Human transmission of Blastocystis by Fecal Microbiota Transplantation without development of gastrointestinal symptoms in recipients.
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Patients with multiple recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (rCDI) are treated with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) provided by healthy donors. Blastocystis colonization of donors is considered an exclusion criterion, whereas its pathogenicity is still under debate. METHODS:The introduction of molecular screening for Blastocystis sp. at our stool bank identified two donors with prior negative microscopy but positive PCR. Potential transmission of Blastocystis sp. to patients was assessed on 16 fecal patient samples, pre- and post-FMT, by PCR and subtype (ST) analysis. In addition, clinical outcome for treatment of rCDI (n=31), as well as development of gastrointestinal symptoms was assessed. RESULTS:One donor carried Blastocystis ST1, the other contained ST3. All patients tested Blastocystis negative prior to FMT. With a median of 20.5 days after FMT, 8 of 16 (50%) patients developed intestinal colonization with Blastocystis, with identical ST-sequences as their respective donors. Blastocystis containing fecal suspensions were used to treat 31 rCDI patients, with a FMT success rate of 84%. This success rate was not statistically different from patients transferred with Blastocystis sp. negative donor feces (93%, 76/82). Patients transferred with Blastocystis sp. positive donor feces did not report any significant difference in bowel complaints in the first week, after 3 weeks and the months following FMT. CONCLUSIONS:We demonstrated the first transmission of Blastocystis ST1 and ST3 from donor to patients by FMT. This did not result in gastrointestinal symptomatology or have any significant effect on rCDI treatment outcome.
SUBMITTER: Terveer EM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7745006 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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