AUTHOR=Chen Rui , Li Xiang , Ding Jian , Wan Jie , Zhang Xueli , Jiang Xu , Duan Shanshan , Hu Xinyi , Gao Yannan , Sun Beibei , Lu Xi , Wang Ruifeng , Cheng Yang , Zhang Xiaoli , Han Su 

TITLE=Profiles of biliary microbiota in biliary obstruction patients with Clonorchis sinensis infection

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1281745

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2023.1281745

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p><italic>Clonorchis sinensis</italic> (<italic>C. sinensis)</italic> is a epidemiologically significant food-borne parasite, causing several hepatobiliary diseases. Biliary microbiota community structure might be influenced by infection with pathogens. However, the biliary microbiome of biliary obstruction patients infected with <italic>C. sinensis</italic> is still an unexplored aspect.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 50 biliary obstruction patients were enrolled, including 24 infected with <italic>C. sinensis</italic> and 26 non-infected subjects. The bile samples were collected by Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancretography. Biliary microbiota alteration was analyzed through high-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Our findings revealed that there was significant increase in both richness and diversity, as well as changes in the taxonomic composition of the biliary microbiota of <italic>C. sinensis</italic> infected patients. At the phylum level, <italic>C. sinensis</italic> infection induced Proteobacteria increased and Firmicutes reduced. At the genus level, the relative abundance of <italic>Pseudomonas</italic> and <italic>Staphylococcus</italic> increased significantly, while <italic>Enterococcus</italic> decreased prominently in infected groups (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). The PICRUSt analysis further showed remarkably different metabolic pathways between the two groups.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p><italic>C. sinensis</italic> infection could modify the biliary microbiota, increasing the abundance and changing the phylogenetic composition of bacterial in biliary obstruction patients. This study may help deepen the understanding of the host-biliary microbiota interplay with <italic>C. sinensis</italic> infection on the background of biliary obstruction and provide new insights into understanding the pathogenesis of clonorchiasis.</p></sec>