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Blastocystis in Health and Disease
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Blastocystis in Health and Disease

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 18624

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anastasios D. Tsaousis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
Interests: parasite cellular adaptations; organellar evolution; gut microbiome; host–parasite interactions; eukaryome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Eleni Gentekaki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, 333 Moo 1, Tambon Tasud, Muang District, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
Interests: eukaryotic microbiota; diversity of protists and fungi in Thailand; phylogenomics and genomics of ciliates; basal fungi; microbial ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Blastocystis is the most prevalent intestinal microbial eukaryote colonising the gut of humans and other animals. Despite numerous reports, the pathogenicity of Blastocystis remains controversial. Information on prevalence, geographic distribution, and host specificity of Blastocystis species/subtypes/strains is incomplete. Significant gaps also exist on the environmental presence of Blastocystis. Collectively, this paucity of data blurs the Blastocystis landscape considerably.

This Special Issue welcomes submissions of original research and review manuscripts with a broad focus on Blastocystis and its potential functional role(s) in the gut microbiome. Topics on the biology, genomics, epidemiology, and ecology of Blastocystis are welcome. The aim of this Special Issue is to assemble a collection of manuscripts that synopsise the status quo of Blastocystis research.

Dr. Anastasios D. Tsaousis
Dr. Eleni Gentekaki
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • genomics
  • microbiome
  • epidemiology
  • taxonomy
  • subtyping
  • evolution
  • phylogenetics
  • mitochondrion-related organelles
  • anaerobicity

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 2174 KiB  
Article
Echinococcosis Is Associated with the Increased Prevalence of Intestinal Blastocystis Infection in Tibetans and Host Susceptibility to the Blastocystis in Mice
by Yang Zou, Yu-Gui Wang, Zhong-Li Liu, Ai-Jiang Guo, Xiao-Lu Li, Zhi-Qi Shi, Xing-Quan Zhu, Xiu-Min Han and Shuai Wang
Biology 2022, 11(5), 773; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11050773 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1665
Abstract
Blastocystis is a common human intestinal protozoan parasite. Little is known about its prevalence in echinococcosis. This study tested whether Echinococcus multilocularis infection would increase host susceptibility to Blastocystis. A total of 114 fecal samples (68 hydatid disease patients and 46 healthy [...] Read more.
Blastocystis is a common human intestinal protozoan parasite. Little is known about its prevalence in echinococcosis. This study tested whether Echinococcus multilocularis infection would increase host susceptibility to Blastocystis. A total of 114 fecal samples (68 hydatid disease patients and 46 healthy people) were collected from Tibetans in the Qinghai province in China. The presence of Blastocystis was identified by sequencing of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene. Balb/c mice were co-infected with Blastocystis and E. multilocularis and tested for host susceptibility to Blastocystis. The overall Blastocystis prevalence was 12.3%; 16.2% in the patients and 4.4% in healthy people (p < 0.05). Sequence analysis identified three known Blastocystis genotypes, including ST1, ST2, and ST3, and one unknown genotype. Experimental dual infection significantly reduced mouse survival rate (20%), induced more severe signs, and increased intestinal damages with a higher intestinal colonization level of Blastocystis. The mouse model showed that E. multilocularis infection increases host susceptibility to Blastocystis. Our study shows a significantly higher prevalence of Blastocystis in patients with liver echinococcosis and reveals that non-intestinal E. multilocularis infection increases host susceptibility to the Blastocystis. Our results highlight that E. multilocularis infection is associated with Blastocystis. These findings remind us that more attention should be paid to the gut health of the patients with a helminth infection during clinical patient care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blastocystis in Health and Disease)
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18 pages, 2385 KiB  
Article
Molecular Characterization of Blastocystis from Animals and Their Caregivers at the Gdańsk Zoo (Poland) and the Assessment of Zoonotic Transmission
by Monika Rudzińska, Beata Kowalewska, Małgorzata Waleron, Mirosław Kalicki, Katarzyna Sikorska and Beata Szostakowska
Biology 2021, 10(10), 984; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10100984 - 30 Sep 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2245
Abstract
Blastocystis is a highly genetically diverse gut protist commonly found in humans and various animals. The role of animals in human infection is only partly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the host specificity and possibility of zoonotic transmission of [...] Read more.
Blastocystis is a highly genetically diverse gut protist commonly found in humans and various animals. The role of animals in human infection is only partly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the host specificity and possibility of zoonotic transmission of this microorganism. Subtypes of Blastocystis isolated from 201 zoo animals and their 35 caregivers were identified by sequencing of the SSU rRNA gene. Blastocystis was found in 26.86% of animal and 17.14% of human samples. Both mammalian (ST1–ST3, ST5, ST8, ST10, ST13, ST14) and non-mammalian subtypes were detected. Of the subtypes found in non-human primates (ST1, ST2, ST3, and ST13), two subtypes (ST1 and ST3) were also detected in humans. The presence of identical ST1 sequences in three monkeys and their caregiver indicates the possibility of direct transmission of Blastocystis between these animals and humans. Detection of ST5 only in wild boars and peccaries, ST8 only in Marsupial, ST10 and ST14 only in Bovidae, and non-mammalian subtypes in reptiles suggests higher host specificity for these subtypes, and indicates that their transmission between animals and humans is unlikely. Additionally, this was probably the first time that ST5 was found in peccaries, ST2 in patas monkeys, and ST8 in red kangaroos. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blastocystis in Health and Disease)
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14 pages, 2008 KiB  
Article
Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of Blastocystis Infection in Children Attending Daycare Centers in Medellín, Colombia
by Maria I. Osorio-Pulgarin, Adriana Higuera, Juan C. Beltran-Álzate, Miryan Sánchez-Jiménez and Juan David Ramírez
Biology 2021, 10(7), 669; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10070669 - 16 Jul 2021
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 3531
Abstract
Background: The present study aims to perform an epidemiological and molecular characterization of Blastocystis infection in a child population attending daycare centers of Medellín, Colombia. Methods: A total of 265 children aged 0–5 years were enrolled in five children’s centers in urban sectors [...] Read more.
Background: The present study aims to perform an epidemiological and molecular characterization of Blastocystis infection in a child population attending daycare centers of Medellín, Colombia. Methods: A total of 265 children aged 0–5 years were enrolled in five children’s centers in urban sectors of Medellín, northwestern Colombia. Stool samples were taken to identify intestinal parasites by direct examination, Ritchie–Frick concentration, and molecular identification of Blastocystis by conventional PCR and subtype (ST) identification by PCR barcoding with subsequent phylogenetic reconstruction. Kappa index was calculated to evaluate the agreement between microscopy and PCR for the diagnosis of Blastocystis. Results: The prevalence of intestinal protozoa was 36.6% (97/265), with Blastocystis as the most frequent parasitic protozoan at 15.8% (42/265), followed by Giardia intestinalis at 15.5% (41/265) and Endolimax nana at 15.1% (40/265). The prevalence of Blastocystis by PCR was 53.2% (141/265), the subtypes identified were ST3 at 30.5% (18/59), ST2 at 23.7% (14/59), ST1 at 20.3% (12/59), and with less frequency, ST4 at 5.1% (3/59), ST6 at 1.7% (1/59) and ST16 at 15.3% (9/59) allele 162. Conclusion: This study provides the first genetic characterization of Blastocystis subtypes circulating in a population of Medellín, Colombia, and also updates the epidemiology of Blastocystis subtypes in the world with the first identification of ST16 in humans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blastocystis in Health and Disease)
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19 pages, 3030 KiB  
Article
Parasites, Drugs and Captivity: Blastocystis-Microbiome Associations in Captive Water Voles
by Emma L. Betts, Sumaiya Hoque, Lucy Torbe, Jessica R. Bailey, Hazel Ryan, Karen Toller, Vicki Breakell, Angus I. Carpenter, Alex Diana, Eleni Matechou, Eleni Gentekaki and Anastasios D. Tsaousis
Biology 2021, 10(6), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10060457 - 22 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3176
Abstract
(1) Background: Blastocystis is a microbial eukaryote inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of a broad range of animals including humans. Several studies have shown that the organism is associated with specific microbial profiles and bacterial taxa that have been deemed beneficial to intestinal and [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Blastocystis is a microbial eukaryote inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of a broad range of animals including humans. Several studies have shown that the organism is associated with specific microbial profiles and bacterial taxa that have been deemed beneficial to intestinal and overall health. Nonetheless, these studies are focused almost exclusively on humans, while there is no similar information on other animals. (2) Methods: Using a combination of conventional PCR, cloning and sequencing, we investigated presence of Blastocystis along with Giardia and Cryptosporidium in 16 captive water voles sampled twice from a wildlife park. We also characterised their bacterial gut communities. (3) Results: Overall, alpha and beta diversities between water voles with and without Blastocystis did not differ significantly. Differences were noted only on individual taxa with Treponema and Kineothrix being significantly reduced in Blastocystis positive water voles. Grouping according to antiprotozoal treatment and presence of other protists did not reveal any differences in the bacterial community composition either. (4) Conclusion: Unlike human investigations, Blastocystis does not seem to be associated with specific gut microbial profiles in water voles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blastocystis in Health and Disease)
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8 pages, 1699 KiB  
Article
Blastocystis sp. Carriage and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Is the Association Already Established?
by Fernando Salvador, Beatriz Lobo, Lidia Goterris, Carmen Alonso-Cotoner, Javier Santos, Elena Sulleiro, Begoña Bailo, David Carmena, Adrián Sánchez-Montalvá, Pau Bosch-Nicolau, Juan Espinosa-Pereiro, Isabel Fuentes and Israel Molina
Biology 2021, 10(4), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10040340 - 19 Apr 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2319
Abstract
Background: The aim of the present study is to describe the occurrence of Blastocystis sp. detection among asymptomatic subjects and patients with irritable bowel syndrome in order to evaluate the potential association between irritable bowel syndrome and the parasitic infection. Methods: Cross-sectional study [...] Read more.
Background: The aim of the present study is to describe the occurrence of Blastocystis sp. detection among asymptomatic subjects and patients with irritable bowel syndrome in order to evaluate the potential association between irritable bowel syndrome and the parasitic infection. Methods: Cross-sectional study where adult patients with irritable bowel syndrome diagnosed according to Rome IV criteria were included. A control group was formed by asymptomatic subjects older than 18 years. Exclusion criteria were: immunosuppressive condition or having received any drug with demonstrated activity against Blastocystis sp. within the last 6 months before study inclusion. Epidemiological and clinical information was collected from all included participants. Two stool samples were obtained from all participants: one sample for microscopic examination and one sample for Blastocystis sp. PCR detection. Blastocystis sp. infection was defined by the positivity of any of the diagnostic techniques. Results: Seventy-two participants were included (36 asymptomatic subjects and 36 patients with irritable bowel syndrome). Thirty-five (48.6%) were men, and median age of participants was 34 (IQR 29–49) years. The overall rate of Blastocystis sp. carriage was 27.8% (20/72). The prevalence assessed through microscopic examination was 22.2% (16/72), while the prevalence measured by PCR was 15.3% (11/72). When comparing the presence of Blastocystis sp. between asymptomatic subjects and IBS patients, we did not find any statistically significant difference (36.1% vs. 19.4% respectively, p = 0.114). Conclusions: regarding the occurrence of Blastocystis sp., no differences were found between asymptomatic participants and patients with irritable bowel disease irrespective of the diagnostic technique performed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blastocystis in Health and Disease)
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Review

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40 pages, 2791 KiB  
Review
The Coexistence of Blastocystis spp. in Humans, Animals and Environmental Sources from 2010–2021 in Asia
by Adedolapo Aminat Rauff-Adedotun, Farah Haziqah Meor Termizi, Nurshafarina Shaari and Ii Li Lee
Biology 2021, 10(10), 990; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10100990 - 30 Sep 2021
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4063
Abstract
Blastocystis spp. are controversial unicellular protists that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of humans and a wide range of animals worldwide. This review provides an overview of the prevalence and distribution of Blastocystis spp. and their subtypes throughout Asia. Research articles reporting on the [...] Read more.
Blastocystis spp. are controversial unicellular protists that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of humans and a wide range of animals worldwide. This review provides an overview of the prevalence and distribution of Blastocystis spp. and their subtypes throughout Asia. Research articles reporting on the presence of Blastocystis spp. in locations within Asia, between 1 January 2010, and 10 May 2021, were obtained from Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. In 427 articles, the prevalence of Blastocystis spp. in 31 countries within the last decade was revealed. Isolates were found in humans, various mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, water sources, vegetables, and ambient air. Prevalence of Blastocystis spp. varied widely across host categories. Subtypes identified throughout Asia were STs 1–14, and ST18–22 (novel subtypes). ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4 were the most frequently isolated in humans; ST5 in pigs; ST10 and ST14 in goats, sheep, and cattle; and ST6 and ST7 in chickens. ST1 and ST3 were most common in water samples. ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5 and ST6 were shared by humans, animals, and water sources. There is a growing interest in the study of Blastocystis spp. and their subtypes in Asia. Due to the isolation of Blastocystis spp. from biotic and abiotic sources in Asia, the application of the One Health (OH) approach to the study of Blastocystis spp. is proposed for improved perception of this organism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blastocystis in Health and Disease)
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