Gut bacterial and fungal dysbiosis in tuberculosis patients.

Recent studies have more focused on gut microbial alteration in tuberculosis (TB) patients. However, no detailed study on gut fungi modification has been reported till now. So, current research explores the characteristics of gut microbiota (bacteria)- and mycobiota (fungi)-dysbiosis in TB patients and also assesses the correlation between the gut microbiome and serum cytokines. It may help to screen the potential diagnostic biomarker for TB. The results show that the alpha diversity of the gut microbiome (including bacteria and fungi) decreased and altered the gut microbiome composition of TB patients. The bacterial genera Bacteroides and Prevotella were significantly increased, and Blautia and Bifidobacterium decreased in the TB patients group. The fungi genus Saccharomyces was increased while decreased levels of Aspergillus in TB patients. It indicates that gut microbial equilibrium between bacteria and fungi has been altered in TB patients. The fungal-to-bacterial species ratio was significantly decreased, and the bacterial-fungal trans-kingdom interactions have been reduced in TB patients. A set model including Bacteroides, Blautia, Eubacterium_hallii_group, Apiotrichum, Penicillium, and Saccharomyces may provide a better TB diagnostics option than using single bacterial or fungi sets. Also, gut microbial dysbiosis has a strong correlation with the alteration of IL-17 and IFN-γ. Our results demonstrate that TB patients exhibit the gut bacterial and fungal dysbiosis. In the clinics, some gut microbes may be considered as potential biomarkers for auxiliary TB diagnosis.

Han M ，Wang X ，Zhang J ，Su L ，Ishaq HM ，Li D ，Cui J ，Zhao H ，Yang F ... -  《BMC MICROBIOLOGY》

Gut Mycobiota Dysbiosis in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients Undergoing Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment.

Cao D ，Liu W ，Lyu N ，Li B ，Song W ，Yang Y ，Zhu J ，Zhang Z ，Zhu B ... -  《Microbiology Spectrum》

Fungi participate in the dysbiosis of gut microbiota in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) were previously shown to display a bacterial gut dysbiosis but fungal microbiota has never been examined in these patients. The aim of this study was to assess the fungal gut microbiota in patients with PSC. We analysed the faecal microbiota of patients with PSC and concomitant IBD (n=27), patients with PSC and no IBD (n=22), patients with IBD and no PSC (n=33) and healthy subjects (n=30). Bacterial and fungal composition of the faecal microbiota was determined using 16S and ITS2 sequencing, respectively. We found that patients with PSC harboured bacterial dysbiosis characterised by a decreased biodiversity, an altered composition and a decreased correlation network density. These alterations of the microbiota were associated with PSC, independently of IBD status. For the first time, we showed that patients with PSC displayed a fungal gut dysbiosis, characterised by a relative increase in biodiversity and an altered composition. Notably, we observed an increased proportion of Exophiala and a decreased proportion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Compared with patients with IBD and healthy subjects, the gut microbiota of patients with PSC exhibited a strong disruption in bacteria-fungi correlation network, suggesting an alteration in the interkingdom crosstalk. This study demonstrates that bacteria and fungi contribute to gut dysbiosis in PSC.

Lemoinne S ，Kemgang A ，Ben Belkacem K ，Straube M ，Jegou S ，Corpechot C ，Saint-Antoine IBD Network ，Chazouillères O ，Housset C ，Sokol H ... -  《-》

Gut microbiota associated with pulmonary tuberculosis and dysbiosis caused by anti-tuberculosis drugs.

An improved understanding of the gut microbiota could lead to better strategies for the diagnosis, therapy and prophylaxis of tuberculosis (TB). The impact of both Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and anti-TB treatment on the gut microbiota has rarely been studied. We characterized the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota in pulmonary TB patients as well as the effects of anti-TB drugs on the gut microbiota. Pulmonary Mtb infection led to a minor decrease in the α diversity of the gut microbiota when compared to healthy controls, which mainly resulted from changes in the relative abundance of the members of genus Bacteroides. Anti-TB therapy caused a rapid, significant alteration in the community structure. The relative abundance of members of genus Clostridiales of the phylum Firmicutes significantly decreased during anti-TB treatment, while many members of genus Bacteroides, including Bacteroides OTU230 and Bacteroides fragilis, were among the taxa that increased. OTU8 and OTU2972 assigned to family Erysipelotrichaceae of the phylum Firmicutes showed a dramatic increase 1 week after the start of therapy, while the other members of this family decreased. Pulmonary TB and anti-TB treatment caused a distinct dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. Our study contributes valuable information implying potential links between the gut microbiota and TB.

Hu Y ，Yang Q ，Liu B ，Dong J ，Sun L ，Zhu Y ，Su H ，Yang J ，Yang F ，Chen X ，Jin Q ... -  《-》

Gut fungal dysbiosis and altered bacterial-fungal interaction in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: An explorative study.

Little is known about intestinal fungi in IBS patients whose gut bacteria have been investigated a lot. In order to explore causal relationship between IBS and gut mycobiome, and use gut fungi to diagnose or even treat IBS, further characterization of it in IBS is required. Fifty-five diarrhea-predominant IBS (D-IBS) patients fulfilling Rome III criteria, and 16 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Fresh fecal samples were collected and used for 16s rRNA and ITS2 high-throughput sequencing. Diversity and composition of gut bacteria and fungi, as well as bacterial-fungal interactions in D-IBS patients, were characterized. Specific fungal taxa differentiating D-IBS from HC were recognized by LEfSe and RandomForest methods, and their association with clinical symptoms was assessed by Spearman's correlation. Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome patients showed abnormal (IBS-dysbiosis) or normal (HC-like IBS) fecal bacterial structure and diversity compared with healthy controls. However, fecal fungal signatures differed absolutely between D-IBS and HC, which indicated a more susceptible alteration of gut fungi than bacteria in D-IBS. Fecal fungi showed significant correlations with IBS symptoms, especially Mycosphaerella, Aspergillus, Sporidiobolus, and Pandora which were identified to potentially differentiate D-IBS from HC. Moreover, compared with HC there were markedly declined bacterial-fungal interactions in D-IBS, in which Candida changed from negative to positive correlations with bacteria, and Eurotium changed from positive correlations to irrelevance, while Debaryomyces gained negative correlations with bacteria. Gut fungal dysbiosis and altered bacterial-fungal interactions were present in patients with D-IBS, and gut fungi could be used to diagnose D-IBS.

Hong G ，Li Y ，Yang M ，Li G ，Qian W ，Xiong H ，Bai T ，Song J ，Zhang L ，Hou X ... -  《-》