Significant difference in gut microbiota Bifidobacterium species but not Lactobacillus species in colorectal cancer patients in comparison with healthy volunteers using quantitative real-time PCR

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 19; no. 11; p. e0294053
• Main Authors: Esfandiari, Fahime, Bakhshi, Bita, Shahbazi, Tayebe, Derakhshan-nezhad, Elahe, Bahroudi, Mahboube, Minaeeian, Sara, Boustanshenas, Mina, Alborzi, Forough, Behboudi, Behnam, Fazeli, Mohamad Sadegh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 27.11.2024; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Bacteria; Bifidobacterium; Bifidobacterium - genetics; Bifidobacterium - isolation & purification; Biology and Life Sciences; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Care and treatment; Case-Control Studies; Chronology; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal carcinoma; Colorectal Neoplasms - genetics; Colorectal Neoplasms - microbiology; Correlation analysis; Defecation; Developing countries; Diagnosis; Disease prevention; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; Evaluation; Family medical history; Feces; Feces - microbiology; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - genetics; Genetic analysis; Gut microbiota; Health aspects; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Immune system; Inflammatory bowel disease; Intestinal microflora; Irritable bowel syndrome; Lactobacilli; Lactobacillus; Lactobacillus - genetics; Lactobacillus - isolation & purification; LDCs; Lifestyles; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolism; Metabolites; Metastasis; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Microorganisms; Middle Aged; Mutation; Obesity; Pathogens; Physiology; Polymerase chain reaction; Probiotics; Questionnaires; Real time; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; rRNA 16S; Strains (organisms); Tumors; Womens health; Iran
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294053

Colorectal cancer (CRC), with a growing incidence trend, is one of the most diagnosed cancers and the second cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The literature has frequently focused attention on the correlation between the gut microbiota imbalance and CRC. The genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium have recently received increasing attention because of their potential in restoring alterations in the gut microflora. Therefore, this study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the presence of lactobacilli and bifidobacterial strains in the fecal samples of CRC patients compared to healthy volunteers. From 2018 to 2019, 25 confirmed CRC patients and 25 age- and gender-matched control subjects were enrolled in the study. Bacterial DNA was extracted from the fecal samples and the presence of lactobacilli and bifidobacterial strains were quantitatively determined using quantitative real-time PCR using genus-specific 16S rDNA primers. A significant decline in the abundance of bifidobacteria in CRC patients compared to healthy individuals (p value<0.003) was observed; however, no significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding the abundance of lactobacilli (p value<0.163). Correlation analysis showed a positive association between the lack of genetic history of CRC and the numbers of gut bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. As a putative gut probiotic, depletion of bifidobacteria showed significant correlation to the development and progression of CRC; therefore, therapeutic use of these probiotic bacteria could be considered a possible adjuvant approach in disease management through modulation of the microbiota.