AUTHOR=Zhang Hongbo , Yu Yanhui , Li Jianhua , Gong Pengtao , Wang Xiaocen , Li Xin , Cheng Yidan , Yu Xiuyan , Zhang Nan , Zhang Xichen 

TITLE=Changes of gut microbiota in colorectal cancer patients with Pentatrichomonas hominis infection

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.961974

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2022.961974

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Pentatrichomonas hominis</italic> is a parasitic trichomonads protozoa that parasitizes in the colon and cecum of humans and other animals. Our previous studies have demonstrated that infection with <italic>P. hominis</italic> is associated with the incidence of colon cancer (37.93%). However, the mechanism by which <italic>P. hominis</italic> infections increase the incidence of colon cancer remains unclear. Previous studies have suggested that certain parasites promote colon cancer by regulating gut microbiota. This study aimed to elucidate whether the association between <italic>P. hominis</italic> infections and the increased incidence of colon cancer is related to changes in gut microbiota. Therefore, the gut microbiota patients with colon cancer who were infected with <italic>P. hominis</italic> and uninfected patients with colon cancer were analyzed by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. The results demonstrated that patients with colon cancer who were not infected with <italic>P. hominis</italic> showed increased gut bacterial diversity, a higher relative abundance of <italic>Alcaligenes</italic> sp., <italic>Leucobacter</italic> sp., <italic>Paraprevotella</italic> sp., <italic>Ruminococcaceae UCG-002</italic>, and a significant reduction in the abundance of <italic>Veillonella</italic> sp., compared to individuals without colon cancer. Additionally, the relative abundance of the <italic>Ruminococcaceae UCG-002</italic> and the <italic>Eubacterium eligens</italic> groups was reduced, while the relative abundance of bacteria associated with colon cancer, including <italic>Flavonifractor</italic> sp., <italic>Lachnoclostridium</italic> sp., and the <italic>Ruminococcus gnavus</italic> group, increased significantly in patients with colon cancer who were infected with <italic>P. hominis</italic>, compared to those of uninfected patients with colon cancer. In conclusion, these results suggested that <italic>P. hominis</italic> infections may aggravate the development of colon cancer and the findings provide new insights for subsequent in-depth studies on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prevention of colon cancer.</p>