Data from: Composition of gut microbiota in patients with toxigenic Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile: comparison between subgroups according to clinical criteria and toxin gene load

Data concerning the human microbiota composition during Clostridioides
(Clostridium) difficile infection (CDI) using next-generation sequencing
are still limited. We aimed to confirm key features indicating tcdB
positive patients and compare the microbiota composition between subgroups
based on toxin gene load (tcdB gene) and presence of significant diarrhea.
Ninety-nine fecal samples from 79 tcdB positive patients and 20 controls
were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Chao1 index for alpha
diversity were calculated and principal coordinate analysis was performed
for beta diversity using Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology
(QIIME) pipeline. The mean relative abundance in each group was compared
at phylum, family, and genus levels. There were significant alterations in
alpha and beta diversity in tcdB positive patients (both colonizer and
CDI) compared with those in the control. The mean Chao1 index of tcdB
positive patients was significantly lower than the control group
(P<0.001), whereas there was no significant difference between tcdB
groups and between colonizer and CDI. There were significant differences
in microbiota compositions between tcdB positive patients and the control
at phylum, family, and genus levels. Several genera such as
Phascolarctobacterium, Lachnospira, Butyricimonas, Catenibacterium,
Paraprevotella, Odoribacter, and Anaerostipes were not detected in most
CDI cases. We identified several changes in the microbiota of CDI that
could be further evaluated as predictive markers. Microbiota differences
between clinical subgroups of CDI need to be further studied in larger
controlled studies.