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

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 non-diabetic 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. Author SummaryType 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients (T2DM), a prevalent global disease, affects a significant portion of the population across the world. Thus, there is need to better understanding on Blastocystis infection among T2DM that could lead to the alteration toward gut health. We evaluated the association between Blastocystis and gut microbiota, where involving two groups; T2DM patients and non-Diabetic individuals. The research revealed a higher Blastocystis in T2DM patients compared to non-diabetic individuals, emphasizing on assumption toward its pathogenicity. However, amplicon-based sequencing of 16S rRNA genes indicates that Blastocystis carriers exhibit increased gut microbiota diversity. Our result suggested that, Blastocystis highlighted its potential role as a component of a balanced microbiota. Notably, optimal alteration in Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes may contribute to the several gut health. Hence, the study could prompt for further exploration regarding of Blastocystis subtypes and gut microbiota specifically in T2DM to propose for more precise assessment of Blastocystis and gut microbial diversity.