TY - JOUR

T1 - Stool Microbiota Diversity Analysis of Blastocystis-Positive and Blastocystis-Negative Individuals

AU - Stensvold, Christen Rune

AU - Sorland, Brede Aksdal

AU - Berg, Rebecca P. K. D.

AU - Andersen, Lee O'Brien

AU - van der Giezen, Mark

AU - Bowtell, Joanna L.

AU - El-Badry, Ayman A.

AU - Belkessa, Salem

AU - Kurt, Ozgur

AU - Nielsen, Henrik Vedel

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Blastocystis is a unicellular eukaryote found in the gastrointestinal tract of both human and other animal hosts. The clinical significance of colonic Blastocystis colonization remains obscure. In this study, we used metabarcoding and bioinformatics analyses to identify differences in stool microbiota diversity between Blastocystis-positive and Blastocystis-negative individuals (n = 1285). Alpha diversity was significantly higher in Blastocystis carriers. At phylum level, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were enriched in carriers, while Proteobacteria were enriched in non-carriers. The genera Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, Flavonifracter, Clostridium, Succinivibrio, and Oscillibacter were enriched in carriers, whereas Escherichia, Bacteroides, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas were enriched in non-carriers. No difference in beta diversity was observed. Individuals with Blastocystis-positive stools appear to have gut microbiomes associated with eubiosis unlike those with Blastocystis-negative stools, whose gut microbiomes are similar to those associated with dysbiosis. The role of Blastocystis as an indicator organism and potential modulator of the gut microbiota warrants further scrutiny.

AB - Blastocystis is a unicellular eukaryote found in the gastrointestinal tract of both human and other animal hosts. The clinical significance of colonic Blastocystis colonization remains obscure. In this study, we used metabarcoding and bioinformatics analyses to identify differences in stool microbiota diversity between Blastocystis-positive and Blastocystis-negative individuals (n = 1285). Alpha diversity was significantly higher in Blastocystis carriers. At phylum level, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were enriched in carriers, while Proteobacteria were enriched in non-carriers. The genera Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, Flavonifracter, Clostridium, Succinivibrio, and Oscillibacter were enriched in carriers, whereas Escherichia, Bacteroides, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas were enriched in non-carriers. No difference in beta diversity was observed. Individuals with Blastocystis-positive stools appear to have gut microbiomes associated with eubiosis unlike those with Blastocystis-negative stools, whose gut microbiomes are similar to those associated with dysbiosis. The role of Blastocystis as an indicator organism and potential modulator of the gut microbiota warrants further scrutiny.

KW - gut

KW - parasite

KW - Blastocystis

KW - microbiome

KW - microbiota

KW - protist

KW - ecology

KW - eubiosis

KW - INTESTINAL PARASITES

U2 - 10.3390/microorganisms10020326

DO - 10.3390/microorganisms10020326

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35208781

VL - 10

JO - Microorganisms

JF - Microorganisms

SN - 2076-2607

IS - 2

M1 - 326

ER -