anthelmintic treatment Kenya
The impact of anthelmintic treatment on human gut microbiota in western Kenya: Cross-sectional and pre-post deworming comparisons
Murine studies suggest that the presence of some species of intestinal helminths is associated with changes in host microbiota composition and diversity. Some changes are even found in anatomic locations remote from where these helminths reside and may persist after helminth clearance. However, studies in humans have produced varied conclusions and the impact appears to vary widely depending on the helminth species present. To demonstrate how molecular approaches to the human gut microbiome can provide insights into the complex interplay among disparate organisms, DNA was extracted from cryopreserved stools collected from residents of 5 rural Kenyan villages prior to, 3 weeks and 3 months following albendazole (ALB) therapy. Samples were analyzed by qPCR for the presence of 8 species of intestinal parasites, and by MiSeq 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Based on pre-treatment results, the presence of neither Ascaris lumbricoides (Al) nor Necator americanus (Na) infection significantly altered the overall diversity of the microbiota in comparison with age-matched controls. Following ALB therapy and clearance of soil-transmitted helminths (STH), there were significant increases in the proportion of the microbiota made up by Clostridiales (p=0.0002, average fold change 0.57), and reductions in the proportion made up by Enterobacteriales (p=0.0004, average fold change -0.58). There were additional changes in the microbiota that appear to be related to ALB administration, suggesting that these antimicrobial effects must be considered in any post-treatment setting. Nevertheless, the helminth-associated changes in Clostridiales and Enterobacteriales suggest that clearance of STH, and Na in particular, alters the gut microbiota.  This submission was done on behalf of Thomas B. Nutman (Principal Investigator) and Alice V. Easton.