Alterations in the Gut Microbiota of Tibetan Patients With Echinococcosis

Abstract

There are two main types of echinococcosis, namely alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and cystic echinococcosis (CE). They are zoonotic parasitic diseases caused by the metacestodes of Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus. In order to explore the gut microbiome composition of patients with echinococcosis, we analyzed fecal samples of seven patients with AE, six patients with CE, and 13 healthy individuals from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Using metagenomic next-generation sequencing, we identified fecal bacteria in the patients with AE and CE. The gut microbiota was analyzed by next-generation metagenomic sequencing (mNGS) to compare patients with either AE or CE against healthy individuals. We found there were some differences between them in abundant bacteria. Our results led to five findings: (1) Between patients with echinococcosis and healthy individuals, the differential bacteria were from four phyla: Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria. (2) Rothia mucilaginosa, Veillonella dispar, Veillonella atypica, Streptococcus parasanguinis, Streptococcus salivarius, and Alistipes finegoldii were abundant in the feces of patients with AE. (3) Bacteroides dorei, Parabacteroides distasonis, Escherichia sp_E4742, and Methanobrevibacter smithii were abundant in the feces of the patients with CE. (4) At the phylum and class level, compared to the AE group, the healthy group was characterized by higher numbers of Actinobacteria. (5) At the family level, Lachnospiraceae and Eubacteriaceae were more abundant in the feces of healthy individuals than in AE patients. The genera Coprococcus, Eubacterium, and Bilophia were more abundant in the healthy group, while the genus Rothia was more abundant in the AE group. The results of this study enrich our understanding of the gut microbiome composition of patients with AE and CE in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Alterations in Gut Microbiota Profiles of Mice Infected with Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato Microbiota Profiles of Mice Infected with E. granulosus s.l.

“…In one study, the difference between patients with echinococcosis and healthy individuals was reported in four phyla: Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. This study revealed that the changes of intestinal flora in patients with echinococcosis may be related to the development of echinococcosis [ 16 ]. Gut microbiota affect host metabolism through a variety of direct and indirect biological mechanisms, and host metabolic disorders usually lead to diseases.…”

Rodent Gut Bacteria Coexisting with an Insect Gut Virus in Parasitic Cysts: Metagenomic Evidence of Microbial Translocation and Co-adaptation in Spatially-Confined Niches

“…From a microbiome perspective, it is well known that tapeworms affect the gut microbiome in humans and animals 15,[31][32][33] , they produce secretory molecules which affect the gut microbiota 34 , and that the infestation promotes the production of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3 and IgM) against gut commensals that correlate with increase or decrease in the feces 15 . Despite this knowledge, little is known about the microbiome features of the cystic structures of tapeworm larva or other migratory parasites and the potential they may have to cause local infections.…”

Rodent Gut Bacteria Coexisting with an Insect Gut Virus in Tapeworm Parasitic Cysts: Metagenomic Evidence of Microbial Selection in Extra-Intestinal Clinical Niches

“…H. taeniaeformis typically infects felines, with rodents serving as the primary intermediate host for the larval form, strobilocercus [32,33]. From a microbiome perspective, it is well known that tapeworms affect the gut microbiome in humans and animals [15,[34][35][36]. They produce secretory molecules which affect the gut microbiota [37], and the infestation promotes the production of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3 and IgM) against gut commensals that correlate with increases or decreases in the feces [15].…”