Association of Blastocystis and Gut Microbiota in Type 2 Diabetic Mellitus Patients and Non-Diabetic Individuals.

Abstract

The influence of anaerobic protozoan Blastocystis on human gut health is not well understood. While Blastocystis species frequently inhabit the gut, their clinical importance and ecological function remain ambiguous. A study on Blastocystis was carried out enrolling a total of 203 participants including T2DM patients and non-diabetic individuals to evaluate the prevalence of Blastocystis and its association in gut microbiota. Blastocystis subtypes were identified by PCR and faecal microbiome was accessed by targeting V4 region of the bacterial 16S ribosomal gene. The prevalence of Blastocystis in T2DM was 25.49% and 17.82% in nondiabetic individuals with the most prevalent subtype on total population was ST3, followed by ST1 and ST2. The composition of gut microbiota was significantly different between Blastocystis-positive and Blastocystis-negative individuals. Blastocystis carriage was positively associated with higher alpha diversity in T2DM patients and non-diabetic individuals. Interestingly, at the phylum level, the T2DM group had an obvious increase of Bacteroidetes and a marked increase of Actinobacteria with the present of Blastocystis. The findings suggested that the presence of Blastocystis was linked to increased diversity and richness in the gut bacterial composition, signifying at a potentially beneficial association between Blastocystis and the gut microbiota.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.