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Published on: August 22, 2012
Differences in the Faecal Microbiome in Schistosoma haematobium Infected Children vs. Uninfected Children
Gemma Louise Kay1, Andrew Millard1, Martin J Sergeant1
1Microbiology and Infection Unit, Division of Translational and Systems Medicine, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Campus, Coventry, West Midlands, United Kingdom.
Insights
Children infected with Schistosoma haematobium show distinct gut microbiome structures compared to uninfected children. Praziquantel treatment did not alter these differences, highlighting the persistent impact of helminth infection on the gut microbiome.
Area of Science:
- Microbiome research
- Infectious disease pathology
- Pediatric health
Background:
- Gut dysbiosis is linked to infectious diseases and treatments.
- Schistosoma haematobium infection is prevalent in children.
- Understanding the impact of helminths on the gut microbiome is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- Characterize the gut microbiome in children with Schistosoma haematobium infection.
- Compare gut microbiome structure between infected and uninfected children.
- Assess the effect of praziquantel treatment on the gut microbiome.
Main Methods:
- Collected stool DNA from 139 children (6 months-13 years) pre- and post-praziquantel treatment.
- Sequenced 16S rRNA genes and analyzed operational taxonomic units (OTUs).
- Utilized multivariate analyses and paired t-tests to compare microbiome structures.
Main Results:
- Gut microbiome composition varied significantly between schistosome-infected and uninfected children.
- Specific OTUs, including Prevotella, were more abundant in infected children.
- Praziquantel treatment did not alter the gut microbiome structure in either group.
Conclusions:
- Significant differences exist in the gut microbiome of children infected with Schistosoma haematobium versus uninfected children.
- These microbiome differences are resistant to praziquantel treatment.
- Helminth infection has a lasting impact on the pediatric gut microbiome.
Background:
Several infectious diseases and therapeutic interventions cause gut microbe dysbiosis and associated pathology. We characterised the gut microbiome of children exposed to the helminth Schistosoma haematobium pre- and post-treatment with the drug praziquantel (PZQ), with the aim to compare the gut microbiome structure (abundance and diversity) in schistosome infected vs. uninfected children.
Methods:
Stool DNA from 139 children aged six months to 13 years old; with S. haematobium infection prevalence of 27.34% was extracted at baseline. 12 weeks following antihelminthic treatment with praziqunatel, stool DNA was collected from 62 of the 139 children. The 16S rRNA genes were sequenced from the baseline and post-treatment samples and the sequence data, clustered into operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The OTU data were analysed using multivariate analyses and paired T-test.
Results:
Pre-treatment, the most abundant phyla were Bacteroidetes, followed by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria respectively. The relative abundance of taxa among bacterial classes showed limited variation by age group or sex and the bacterial communities had similar overall compositions. Although there were no overall differences in the microbiome structure across the whole age range, the abundance of 21 OTUs varied significantly with age (FDR<0.05). Some OTUs including Veillonella, Streptococcus, Bacteroides and Helicobacter were more abundant in children ≤ 1 year old compared to older children. Furthermore, the gut microbiome differed in schistosome infected vs. uninfected children with 27 OTU occurring in infected but not uninfected children, for 5 of these all Prevotella, the difference was statistically significant (p <0.05) with FDR <0.05. PZQ treatment did not alter the microbiome structure in infected or uninfected children from that observed at baseline.
Conclusions:
There are significant differences in the gut microbiome structure of infected vs. uninfected children and the differences were refractory to PZQ treatment.
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