Application of denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography for intestinal microbiota analysis of newborns

Aims: Neonatal microbiota development seems to play a key role in the early origins of health and disease. However, the analysis of this complex ecosystem is still difficult. The aim of this work was to investigate the feasibility of a new technique, denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC), to analyze newborn intestinal microbiota using genomic approaches. Methods and results: Eleven neonates were recruited among patients admitted for intestinal surgery to the neonatal intensive care unit. Preoperative samplings were obtained in each case. Three methodologies were compared for each sample: (i) dHPLC, (ii) temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE), and (iii) conventional culture techniques. Results: All samples were poorly colonized. In three samples, the microbiota was detected only with the dHPLC technique. Results obtained with culture and TTGE could be found with dHPLC. Conclusion: The results suggest that neonatal applications of the dHPLC technique, especially for gut microbiota analysis, appear to be a sensitive and promising analytical technique.