Gut Microbiome Profiles in Colonizations with the Enteric Protozoa in Korean Populations.

The influence of unicellular eukaryotic microorganisms on human gut health and disease is largely unexplored. species commonly colonize the gut, but their clinical significance and ecological role are unclear. We evaluated the effect of colonization on the fecal microbiota of Koreans. In total, 39 -positive and -negative fecal samples were analyzed. The fecal microbiome was assessed by targeting the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S ribosomal gene. Bacterial diversity was greater in the -positive than in the -negative group. The bacterial community structure and phylogenetic diversity differed according to the presence of . The mean proportions of species and Ruminococcaceae were larger in the -positive group, and that of species was larger in the -negative group. Linear discriminant analysis showed that , Ruminococcaceae UCG-002, Muribaculaceae, Rikenellaceae, Acidaminococcaceae, , and Ruminococcaceae UCG-005 were highly enriched in the -positive group, whereas , Enterococcaceae, Lactobacillales, and Bacilli were highly abundant in the -negative group. Overall, our results enlighten the notion that colonization is associated with a healthy gut microbiota.