The results of point-particle Eulerian–Lagrangian direct numerical simulation (DNS) calculations of dilute particle-laden turbulent channel flow are used to study the effect of the particles on the local flow topology. It is found that in the viscous sublayer, the flow becomes increasingly more two-dimensional as the two-way coupling effect (due to interaction between particles and fluid flow) increases with increasing particle load. Beyond the viscous sublayer the modifications in flow topology are not strongly related to the preferential concentration of particles in the flow field, which is in contrast to previous channel flow simulations. The effect of particles on the turbulent flow beyond the viscous sublayer is mostly a result of the overall changing near-wall dynamics of the fluid flow.