Gut Microbiota and Immune System in Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Related Sepsis

Autor: Emilio Jirillo, Skender Topi, Ioannis Alexandros Charitos, Luigi Santacroce, Elona Gaxhja, Marica Colella
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Gastrointestinal Disorders, Vol 6, Iss 2, Pp 431-445 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2624-5647
DOI: 10.3390/gidisord6020029
Popis: A severe condition of sepsis can be a complication of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which can occur in premature infants and becomes a medical challenge in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It is a multifactorial intestinal disease (can affect both the small and large intestine) that can lead to ischemia of the intestinal tissues that evolves into acute organ necrosis. One of these factors is that different types of nutrition can influence the onset or the progression of the disease. Cow-milk-based infant formulas have been shown to cause it in premature infants more frequently than human milk. Recently, nutrition has been shown to be beneficial after surgery. Several issues still under study, such as the pathogenesis and the insufficient and often difficult therapeutic approach, as well as the lack of a common and effective prevention strategy, make this disease an enigma in daily clinical practice. Recent studies outlined the emerging role of the host immune system and resident gut microbiota, showing their close connection in NEC pathophysiology. In its initial stages, broad-spectrum antibiotics, bowel rest, and breastfeeding are currently used, as well as probiotics to help the development of the intestinal microbiota and its eubiosis. This paper aims to present the current knowledge and potential fields of research in NEC pathophysiology and therapeutic assessment.
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