Continuous antibiotic prophylaxis leads to gut microbiome dysbiosis in children with sickle cell disease

Streptococcus pneumoniae infection was the leading cause of death in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). This reduction occurred after implementing antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) and immunization with pneumococcal vaccines until five years old. We examine the impact of continuous AP on the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome of children with SCD. Fecal samples were collected from 30 SCD children on AP and 28 children without AP use. The gut microbiome was evaluated by the next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA, V3-V4 hypervariable regions. Due to the dysbiotic configuration being harmful to health, we suggest further studies implementing prebiotics or probiotics focusing on normobiosis restoration.