Date of Award
2014
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy
Abstract
Burn injury represents a major medical problem with half a million cases requiring medical attention and 4,000 deaths reported annually. Sepsis and multiple organ failure remain the leading causes of death following injury, and may be brought on by bacterial infections or toxins. The gastrointestinal tract contains approx. 100 trillion microbes; therefore, the indigenous commensal microbiota may play a role in leading to these complications or infections in burn patients. The overall objective of this project is to identify a potential mechanism whereby changes in gut bacteria may lead to intestinal inflammation or bacterial translocation--key factors which may lead to sepsis. The hypothesis of this study is that burn injury reduces the expression of antimicrobial peptides in the gut, which allows for alterations of the microbiota and leads to increases of intestinal inflammation and permeability. Fixing the gut barrier with probiotic supplements may represent a novel approach to treating burn patients and preventing sepsis.
Recommended Citation
Earley, Zachary, "Role of the Intestinal Microbiota in Gut Barrier Dysfunction Following Burn Injury" (2014). Master's Theses. 2619.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/2619
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2014 Zachary Earley
