Asymptomatic Intestinal Colonization with ProtistBlastocystisIs Strongly Associated with Distinct Microbiome Ecological Patterns

Abstract

Given the results of our study and other reports of the effects of the most common human gut protist on the diversity and composition of the bacterial microbiome, Blastocystis and, possibly, other gut protists should be studied as ecosystem engineers that drive community diversity and composition.

Molecular detection of Blastocystis from animals in Italy: subtypes distribution and implications for the zoonotic transmission

“…In this study, we may support this hypothesis as we evidenced the same allele within the ST7, which has been reported to be strongly associated with gastrointestinal symptoms in humans and showed pathogenic properties, not observed in other STs [43,47]. Indeed, features of gastro-intestinal symptoms were also found in human patients, here showing the same allele 100, at the ST7 (Mattiucci and Gabrielli, personal communication).…”

Molecular characterization of Blastocystis subtypes in HIV-positive patients and evaluation of risk factors for colonization

“…Therefore, investigations on the gut microbiota from HIV-positive subjects Blastocystis-carriers are needed to complete and to better understand the preliminary results obtained in this study. Concerning FC, we found the median of both Blastocystis-carrier and free subjects within the normal range, supporting the non-pathogenic role of Blastocystis in inducing intestinal inflammation [25].…”

Contrasting Strategies: Human Eukaryotic Versus Bacterial Microbiome Research

“…Bacterial increases and decreases are thought in some conditions to be driven by the protists (Nieves‐Ramírez et al. ), but not necessarily with any implications for host health (Andersen and Stensvold ). Entamoeba presence also correlates with bacterial phyla proportions, and may explain increases in putatively anti‐inflammatory bacteria (Morton et al.…”

“…For example, some intramicrobiome cross-domain relationships may be simply structured, such as that between Blastocystis and Ruminococcus bacteria. The former predates on the latter, but this in turn leads to greater bacterial microbiome diversity and evenness (Nieves-Ram ırez et al 2018). Correlations between Blastocystis and anaerobic bacteria can also be driven by oxygen levels (Stensvold and van der Giezen 2018) and require particular agerelated diversity conditions in the bacterial gut microbiota (Scanlan et al 2018).…”

“…Kaplan et al 2000;Richardson 1991). Numerous individual protists and fungi exhibit opportunism that fluctuates from fully and partly asymptomatic infections to varying levels of pathogenicity: Dientamoeba, Candida, Entamoeba, Giardia, Toxoplasma, Pneumocystis, Blastocystis and Cryptosporidium (Bartelt and Platts-Mills 2016;Bouzid et al 2013;Bruijnesteijn van Coppenraet et al 2015;Nieves-Ram ırez et al 2018;Osman et al 2016). S. var boulardii, although often characterized as a probiotic and thus assumed to have a positive influence on the gut, is also an opportunistic pathogen (Edwards-Ingram et al 2007).…”