal bile acids in CF1 were deconjugated and had undergone either dehydroxylation or dehydrogenation as compared to CF2 and CF3. Furthermore,the conjugated bile acid fraction in CF1 showed a lower glycine/taurine ratio (3.6) than in CF2 (8.4) and CF3 (5.3) and a higher % of secondary forms. The anaerobic flora (log cts/g wet stool) was strikingly reduced in the CF3 group (4.3 ± 1.0) as compared to CF1 (9.1 ± .1) and CF2 (9.6 ± .2). In this latter group, the total flora was larger and this was mainly accounted for by an increase in aerobic gram negatives. Both the total flora and the anaerobic flora were decreased in CF1 when compared to controls. This was largely due to a diminution of total anaerobes. The close relationship between the anaerobic flora, bile acid concentration and microbial transformation observed in the CF groups was also present when CF1 children were compared to controls.
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Roy, C., Pelage, G., Robitaille, L. et al. 464 MICROBIAL BILE ACID TRANSFORMATION AND THE RECTAL MICROFLORA IN CONTROL AND CF CHILDREN. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 441 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00469
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00469