Descriptive Study of Gut Microbiota in Infected and Colonized Subjects by Clostridiodes difficile

Clostridiodes difficile can lead to a range of situations from the absence of symptoms (colonization) to severe diarrhea (infection). Disruption of gut microbiota provides an ideal environment for infection to occur. Comparison of gut microbiota of infected and colonized subjects could provide relevant information on susceptible groups or protectors to the development of infection, since the presence of certain genera could be related to the inhibition of transition from a state of colonization to infection. Through high-throughput sequencing of 16S rDNA gene, we performed alpha and beta diversity and composition studies on 15 infected patients (Group CDI), 15 colonized subjects (Group P), and 15 healthy controls (Group CTLR). A loss of alpha diversity and richness and a different structure have been evidenced in the CDI and P groups with respect to the CTRL group, but without significant differences between the first two. In CDI and P groups, there was a strong decrease in phylum Firmicutes and an expansion of potential pathogens. Likewise, there was a loss of inhibitory genus of C. difficile germination in infected patients that were partially conserved in colonized subjects. Therefore, infected and colonized subjects presented a gut microbiota that was completely different from that of healthy controls, although similar to each other. It is in composition where we found that colonized subjects, especially in minority genera, presented differences with respect to those infected.

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Improvement of Gut Diversity and Composition After Direct-Acting Antivirals in Hepatitis C Virus–Infected Patients With or Without Human Immunodeficiency Virus Coinfection

The Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/infdis/jiab094 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Natthaya Chuaypen ◽

Thananya Jinato ◽

Anchalee Avihingsanon ◽

Sakkarin Chirapongsathorn ◽

Supapon Cheevadhanarak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Direct Acting Antivirals ◽

Microbial Dysbiosis ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Direct Acting

Abstract Background The influence of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) on the composition of gut microbiota in hepatitis C virus (HCV)–infected patients with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is unclear. Methods We enrolled 62 patients with HCV monoinfection and 24 patients with HCV/HIV coinfection receiving elbasvir-grazoprevir from a clinical trial. Fecal specimens collected before treatment and 12 weeks after treatment were analyzed using amplicon-based 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Results Sustained virological response rates in the monoinfection and coinfection groups were similar (98.4% vs 95.8%). Pretreatment bacterial communities in the patient groups were less diverse and distinct from those of healthy controls. Compared with HCV-monoinfected patients, HCV/HIV-coinfected individuals showed comparable microbial alpha diversity but decreased Firmicutes-Bacteroidetes ratios. The improvement of microbial dysbiosis was observed in responders achieving sustained virological response across fibrosis stages but was not found in nonresponders. Responders with a low degree of fibrosis exhibited a recovery in alpha diversity to levels comparable to those in healthy controls. Reciprocal alterations of increased beneficial bacteria and reduced pathogenic bacteria were also observed in responders. Conclusions This study indicates a short-term effect of direct-acting antivirals in restoration of microbial dysbiosis. The favorable changes in gut microbiota profiles after viral eradication might contribute toward the reduction of HCV-related complications among infected individuals.

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Gut bacterial microbiota in patients with myasthenia gravis: results from the MYBIOM study

Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders ◽

10.1177/17562864211035657 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 175628642110356

Author(s):

Andreas Totzeck ◽

Elakiya Ramakrishnan ◽

Melina Schlag ◽

Benjamin Stolte ◽

Kathrin Kizina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Myasthenia Gravis ◽

Healthy Volunteers ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Diversity Indices ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Pilot Studies ◽

Variable Regions ◽

Alpha And Beta Diversity ◽

Significant Difference

Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease, with gut microbiota considered to be a pathogenetic factor. Previous pilot studies have found differences in the gut microbiota of patients with MG and healthy individuals. To determine whether gut microbiota has a pathogenetic role in MG, we compared the gut microbiota of patients with MG with that of patients with non-inflammatory and inflammatory neurological disorders of the peripheral nervous system (primary endpoint) and healthy volunteers (secondary endpoint). Methods: Faecal samples were collected from patients with MG ( n = 41), non-inflammatory neurological disorder (NIND, n = 18), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP, n = 6) and healthy volunteers ( n = 12). DNA was isolated from these samples, and the variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene were sequenced and statistically analysed. Results: No differences were found in alpha- and beta-diversity indices computed between the MG, NIND and CIDP groups, indicating an unaltered bacterial diversity and structure of the microbial community. However, the alpha-diversity indices, namely Shannon, Chao 1 and abundance-based coverage estimators, were significantly reduced between the MG group and healthy volunteers. Deltaproteobacteria and Faecalibacterium were abundant within the faecal microbiota of patients with MG compared with controls with non-inflammatory diseases. Conclusion: Although the overall diversity and structure of the gut microbiota did not differ between the MG, NIND and CIDP groups, the significant difference in the abundance of Deltaproteobacteria and Faecalibacterium supports the possible role of gut microbiota as a contributor to pathogenesis of MG. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to develop possible treatment strategies.

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Comparative analysis and characterization of the gut microbiota of four farmed snakes from southern China

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.6658 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. e6658 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Bing Zhang ◽

Jing Ren ◽

Daode Yang ◽

Shuoran Liu ◽

Xinguo Gong

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Host Species ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Southern China ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Operational Taxonomic Units ◽

Close Relationship ◽

Elaphe Carinata ◽

Deinagkistrodon Acutus

Background The gut microbiota plays an important role in host immunity and metabolic homeostasis. Although analyses of gut microbiotas have been used to assess host health and foster disease prevention and treatment, no comparative comprehensive study, assessing gut microbiotas among several species of farmed snake, is yet available. In this study, we characterized and compared the gut microbiotas of four species of farmed snakes (Naja atra, Ptyas mucosa, Elaphe carinata, and Deinagkistrodon acutus) using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rDNA gene in southern China and tested whether there was a relationship between gut microbiotal composition and host species. Results A total of 629 operational taxonomic units across 22 samples were detected. The five most abundant phyla were Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, and Actinobacteria, while the five most abundant genera were Bacteroides, Cetobacterium, Clostridium, Plesiomonas, and Paeniclostridium. This was the first report of the dominance of Fusobacteria and Cetobacterium in the snake gut. Our phylogenetic analysis recovered a relatively close relationship between Fusobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Alpha diversity analysis indicated that species richness and diversity were highest in the gut microbiota of D. acutus and lowest in that of E. carinata. Significant differences in alpha diversity were detected among the four farmed snake species. The gut microbiotas of conspecifics were more similar to each other than to those of heterospecifics. Conclusion This study provides the first comparative study of gut microbiotas among several species of farmed snakes, and provides valuable data for the management of farmed snakes. In farmed snakes, host species affected the species composition and diversity of the gut microbiota.

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Gut microbiota composition is associated with narcolepsy type 1

Neurology Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation ◽

10.1212/nxi.0000000000000896 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. e896

Author(s):

Alexandre Lecomte ◽

Lucie Barateau ◽

Pedro Pereira ◽

Lars Paulin ◽

Petri Auvinen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Bacterial Communities ◽

Beta Diversity ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Amplicon Sequencing ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Differential Abundance ◽

Alpha And Beta Diversity

ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) is related to the gut microbiota, we compared the microbiota bacterial communities of patients with NT1 and control subjects.MethodsThirty-five patients with NT1 (51.43% women, mean age 38.29 ± 19.98 years) and 41 controls (57.14% women, mean age 36.14 ± 12.68 years) were included. Stool samples were collected, and the fecal microbiota bacterial communities were compared between patients and controls using the well-standardized 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing approach. We studied alpha and beta diversity and differential abundance analysis between patients and controls, and between subgroups of patients with NT1.ResultsWe found no between-group differences for alpha diversity, but we discovered in NT1 a link with NT1 disease duration. We highlighted differences in the global bacterial community structure as assessed by beta diversity metrics even after adjustments for potential confounders as body mass index (BMI), often increased in NT1. Our results revealed differential abundance of several operational taxonomic units within Bacteroidetes, Bacteroides, and Flavonifractor between patients and controls, but not after adjusting for BMI.ConclusionWe provide evidence of gut microbial community structure alterations in NT1. However, further larger and longitudinal multiomics studies are required to replicate and elucidate the relationship between the gut microbiota, immunity dysregulation and NT1.

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Interplay of host genetics and gut microbiota underlying the onset and clinical presentation of inflammatory bowel disease

Gut ◽

10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312135 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 67 (1) ◽

pp. 108-119 ◽

Cited By ~ 214

Author(s):

Floris Imhann ◽

Arnau Vich Vila ◽

Marc Jan Bonder ◽

Jingyuan Fu ◽

Dirk Gevers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Genetic Risk ◽

Genetic Risk Score ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Host Genome ◽

Risk Scores ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Control Analysis ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Healthy Individuals

ObjectivePatients with IBD display substantial heterogeneity in clinical characteristics. We hypothesise that individual differences in the complex interaction of the host genome and the gut microbiota can explain the onset and the heterogeneous presentation of IBD. Therefore, we performed a case–control analysis of the gut microbiota, the host genome and the clinical phenotypes of IBD.DesignStool samples, peripheral blood and extensive phenotype data were collected from 313 patients with IBD and 582 truly healthy controls, selected from a population cohort. The gut microbiota composition was assessed by tag-sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. All participants were genotyped. We composed genetic risk scores from 11 functional genetic variants proven to be associated with IBD in genes that are directly involved in the bacterial handling in the gut: NOD2, CARD9, ATG16L1, IRGM and FUT2.ResultsStrikingly, we observed significant alterations of the gut microbiota of healthy individuals with a high genetic risk for IBD: the IBD genetic risk score was significantly associated with a decrease in the genus Roseburia in healthy controls (false discovery rate 0.017). Moreover, disease location was a major determinant of the gut microbiota: the gut microbiota of patients with colonic Crohn's disease (CD) is different from that of patients with ileal CD, with a decrease in alpha diversity associated to ileal disease (p=3.28×10−13).ConclusionsWe show for the first time that genetic risk variants associated with IBD influence the gut microbiota in healthy individuals. Roseburia spp are acetate-to-butyrate converters, and a decrease has already been observed in patients with IBD.

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Human Milk Feeding Patterns at 6 Months of Age are a Major Determinant of Fecal Bacterial Diversity in Infants

Journal of Human Lactation ◽

10.1177/0890334420957571 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 089033442095757

Author(s):

Kameron Y. Sugino ◽

Tengfei Ma ◽

Jean M. Kerver ◽

Nigel Paneth ◽

Sarah S. Comstock

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Human Milk ◽

Beta Diversity ◽

Maternal Obesity ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Major Determinant ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Alpha And Beta Diversity ◽

Infant Diet ◽

Milk Feeding

Background Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and human milk feeding have been associated with altered infant gut microbiota. Research aim Determine the relationships between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, human milk exposure, and their influence on the infant microbiota simultaneously. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of infants at 6 months of age ( N = 36), a time when many infants are fed a mixed diet of human milk and other foods. Fecal samples and participant information were collected from a subset of dyads enrolled in two related prospective cohorts (ARCHGUT and BABYGUT) in Michigan. Sequencing the V4 region of the 16S gene was used to analyze fecal bacterial samples collected from 6-month-old infants. Participants were grouped into four categories designated by their extent of human milk exposure (100%, 80%, 50%–80%, ≤ 20% human milk in the infant diet) and by maternal pre-pregnancy BMI category (normal, overweight, obese). Results Fewer participants with pre-pregnancy obesity were breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum compared to non-obese participants (35.7% and 81.8%, respectively). In univariate analyses, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and human milk exposure were both significantly associated with alpha and beta diversity of the infant microbiota. However, in multivariate analyses, human milk exposure accounted for 20% of the variation in alpha diversity, but pre-pregnancy BMI was not significantly associated with any form of microbiota diversity. Conclusions The proportion of the infant diet that was human milk at 6 months was the major determinant of alpha and beta diversity of the infant. Maternal obesity contributes to the gut microbiota by its association with the extent of human milk feeding.

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Faecal Microbiota in Patients with Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction and Spinal Cord Injury or Multiple Sclerosis—A Systematic Review

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10081598 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1598

Author(s):

Willemijn Faber ◽

Janneke Stolwijk-Swuste ◽

Florian van Ginkel ◽

Janneke Nachtegaal ◽

Erwin Zoetendal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Methodological Quality ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Bowel Function ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Bowel Dysfunction ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Neurogenic Bowel

Background: Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) frequently occurs in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and multiple sclerosis (MS) with comparable symptoms and is often difficult to treat. It has been suggested the gut microbiota might influence the course of NBD. We systematically reviewed the literature on the composition of the gut microbiota in SCI and MS, and the possible role of neurogenic bowel function, diet and antibiotic use. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed and Embase, which retrieved studies on the gut microbiota in SCI and MS. The Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) was used to assess methodological quality. Results: We retrieved fourteen papers (four on SCI, ten on MS), describing the results of a total of 479 patients. The number of patients per study varied from 13 to 89 with an average of 34. Thirteen papers were observational studies and one study was an intervention study. The studies were case control studies in which the gut microbiota composition was determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The methodological quality of the studies was mostly rated to be moderate. Results of two studies suggested that alpha diversity in chronic SCI patients is lower compared to healthy controls (HC), whereas results from five studies suggest that the alpha diversity of MS patients is similar compared to healthy subjects. The taxonomic changes in MS and SCI studies are diverse. Most studies did not account for possible confounding by diet, antibiotic use and bowel function. Conclusion: Based on these 14 papers, we cannot draw strong conclusions on the composition of the gut microbiota in SCI and MS patients. Putatively, alpha diversity in chronic SCI patients may be lower compared to healthy controls, while in MS patients, alpha diversity may be similar or lower compared to healthy controls. Future studies should provide a more detailed description of clinical characteristics of participants and of diet, antibiotic use and bowel function in order to make valid inferences on changes in gut microbiota and the possible role of diet, antibiotic use and bowel function in those changes.

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Experimental infection with the hookworm, Necator americanus, promotes gut microbial diversity in human volunteers with relapsing multiple sclerosis

10.21203/rs.2.24428/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Timothy Jenkins ◽

David Pritchard ◽

Radu Tanasescu ◽

Gary Telford ◽

Marina Paraiakovou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Experimental Infection ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Placebo Treatment ◽

Sequencing Data ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Necator Americanus ◽

Human Volunteers

Abstract Background Helminth-associated changes in gut microbiota composition have been hypothesised to contribute to the immune-suppressive properties of parasitic worms. Multiple sclerosis is an immune-mediated autoimmune disease of the central nervous system whose pathophysiology has been recently linked to alterations of gut microbial communities. Results In the present study we investigated, for the first time, qualitative and quantitative changes in gut microbial composition of human volunteers with remitting multiple sclerosis (RMS) prior to and following experimental infection with the human hookworm, Necator americanus ( N+ ), and following anthelmintic treatment, and compared the findings with data obtained from a cohort of RMS patients subjected to placebo treatment ( PBO ). Bacterial 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing data revealed significantly decreased microbial alpha diversity in the gut microbiota of PBO compared to N+ subjects over the course of the trial; additionally, we observed significant differences in the abundances of several bacterial taxa with putative immune-modulatory functions between study cohorts. Parabacteroides were significantly expanded in the gut microbiota of N + individuals for which no relapses were recorded at the end of the trial. Conclusions Overall, these data lend support to the hypothesis of a contributory role of parasite-associated alterations in gut microbial composition to the immunomodulatory properties of hookworm parasites.

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Changes in the gut microbiota during Asian particolored bat (Vespertilio sinensis) development

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.9003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. e9003

Author(s):

Zhongwei Yin ◽

Keping Sun ◽

Aoqiang Li ◽

Deyi Sun ◽

Zhongle Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Beta Diversity ◽

Redundancy Analysis ◽

Transition Period ◽

Bacterial Community Composition ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Alpha And Beta Diversity ◽

Compositional Changes ◽

Gut Microbial Community ◽

Host Development

Background The gut microbiota is closely linked to host development, diet and health and is influenced by both the host and the environment. Although many studies have focused on the dynamics of the gut microbiota during development in captive animals, few studies have focused on the dynamics of the gut microbiota during development in wild animals, especially for the order Chiroptera. Methods In this study, we characterized the gut microbiota of the wild Asian particolored bat (Vespertilio sinensis) from 1 day to 6 weeks after birth. We explored the changes in their gut microbial community compositions, examined possible influencing factors, and predicted the feeding transition period. Results The gut microbiota changed during the development of V. sinensis. The alpha diversity of the bats’ gut microbiota gradually increased but did not change significantly from the 1st day to the 4th week after birth; however, the alpha diversity decreased significantly in week 5, then stabilized. The beta diversity differed slightly in weeks 4–6. In week 4, the fecal samples showed the highest diversity in bacterial community composition. Thus, we predicted that the potential feeding transition period for V. sinensis may occur during week 4. Redundancy analysis showed that age and body mass index significantly affected the compositional changes of the gut microbiota in Asian particolored bats. Conclusion The gut microbiota changed during the development of V. sinensis. We suggest that changes in the alpha and beta diversity during week 4 after birth indicate a potential feeding transition, highlighting the importance of diet in the gut microbiota during the development of V. sinensis.

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The gut microbiota of wild wintering great bustard (Otis tarda dybowskii): survey data from two consecutive years

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.12562 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e12562

Author(s):

Zhiyuan Lu ◽

Sisi Li ◽

Hongxia Li ◽

Zhucheng Wang ◽

Derong Meng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Alpha Diversity ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Health It ◽

Great Bustard ◽

Microbial Composition ◽

Protective Measures ◽

Essential Information ◽

Evaluation Indicator

Background The composition of the intestinal microbiota plays a significant role in modulating host health. It serves as a sensitive evaluation indicator and has substantial implications in protecting endangered species. Great Bustards are typical farmland-dependent wintering birds that are highly susceptible to the interference of human activities. However, information regarding their gut microbiota remains scarce. Methods To ensure a comprehensive analysis of this crucial data, we collected fecal samples from wild Great Bustards at their wintering habitat for two consecutive years. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was subsequently applied to characterize their core gut microbiota and determine whether the gut microbial composition was similar or varied interannually. Results The gut microbiota of the Great Bustard was primarily comprised of four phyla: Firmicutes (82.87%), Bacteroidetes (7.98%), Proteobacteria (4.49%), and Actinobacteria (3.67%), accounting for 99.01% of the microbial community in all samples. Further analysis revealed 22 genera of core microbes and several pathogens. Notably, there were no significant differences in the alpha-diversity and beta-diversity between the two sample groups from different years. Conclusions This study provides essential information for assessing the health and developing targeted protective measures of this threatened species.

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