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 ...

采用下一代测序技术获取的艰难梭菌（Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection, CDI）感染期间人类微生物群组成相关数据仍较为匮乏。本研究旨在明确可识别tcdB阳性患者的关键特征，并基于毒素基因载量（tcdB基因）及重度腹泻发生情况，对不同亚组间的微生物群组成进行比较分析。本研究采用16S rRNA基因测序技术，对79名tcdB阳性患者与20名健康对照者的共计99份粪便样本展开分析。通过微生物生态学定量洞察（Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology, QIIME）分析流程，计算α多样性的Chao1指数，并对β多样性开展主坐标分析。在门、科、属分类水平上，对各组的平均相对丰度进行比较。与健康对照组相比，tcdB阳性患者（包括定植者与CDI患者）的α多样性与β多样性均存在显著改变。tcdB阳性患者的平均Chao1指数显著低于对照组……