Is Blastocystis spp. Friendly?: A Current View of the Intestinal Microbiota

Funda Doğruman Al; Fakhiriddin Sarzhanov; Sidre Erganiş

doi:10.5152/EurJTher.2019.18086

Authors

Funda Doğruman Al Department of Medical Microbiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9118-3935
Fakhiriddin Sarzhanov Department of Medical Microbiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9433-2126
Sidre Erganiş Department of Medical Microbiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8068-796X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5152/EurJTher.2019.18086

Keywords:

Bacterial diversity, Blastocystis spp, dysbiosis, intestinal microbiota

Abstract

The intestinal microbiota has become the center of attention, not only in microbiology but also in all fields of medicine. There has been an intense activity in studies that investigate the composition and function of the intestinal microbiota. The imbalance in the diversity of bacteria that constitute microbiota has been defined as “dysbiosis” and associated with various diseases. Blastocystis spp. is a eukaryotic protist and the most prevalent protozoan of the human gastrointestinal system. The frequency of observed colonization of Blastocystis spp. in asymptomatic cases has made its association with diseases controversial. It was found in some studies that there is a positive correlation between Blastocystis and the bacterial diversity of the intestinal microbiota. This implies that the parasite may play a role in intestinal homeostasis. Human and animal studies on this subject play an important role in understanding this relationship.

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