Fungi participate in the dysbiosis of gut microbiota in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis

• Published in: Gut Vol. 69; no. 1; pp. 92 - 102
• Main Authors: Lemoinne, Sara, Kemgang, Astrid, Ben Belkacem, Karima, Straube, Marjolène, Jegou, Sarah, Corpechot, Christophe, Chazouillères, Olivier, Housset, Chantal, Sokol, Harry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 01.01.2020; BMJ Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Authorship; Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacterial Typing Techniques - methods; Biodiversity; Cholangitis; Cholangitis, Sclerosing - microbiology; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Dysbacteriosis; Dysbiosis - microbiology; Endoscopy; Female; Fungi; Fungi - classification; Fungi - isolation & purification; Gastroenterology; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Genetic testing; Gut microbiota; Human health and pathology; Humans; Hépatology and Gastroenterology; Inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - microbiology; Intestinal microflora; Library collections; Life Sciences; Liver diseases; Male; Microbiota; Middle Aged; Mycological Typing Techniques - methods; Pathogenesis; Young Adult; France; United States > US; fungi; gut microbiota; inflammatory bowel disease; primary sclerosing cholangitis
• ISSN: 0017-5749; 1468-3288; 1468-3288
• DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2018-317791

ObjectivePatients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) were previously shown to display a bacterial gut dysbiosis but fungal microbiota has never been examined in these patients. The aim of this study was to assess the fungal gut microbiota in patients with PSC.DesignWe analysed the faecal microbiota of patients with PSC and concomitant IBD (n=27), patients with PSC and no IBD (n=22), patients with IBD and no PSC (n=33) and healthy subjects (n=30). Bacterial and fungal composition of the faecal microbiota was determined using 16S and ITS2 sequencing, respectively.ResultsWe found that patients with PSC harboured bacterial dysbiosis characterised by a decreased biodiversity, an altered composition and a decreased correlation network density. These alterations of the microbiota were associated with PSC, independently of IBD status. For the first time, we showed that patients with PSC displayed a fungal gut dysbiosis, characterised by a relative increase in biodiversity and an altered composition. Notably, we observed an increased proportion of Exophiala and a decreased proportion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Compared with patients with IBD and healthy subjects, the gut microbiota of patients with PSC exhibited a strong disruption in bacteria-fungi correlation network, suggesting an alteration in the interkingdom crosstalk.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that bacteria and fungi contribute to gut dysbiosis in PSC.