VOLATILE FATTY ACIDS AS METABOLIC MARKERS OF INTESTINAL MICROBIOCENOSIS IN CHILDREN WITH ROTAVIRUS INFECTION

Abstract

The aim of the study – to estimate the level of metabolic activity of intestinal microbiocenosis in children with rotavirus infection by assessing the level and spectrum of volatile fatty acids in the dynamics of the disease, depending on the severity degree of infection and age of the sick children.

Patients and Methods. There were 64 young children under observation who had an average age of (18.5±1.2) months, the main group was formed with children with rotavirus infection (n=31), control group (n=33) – healthy children, compared by the age and gender. To determine the metabolic activity of the microflora and evaluate the metabolic and energetic processes in the lumen of the intestine were studied the main active metabolites – volatile fatty acids: butyric, propionic and valeric acids using gas-liquid chromatography of the defecation, at the beginning of the disease (1–2 days of disease) and in dynamics at 5–6 days of treatment.

Gas-liquid chromatography of the faeces was performed on the basis of the calculation of an internal standard, which involves the addition of a substance of known mass and peak area to a certain mass of the test sample.

Results. The total level of VFA and the content of individual fatty acids was reduced in the children of the main group, so there was a depletion of the pool of microbial metabolites. In healthy children, the total level of VFA was (0.803±0.340) mg/ml, and in children with RVI – (0.048±0.008) mg/ml (P<0.05). Absolute concentrations of butyric acid in coprophyllates of sick children were significantly reduced (0.017±0.005) versus (0.69±0.33) mg/ml in healthy children (P<0.05); the concentration of propionic acid was (0.0267±0.006) mg/ml, and in children of the control group – (0.640±0.02) mg/ml (P<0.001). These variances indicate changes in metabolism at the basic of the intestinal mucosa in the form of impaired microcirculation and trophic processes. In the course of treatment (5–6 days), the concentration of VFA significantly increased and amounted to (0.082±0.0064) mg/ml, (P<0.05), which is a good prognostic sign of the restoration of normal metabolic processes in the intestine. The lowest level of metabolites was recorded in patients with moderate degree of RVI and was (0.038±0.008) mg/ml, it was significantly lower compared to healthy children (P<0.05). The total VFA in children of the first year of life was (0.045±0.0078) and was lower than in children aged 1 year and older which was (0.058±0.025) mg/ml, and in all children total VFA was significantly lower than in healthy (0.803±0.34) mg/ml (P<0.05).

Conclusions. The RVI in patients significantly inhibited activity of the intestinal microflora, which is characterized by a likely decreasing of the total concentration of VFA – (0.048±0.008) mg/ml compared to healthy children – (0.803±0.34) mg/ml at P<0.01, and concentrations of individual acids: butyric – (0.017±0.005) mg/ml, propionic – (0.0267±0.006) mg/ml and valeric acids – (0.041±0.007) mg/ml compared to healthy children (P<0.01), which indicates impaired metabolic processes at the level of colonocytes.