Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Science Communicator Platform

Stay connected! Follow us on X network (Twitter):
Share this content! On (X network) By
A Preliminary Study of the Association Between Blastocystis and Quantification of Selected Yeasts in Ibd and Ibs Patients Publisher



Khosravany Z1 ; Khodavaisy S2 ; Olyaiee A3 ; Sadeghi A4 ; Nemati S1 ; Shahrokh S4 ; Mohammad Ali Gol S5 ; Shojaei S4 ; Mohammad Rahimi H1 ; Mirjalali H1
Authors
Show Affiliations
Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Department of Medical Parasitology & Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
  4. 4. Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  5. 5. Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorder Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Source: Frontiers in Medicine Published:2025


Abstract

Objective: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are gastrointestinal disorders, which can be triggered by gut microbiota dysbiosis. The development of IBS-like symptoms has been linked to the overgrowth of Candida spp. In addition, the critical role of fungi has been highlighted in the pathogenesis of IBD. This study investigated the association between Blastocystis and selected yeasts in IBS and IBD patients. Methods: This investigation is a cross-sectional study from 2022 to 2024, performed on 91 participants, including 20 healthy individuals, 27 patients with IBS, and 44 IBD patients [39 with ulcerative colitis (UC; 88.63%) and 5 (11.37%) Crohn’s disease (CD)], who were also categorized based on the presence of Blastocystis. Total DNA was extracted from stool samples, and the presence and quantity of yeasts including C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, C. krusei, Geotrichum candidum, Rhodotorula spp., Cryptococcus neoformans, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were evaluated by real-time PCR. Statistical tests were used to assess significant associations between variables. Results: Saccharomyces cerevisiae and C. albicans were the most prevalent yeasts in all groups. Candida tropicalis and C. neoformans were identified in neither patients nor healthy subjects. The presence/absence of C. albicans was not significantly different between patients with IBD, IBS, and the control groups. This was similar for G. candidum. However, there was a difference in the presence of S. cerevisiae among patients, although it was insignificant (p-value = 0.077). There was a significant difference in the quantity of C. albicans between IBD (880.421 ± 2140.504), IBS (10.307 ± 15.206), and controls (2875.888 ± 8383.889) (p-value = 0.020). Specifically, the source of difference was seen between IBD patients and the control group (p-value = 0.005). In addition, considering the presence of Blastocystis, a statistically significant association was seen between the number of C. albicans and the sample groups (p-value = 0.013). The quantity of C. albicans was significantly different between IBS and IBD patients. Conclusion: Regarding the presence of Blastocystis, the quantity of C. albicans and S. cerevisiae was increased and decreased in the studied groups, respectively. This is a preliminary study, and eukaryote–eukaryote association in IBS and IBD patients should be considered in further studies. Copyright © 2025 Khosravany, Khodavaisy, Olyaiee, Sadeghi, Nemati, Shahrokh, Mohammad Ali Gol, Shojaei, Mohammad Rahimi and Mirjalali.
Related Docs
View other Related Docs
1. Possible Role of Intestinal Fungal Dysbiosis in Dectin-1 and Cytokines Expression in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis, Indian Journal of Gastroenterology (2024)
2. Shedding Light on Biological Sex Differences and Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis: A Comprehensive Review of Its Roles in Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Biology of Sex Differences (2022)
3. Subtype Distribution of Blastocystis Sp. Isolated From Humans in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Gastroenterology and Hepatology from Bed to Bench (2022)
4. Detection and Molecular Characterization of Blastocystis Sp., Enterocytozoon Bieneusi and Giardia Duodenalis in Asymptomatic Animals in Southeastern Iran, Scientific Reports (2025)
5. Nutritional Interventions in Adult Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Randomized Clinical Trials, Nutrition Reviews (2025)
6. Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Patients With Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, International Health (2024)
7. Irritable Bowel Syndrome Demographics: A Middle Eastern Multinational Cross-Sectional Study, Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases (2022)
8. Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Psychological Disorder or Poverty? Results of a Large Cross-Sectional Study in Iran, Archives of Iranian Medicine (2020)
Experts (# of related papers)
View all Related Experts
Nima Rezaei (2)
Bagher Larijani (2)
Other Related Docs
9. Infection and Immunity, Clinical Immunology (2022)
10. The Possible Role of Bacteria, Viruses, and Parasites in Initiation and Exacerbation of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Journal of Cellular Physiology (2019)
11. Dietary Intake of Total Carbohydrates, Sugar and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies, Frontiers in Nutrition (2021)
12. The Landscape of Microbiota Research in Iran; a Bibliometric and Network Analysis, Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders (2020)
13. Intestinal Microbiota Changes Pre- and Post-Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Treatment of Recurrent Clostridioides Difficile Infection Among Iranian Patients With Concurrent Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Frontiers in Microbiology (2023)