Difference of lower airway microbiome in bilateral protected specimen brush between lung cancer patients with unilateral lobar masses and control subjects. Issue 4 (8th November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Hai‐Xia; Tao, Li‐Li; Zhang, Jing; Zhu, Ying‐Gang; Zheng, Yu; Liu, Dong; Zhou, Min; Ke, Hui; Shi, Meng‐Meng; Qu, Jie‐Ming
• Is Part Of: International journal of cancer. Volume 142:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: 769
• Page End: 778
• Publication Date: 2017-11-08
• Subjects: microbiota -- 16S rRNA -- lung cancer -- bacteria -- lower airway; Cancer -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Prevention -- Periodicals; 616.994
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.31098
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7136

Abstract

Abstract : The functional role of respiratory microbiota has attracted an accumulating attention recently. However, the role of respiratory microbiome in lung carcinogenesis is mostly unknown. Our study aimed to characterize and compare bilateral lower airway microbiome of lung cancer patients with unilateral lobar masses and control subjects. Protected bronchial specimen brushing samples were collected from 24 lung cancer patients with unilateral lobar masses (paired samples from cancerous site and the contralateral noncancerous site) and 18 healthy controls undergoing bronchoscopies and further analyzed by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. As results, significant decreases in microbial diversity were observed in patients with lung cancer in comparison to the controls, alpha diversity steadily declined from healthy site to noncancerous to cancerous site. Genus Streptococcus was significantly more abundant in cancer cases than the controls, while Staphylococcus was more abundant in the controls. The area under the curve of genus Streptococcus used to predict lung cancer was 0.693 (sensitivity = 87.5%, specificity = 55.6%). The abundance of genus Streptococcus and Neisseria displayed an increasing trend whereas Staphylococcus and Dialister gradually declined from healthy to noncancerous to cancerous site. Collectively, lung cancer‐associated microbiota profile is distinct from that found in healthy controls, and the altered cancer‐associated microbiota is not restricted to tumor tissue. The genus Streptococcus was abundant in lung cancer patients and exhibited moderate classification potential. The gradual microbiota profile shift from healthy site to noncancerous to paired cancerous site suggested a change of the microenvironment associated with the development of lung cancer. Abstract : What's new? Infection and inflammation of the lung promote tissue microenvironments conducive to lung carcinogenesis. They also affect the lung microbiome, the community of microorganisms found on mucosal and epithelial surfaces in the lower respiratory tract. In this investigation of lower airway microbial communities recovered via bilateral protected specimen brushing, distinct differences were found in lower airway microbial communities in lung cancer patients vs . healthy controls. Cancer‐associated microorganisms were found beyond cancerous sites, being evident particularly in oral samples. The findings provide new information on clinical characteristics of the lower airway microbiome in lung cancer.