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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Infectious Agents and Disease
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1476429
This article is part of the Research Topic Multi-Omics Approaches in Disease Microbiology: From Biomarkers to Therapeutic Interventions View all articles

Multi-omics analysis reveals indicator features of microbe-host interactions during Candida albicans colonization and subsequent infection

Provisionally accepted
Huan Zhang Huan Zhang 1Daoyuan Song Daoyuan Song 2*Qiulin Luo Qiulin Luo 1*Jiangkun Yu Jiangkun Yu 3Yingpu Wei Yingpu Wei 1*Di Chen Di Chen 1*Guangjuan Wu Guangjuan Wu 1*Zhi Zhang Zhi Zhang 1*Zhao Li Zhao Li 3*Hongchao Jiang Hongchao Jiang 4*Jingquan Gan Jingquan Gan 5*Deyao Deng Deyao Deng 1*Hui Li Hui Li 5*Wenli Yuan Wenli Yuan 1*
  • 1 Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
  • 2 Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, China
  • 3 State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
  • 4 The Kunming Children’s Hospital, Kunming, China
  • 5 Department of Infectious Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction:Candida albicans gastrointestinal (GI) colonization is crucial for the onset of invasive disease. This research encompassed 31 patients diagnosed with Candida spp. bloodstream infections during their admission to a university hospital in China. Methods: We explored risk factors associated with C. albicans GI colonization and ensuing translocated infection. Animal models were established via gavage with clinical isolates of C. albicans to induce GI tract colonization and subsequent kidney translocation infection. Our analysis is focused on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, metabolomics of colon contents, and transcriptomics of colon tissues, examining the intestinal barrier, inflammatory responses, and immune cell infiltration. Results:This study observed that down-regulation of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) in colon tissues is likely linked to the progression from C. albicans colonization to translocated infection. Notably, reductions in Dubosiella abundance and Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) levels, coupled with increases in Mucispirillum and D-erythro-imidazolylglycerol phosphate, were indicator features during the advancement to translocated invasive infection in hosts with rectal colonization by C. albicans and lower serum protein levels. Conclusion: Given the similarity in intestinal bacterial communities and metabolome profiles, antifungal treatment may not be necessary for patients with nonpathogenic C. albicans colonization. The reduced expression of PD-1 in colon tissues may contribute to the transition from colonized C. albicans to subsequent translocated infection. The indicator features of decreased Dubosiella abundance and SCFA levels, coupled with increased Mucispirillum and D-erythro-imidazolylglycerol phosphate, are likely linked to the development of translocated invasive infection in hosts colonized rectally by C. albicans with lower serum protein levels. Importance Candida albicans invasive infections pose a significant challenge to contemporary medicine, with mortality rates from such fungal infections remaining high despite antifungal treatment. Gastrointestinal colonization by potential pathogens is a critical precursor to the development of translocated infections. Consequently, there is an increasing demand to identify clinical risk factors, multi-omics profiles, and key indicators to prevent the progression to translocated invasive infections in patients colonized rectally by C. albicans.

    Keywords: Candida albicans, intestinal colonization, Invasive infection, Multi-omics analysis, Programmed death-1

    Received: 07 Aug 2024; Accepted: 11 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhang, Song, Luo, Yu, Wei, Chen, Wu, Zhang, Li, Jiang, Gan, Deng, Li and Yuan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Daoyuan Song, Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, China
    Qiulin Luo, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
    Yingpu Wei, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
    Di Chen, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
    Guangjuan Wu, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
    Zhi Zhang, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
    Zhao Li, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
    Hongchao Jiang, The Kunming Children’s Hospital, Kunming, China
    Jingquan Gan, Department of Infectious Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, China
    Deyao Deng, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
    Hui Li, Department of Infectious Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, China
    Wenli Yuan, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University (The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

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