Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii

In actual fact, for several years now, a growing number of scientific publications have been describing intestinal microbiota (= “intestinal bacterial flora”) as a key player in numerous human pathologies.
Certain bacteria, within this intestinal population of microorganisms (which is essentially comprised of bacteria), appear to play an important role. This is the case for the following two bacteria:

Akkermansia muciniphila

A Gram-negative bacterium of the Verrucomicrobia phylum. Thanks to its action in degrading mucin in the intestinal mucosa, it modulates intestinal permeability and affects inflammation in the digestive tube, as well as in the liver and blood. It would also appear to play a key role in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, as a low level of Akkermansia muciniphila is often found in patients suffering from obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome or intestinal or liver inflammatory diseases.

The quantitative dosage of this species of bacterium (here in number of genomes per gram of stool), provides a reflection of an initial baseline level, and enables the monitoring of an increase in this level following a more diversified, fibre-rich diet, associated with healthier hygiene and dietary rules.

Faecalibacterium prausnitzii

A Gram-positive commensal bacterium of the Firmicutes phylum found in the human gut. Thanks to the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids (mainly butyrate), emanating from prebiotics found in food, this bacterium helps relieve inflammation in the intestine. It has been shown that patients suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease or haemorrhagic ulcerative rectocolitis, had lower levels of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii than in a healthy population. However, in these patients, a low overall level of bacterial diversity (=dysbiosis) has also been shown, as well as an increase in certain bacteria such as enterobacteriaceae.

The assay of this bacterium is mainly relevant in patients suffering from IBD where it is used to determine initial levels of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in stool samples (number of genomes per gm of stool), and then how the levels change following an acute episode or remission of the disease, or following a change in diet.
A high level of these bacteria would therefore appear to be beneficial.

• Akkermansia muciniphila – direct diagnosis – PCR – stool
  Test code: AKMBM
• Faecalibacterium prausnitzii – direct diagnosis – PCR – stool
  Test code: FCLBM