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 Publisher Pubmed



Esfandiari F¹ ; Bakhshi B¹ ; Shahbazi T¹ ; Derakhshannezhad E² ; Bahroudi M¹ ; Minaeeian S³ ; Boustanshenas M³ ; Alborzi F⁴ ; Behboudi B⁵ ; Fazeli MS⁵ Show Affiliations
Source: PLoS ONE Published:2024

Abstract

Background 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. Methods 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. Results 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. Conclusion 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. © 2024 Esfandiari et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.