Alterations in gut microbiome and metabolite profile of patients with Schistosoma japonicum infection

BACKGROUND: Schistosoma infection is a significant public health issue, affecting over 200 million individuals and threatening 700 million people worldwide. The species prevalent in China is Schistosoma japonicum. Recent studies showed that both gut microbiota and metabolome are closely related to schistosomiasis caused by S. japonicum, but clinical study is limited and the underlying mechanism is largely unclear. This study aimed to explore alterations as well as function of gut microbiota and metabolite profile in the patients with S. japonicum infection. METHODS: This study included 20 patients diagnosed with chronic schistosomiasis caused by S. japonicum, eight patients with advanced schistosomiasis caused by S. japonicum and 13 healthy volunteers. The fresh feces of these participators, clinical examination results and basic information were collected. 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was used to investigate gut microbiota, while ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was applied to explore the metabolome of patients in different stages of schistosomiasis. RESULTS: The study found that gut microbiota and metabolites were altered in patients with different stages of S. japonicum infection. Compared with healthy control group, the gut microbial diversity in patients with chronic S. japonicum infection was decreased significantly. However, the diversity of gut microbiota in patients with chronic schistosomiasis was similar to that in patients with advanced schistosomiasis. Compared with uninfected people, patients with schistosomiasis showed decreased Firmicutes and increased Proteobacteria. As disease progressed, Firmicutes was further reduced in patients with advanced S. japonicum infection, while Proteobacteria was further increased. In addition, the most altered metabolites in patients with S. japonicum infection were lipids and lipid-like molecules as well as organo-heterocyclic compounds, correlated with the clinical manifestations and disease progress of schistosomiasis caused by S. japonicum. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that the gut microbiota and metabolome altered in patients in different stages of schistosomiasis, which was correlated with progression of schistosomiasis caused by S. japonicum. This inter-omics analysis may shed light on a better understanding of the mechanisms of the progression of S. japonicum infection and contribute to identifying new potential targets for the diagnosis and prognosis of S. japonicum infection. However, a large sample size of validation in clinic is needed, and further study is required to investigate the underlying mechanism. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-023-05970-3.