ArticleBMC microbiology2017
Comparison of stool versus rectal swab samples and storage conditions on bacterial community profiles.
Article in BMC microbiology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 115 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
115 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 193 citations in OpenAlex.
- Difference analysis of intestinal microbiota in patients in the intensive care unit using different sampling methods: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in microbiology · 2025Pooled it
- Novel Microbial Engraftment Trajectories Following Microbiota Transplant Therapy in Ulcerative Colitis.Journal of Crohn's & colitis · 2025Trial
- Rectal swabs are a reliable proxy for faecal samples in infant gut microbiota research based on 16S-rRNA sequencing.Scientific reports · 2019Trial
- Usability of rectal swabs for microbiome sampling in a cohort study of hematological and oncological patients.PloS one · 2019Trial
- Antibiotic-associatedGut microbes · 2026Article
- Oral, gut, and skin microbiota characterization in patients with heart valve disease with or without infective endocarditis: a pilot study.Microbiology spectrum · 2026Observational
- Multi-omics analysis reveals the critical role of gut microbiota related tryptophan and glutathione metabolism in sepsis-associated encephalopathy.BMC microbiology · 2026Article
- Integrating intestinal microbiome and urinary metabolome data to predict secondary infection in critically ill patients.Critical care (London, England) · 2026Article
- Metagenomic analysis reveals rectal microbiota features associated with HIV and behavioral factors in Nigerian men who have sex with men.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Parental Consent to a Neonatal Clinical Study: The Roles of Uncertainty, Burden of Sample Collection and Societal Expectations.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2026Article
- A Systematic Review of Bacterial Sampling Collection for Veterinary Microbiology in Companion Animals.Veterinary sciences · 2026Review
- Shipped and shifted: modeling collection-induced bias in microbiome multi-omics using a tractable fermentation system.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2026Article
- Optimising Vaginal Microbiome Profiling for Clinical Translation: A Comparative Assessment of Sample Storage Methods and a Vagina-Specific 16S rRNA Gene Database.Microorganisms · 2026Article
- Comparison of microbiota profiles of fecal samples, rectal swabs and mucosal biopsies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.Gut microbes reports · 2026Article
- Standardized Protocols for Environmental Sample Collection: Minimizing Contamination and Preserving Microbial Community Integrity.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2026Review
- Impact of Diet on Gut Microbiota in Diverticular Disease of the Colon: An Exploratory Retrospective Study.Microorganisms · 2025Article
- Identification of robust associations between admission microbiome profiles and complications of acute pancreatitis.BMJ open gastroenterology · 2025Observational
- Metagenomics reveals functional profiles of gut microbiota during the recovery phase of acute pancreatitis.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Evaluating stool microbiome integrity after domestic freezer storage using whole-metagenome sequencing, genome assembly, and antimicrobial resistance gene analysis.Microbiology spectrum · 2025Article
- The mechanism of short-chain fatty acid in hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis.Frontiers in microbiology · 2025Article
55 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSample collection for gut microbiota analysis from in-patients can be challenging. Collection method and storage conditions are potential sources of variability. In this study, we compared the bacterial microbiota from stool stored under different conditions, as well as stool and swab samples, to assess differences due to sample storage conditions and collection method.
methodsUsing bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, we compared the microbiota profiles of stool samples stored and collected under various conditions. Stool samples (2 liquid, 1 formed) from three different patients at two hospitals were each evaluated under the following conditions: immediately frozen at -80°C, stored at 4°C for 12-48 hours before freezing at -80°C and stored at -20°C with 1-2 thaw cycles before storage at -80°C. Additionally, 8 stool and 30 rectal swab samples were collected from 8 in-patients at one hospital. Microbiota differences were assessed using the Yue and Clayton dissimilarity index (θ
resultsRegardless of the storage conditions, the bacterial communities of aliquots from the same stool samples were very similar based on θ
conclusionFor gastrointestinal microbiota studies based on bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, interim stool sample storage at 4 °C or -20 °C, rather than immediate storage at -80 °C, does not significantly alter results. Additionally, stool and rectal swab microbiotas from the same subject were highly similar, indicating that these sampling methods could be used interchangeably to assess the community structure of the distal GI tract.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.