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. 2005 Oct;71(10):6438-42.
doi: 10.1128/AEM.71.10.6438-6442.2005.

Fecal microbiota composition and frailty

Sandra P van Tongeren  1 , Joris P J Slaets, H J M Harmsen, Gjalt W Welling
Affiliations

Fecal microbiota composition and frailty

Sandra P van Tongeren et al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 Oct.

Abstract

The relationship between fecal microbiota composition and frailty in the elderly was studied. Fecal samples from volunteers with high frailty scores showed a significant reduction in the number of lactobacilli (26-fold). At much higher population levels, both the Bacteroides/Prevotella (threefold) and the Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (fourfold) groups showed a significant reduction in percentage of total number of hybridizable bacteria in the elderly with high frailty scores. In contrast to this, the number of Enterobacteriaceae was significantly higher (sevenfold) in samples from very frail volunteers.

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