Bacterial metabolite patterns of infants receiving multi-strain probiotics and risk of late-onset sepsis

Silvio Waschina; Julia Pagel; Karsten Seeger; Elisa Pasderski; Malte Rühlemann; Sina Froitzheim; Sven Künzel; Felix Sommer; Sören Franzenburg; Ingmar Fortmann; Fumi Sugihara; Kirstin Faust; Janina Marissen; Martin Demmert; John F. Baines; Wolfgang Göpel; Egbert Herting; Christoph Kaleta; Jan Rupp; Christoph Härtel

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116431

Bacterial metabolite patterns of infants receiving multi-strain probiotics and risk of late-onset sepsis

Silvio Waschina, Julia Pagel^*, Karsten Seeger, Elisa Pasderski, Malte Rühlemann, Sina Froitzheim, Sven Künzel, Felix Sommer, Sören Franzenburg, Ingmar Fortmann, Fumi Sugihara, Kirstin Faust, Janina Marissen, Martin Demmert, John F. Baines, Wolfgang Göpel, Egbert Herting, Christoph Kaleta, Jan Rupp, Christoph Härtel

^*Corresponding author for this work

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The effect of multi-strain probiotics containing Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) on late-onset sepsis (LOS) risk in very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs; birth weight < 1,500 g) remains uncertain. In a single-center study, we analyzed intestinal metagenome and metabolome data in VLBWIs during the period of highest vulnerability of LOS. Using a unit’s policy change to routinely administer B. longum subspecies infantis plus Lactobacillus acidophilus as natural experiment, we compared 97 infants (including 38 LOS cases) after change with 78 infants (including 32 LOS cases) before. Probiotic supplementation was associated with more beneficial bacteria and reduced abundance of nosocomial pathobionts, such as Klebsiella spp. Infants in the probiotic group had significantly lower concentrations of B. longum fermentation products prior to sepsis diagnosis than matched non-LOS cases (acetate: p_adj= 0.0049; lactate: p_adj= 0.048). Modulation of the gut metabolic milieu is an interesting target for LOS prevention.

Original language	English
Journal	Cell Reports
Volume	44
Issue number	11
ISSN	2639-1856
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116431
Publication status	Published - 25.11.2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Research Areas and Centers

Academic Focus: Center for Infection and Inflammation Research (ZIEL)

DFG Research Classification Scheme

2.22-20 Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
2.21-05 Immunology
2.21-03 Medical Microbiology and Mycology, Hygiene, Molecular Infection Biology

Access to Document

10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116431

Cite this

Waschina, S., Pagel, J., Seeger, K., Pasderski, E., Rühlemann, M., Froitzheim, S., Künzel, S., Sommer, F., Franzenburg, S., Fortmann, I., Sugihara, F., Faust, K., Marissen, J., Demmert, M., Baines, J. F., Göpel, W., Herting, E., Kaleta, C., Rupp, J., & Härtel, C. (2025). Bacterial metabolite patterns of infants receiving multi-strain probiotics and risk of late-onset sepsis. Cell Reports, 44(11). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116431

@article{f14d1b8596af4c2b919722d9df5f0478,

title = "Bacterial metabolite patterns of infants receiving multi-strain probiotics and risk of late-onset sepsis",

abstract = "The effect of multi-strain probiotics containing Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) on late-onset sepsis (LOS) risk in very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs; birth weight < 1,500 g) remains uncertain. In a single-center study, we analyzed intestinal metagenome and metabolome data in VLBWIs during the period of highest vulnerability of LOS. Using a unit{\textquoteright}s policy change to routinely administer B. longum subspecies infantis plus Lactobacillus acidophilus as natural experiment, we compared 97 infants (including 38 LOS cases) after change with 78 infants (including 32 LOS cases) before. Probiotic supplementation was associated with more beneficial bacteria and reduced abundance of nosocomial pathobionts, such as Klebsiella spp. Infants in the probiotic group had significantly lower concentrations of B. longum fermentation products prior to sepsis diagnosis than matched non-LOS cases (acetate: padj= 0.0049; lactate: padj= 0.048). Modulation of the gut metabolic milieu is an interesting target for LOS prevention.",

author = "Silvio Waschina and Julia Pagel and Karsten Seeger and Elisa Pasderski and Malte R{\"u}hlemann and Sina Froitzheim and Sven K{\"u}nzel and Felix Sommer and S{\"o}ren Franzenburg and Ingmar Fortmann and Fumi Sugihara and Kirstin Faust and Janina Marissen and Martin Demmert and Baines, \{John F.\} and Wolfgang G{\"o}pel and Egbert Herting and Christoph Kaleta and Jan Rupp and Christoph H{\"a}rtel",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",

year = "2025",

month = nov,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116431",

language = "English",

volume = "44",

journal = "Cell Reports",

issn = "2639-1856",

number = "11",

}

Waschina, S, Pagel, J, Seeger, K, Pasderski, E, Rühlemann, M, Froitzheim, S, Künzel, S, Sommer, F, Franzenburg, S, Fortmann, I, Sugihara, F, Faust, K , Marissen, J , Demmert, M, Baines, JF, Göpel, W, Herting, E, Kaleta, C, Rupp, J & Härtel, C 2025, 'Bacterial metabolite patterns of infants receiving multi-strain probiotics and risk of late-onset sepsis', Cell Reports, vol. 44, no. 11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116431

TY - JOUR

T1 - Bacterial metabolite patterns of infants receiving multi-strain probiotics and risk of late-onset sepsis

AU - Waschina, Silvio

AU - Pagel, Julia

AU - Seeger, Karsten

AU - Pasderski, Elisa

AU - Rühlemann, Malte

AU - Froitzheim, Sina

AU - Künzel, Sven

AU - Sommer, Felix

AU - Franzenburg, Sören

AU - Fortmann, Ingmar

AU - Sugihara, Fumi

AU - Faust, Kirstin

AU - Marissen, Janina

AU - Demmert, Martin

AU - Baines, John F.

AU - Göpel, Wolfgang

AU - Herting, Egbert

AU - Kaleta, Christoph

AU - Rupp, Jan

AU - Härtel, Christoph

PY - 2025/11/25

Y1 - 2025/11/25

N2 - The effect of multi-strain probiotics containing Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) on late-onset sepsis (LOS) risk in very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs; birth weight < 1,500 g) remains uncertain. In a single-center study, we analyzed intestinal metagenome and metabolome data in VLBWIs during the period of highest vulnerability of LOS. Using a unit’s policy change to routinely administer B. longum subspecies infantis plus Lactobacillus acidophilus as natural experiment, we compared 97 infants (including 38 LOS cases) after change with 78 infants (including 32 LOS cases) before. Probiotic supplementation was associated with more beneficial bacteria and reduced abundance of nosocomial pathobionts, such as Klebsiella spp. Infants in the probiotic group had significantly lower concentrations of B. longum fermentation products prior to sepsis diagnosis than matched non-LOS cases (acetate: padj= 0.0049; lactate: padj= 0.048). Modulation of the gut metabolic milieu is an interesting target for LOS prevention.

AB - The effect of multi-strain probiotics containing Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) on late-onset sepsis (LOS) risk in very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs; birth weight < 1,500 g) remains uncertain. In a single-center study, we analyzed intestinal metagenome and metabolome data in VLBWIs during the period of highest vulnerability of LOS. Using a unit’s policy change to routinely administer B. longum subspecies infantis plus Lactobacillus acidophilus as natural experiment, we compared 97 infants (including 38 LOS cases) after change with 78 infants (including 32 LOS cases) before. Probiotic supplementation was associated with more beneficial bacteria and reduced abundance of nosocomial pathobionts, such as Klebsiella spp. Infants in the probiotic group had significantly lower concentrations of B. longum fermentation products prior to sepsis diagnosis than matched non-LOS cases (acetate: padj= 0.0049; lactate: padj= 0.048). Modulation of the gut metabolic milieu is an interesting target for LOS prevention.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105021107779

U2 - 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116431

DO - 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116431

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 41138185

AN - SCOPUS:105021107779

SN - 2639-1856

VL - 44

JO - Cell Reports

JF - Cell Reports

IS - 11

ER -

Bacterial metabolite patterns of infants receiving multi-strain probiotics and risk of late-onset sepsis

Abstract

UN SDGs

Research Areas and Centers

DFG Research Classification Scheme

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this