Microbial ecology effects relating to childhood asthma (MEERCAT)

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Impact of premature birth on the gastrointestinal microbiota in early infancy and respiratory health at school age: a comparison of premature and term birth cohorts

• IRAS ID

  251418

• Contact name

  Sejal Saglani

• Contact email

  s.saglani@imperial.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Imperial College London

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 2 months, 24 days

• Research summary

  The effects of prematurity are life-long and not just for childhood. Premature infants are at high risk of developing chronic airways diseases, including but not confined to, asthma. Respiratory morbidity is life-long with a proportion developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adulthood.
  The microbiome at mucosal surfaces is established in early life and a causal relationship between the composition of the intestinal microbiota and allergic asthma has been demonstrated experimentally, supported by data from term birth cohort studies. However, such a relationship in premature infants remains unexplored. We hypothesise that the gastrointestinal microbiota established after preterm birth influences lung health at school age, and that its manipulation has the potential to influence the respiratory morbidity resulting from prematurity.
  We will investigate this by undertaking a detailed objective assessment of respiratory health at school age of two established cohorts - preterm and term - from whom longitudinal intestinal microbiome and clinical data have been collected since birth. We will define the relationship between the gastrointestinal microbiome in premature infants at birth and in the first 3 years of life, and school-age respiratory outcome. We will identify infants at high risk of developing respiratory disease, and ways the gastrointestinal microbiota may be manipulated in early life to prevent respiratory morbidity.

• REC name

  London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  19/LO/0577

• Date of REC Opinion

  11 Jun 2019

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion