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Gut barrier dysfunction and related inflammation are known to be associated with the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). We investigated associations of 292 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 27 genes related to endotoxins/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) sensing and tolerance, mucin synthesis, inflammation, and Crohn's disease with colon and rectal cancer risks. Incident CRC cases (N = 1374; colon = 871, rectum = 503) were matched 1:1 to controls nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Previously measured serum concentrations of gut barrier function and inflammation biomarkers (flagellin/LPS-specific immunoglobulins and C-reactive protein [CRP]) were available for a sub-set of participants (Ncases = 1001; Ncontrols = 667). Forty-two unique SNPs from 19 different genes were associated with serum biomarkers at Punadjusted <= 0.05 among controls. Among SNPs associated with a gut permeability score, 24 SNPs were in genes related to LPS sensing and mucin synthesis. Nine out of 12 SNPs associated with CRP were in genes related to inflammation or Crohn's disease. TLR4 was associated with colon cancer at the SNP level (nine SNPs, all Punadjusted <= 0.04) and at the gene level (Punadjusted <= 0.01). TLR4 rs10759934 was associated with rectal cancer but not colon cancer. Similarly, IL10 was associated with rectal cancer risk at an SNP and gene level (both Punadjusted <= 0.01), but not colon cancer. Genes and SNPs were selected a priori; therefore, we present unadjusted P-values. However, no association was statistically significant after multiple testing correction. This large and comprehensive study has identified gut barrier function and inflammation-related genes possibly contributing to CRC risk in European populations and is consistent with potential etiological links between host genetic background, gut barrier permeability, microbial endotoxemia, and CRC development.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogenous disease consisting of multiple molecular subtypes, each of which has diverse treatment responses and prognoses. The importance of the gut microbiota in CRC development and progression has undergone increasing recognition in recent years, with a structural segregation in terms of microbial composition between CRC patients and healthy controls. However, many questions remain before a full understanding of the impact of the gut microbiota on CRC is reached. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the role of gut microbes in CRC, including their potential as CRC biomarkers and associations with clinicopathological, immunological, and molecular traits of CRC. A particular focus was the CRC-associated oral pathogen Parvimonas micra. To investigate faecal microbiota as a potential biomarker for CRC, we studied the presence of specific bacteria in faeces from CRC patients and controls using qPCR. We found higher levels of P. micra in faecal samples from CRC patients than from control patients. A test for high levels of P. micra was able to identify CRC with a specificity of 87.3% and a sensitivity of 60.5%. Adding the oral pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum, colibactin-producing bacteria, and faecal haemoglobin to the test enhanced its sensitivity. We further aimed to explore the associations of P. micra and F. nucleatum with molecular subtypes of CRC and the tumour immune response. The levels of P. micra and F. nucleatum, as analysed by qPCR in both faeces and tumour tissue from CRC patients, were found to be positively correlated. High levels of intratumoural P. micra and F. nucleatum were associated with tumours of the microsatellite instable subtype and BRAF-mutated tumours. For F. nucleatum, an additional association with right-sided tumours was found. Moreover, both P. micra and F. nucleatum in tumour tissue were associated with the immune-activated consensus molecular subtype (CMS) 1 subtype of CRC. In line with this find

Background: One remaining question in ventral hernia repair is whether to perform concurrent abdominal surgery or plan two-stage procedures. The aim was to explore the risk for reoperation and mortality due to surgical complication during index admission. Method: Eleven-year data were retrieved from the National Patient Register and 68,058 primary surgical admissions were included, divided into minor and major hernia surgery and concurrent abdominal surgery. Results were evaluated by logistic regression analysis. Results: The risk for reoperation during index admission was higher for patients with concurrent surgery. Major hernia surgery and major concurrent surgery had an OR 37.9 compared to major hernia surgery only. Mortality rate within 30 days increased, OR 9.32. The combined risk for serious adverse event was accumulative. Conclusion: These results stress the importance of critically evaluating needs for and planning of concurrent abdominal surgery during ventral hernia repair. Reoperation rate was a valid and useful outcome variable.

Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota may impact colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. In this study, the tumour colonisation of two CRC-associated bacteria, Parvimonas micra and Fusobacterium nucleatum, was studied in relation to patient survival in a cohort of 257 CRC patients. Colonisation of P. micra and F. nucleatum was analysed in fresh frozen tumour tissue (n = 112) and in faeces (n = 250) by qPCR. When analysing tumour tissues, both P. micra and F. nucleatum were found to be associated with decreased five-year cancer-specific survival, an association that remained significant in multivariable analysis for P. micra. Furthermore, we found significant associations of high levels of P. micra and F. nucleatum with tumour molecular characteristics, i.e., tumours mutated in BRAFV600E, and tumours of the MSI subtype. The analysis of faecal samples showed weaker associations with prognosis and tumour molecular characteristics. In conclusion, our findings support a novel association of tumour colonisation of P. micra with decreased patient survival. A better understanding of the role of the gut microbiota in CRC might contribute to the advancement of prognostic tools and new targets for therapy.

Experimental evidence has implicated genotoxic Escherichia coli (E. coli) and enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, evidence from epidemiological studies is sparse. We therefore assessed the association of serological markers of E. coli and ETBF exposure with odds of developing CRC in the European Prospective Investigation into Nutrition and Cancer (EPIC) study. Serum samples of incident CRC cases and matched controls (n = 442 pairs) were analyzed for immunoglobulin (Ig) A and G antibody responses to seven E. coli proteins and two isoforms of the ETBF toxin via multiplex serology. Multivariable-adjusted conditional logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association of sero-positivity to E. coli and ETBF with CRC. The IgA-positivity of any of the tested E. coli antigens was associated with higher odds of developing CRC (OR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.05–1.91). Dual-positivity for both IgA and IgG to E. coli and ETBF was associated with >1.7-fold higher odds of developing CRC, with a significant association only for IgG (OR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.94). This association was more pronounced when restricted to the proximal colon cancers (OR: 2.62; 95% CI: 1.09, 6.29) compared to those of the distal colon (OR: 1.24; 95% CI: 0.51, 3.00) (pheterogeneity = 0.095). Sero-positivity to E. coli and ETBF was associated with CRC development, suggesting that co-infection of these bacterial species may contribute to colorectal carcinogenesis. These findings warrant further exploration in larger prospective studies and within different population groups.

The use of faecal microbial markers as non-invasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC) has been suggested, but not fully elucidated. Here, we have evaluated the importance of Parvimonas micra as a potential non-invasive faecal biomarker in CRC and its relation to other microbial biomarkers. The levels of P. micra, F. nucleatum and clbA+bacteria were quantified using qPCR in faecal samples from a population-based cohort of patients undergoing colonoscopy due to symptoms from the large bowel. The study included 38 CRC patients, 128 patients with dysplasia and 63 controls. The results were validated in a second consecutive CRC cohort including faecal samples from 238 CRC patients and 94 controls. We found significantly higher levels of P. micra in faecal samples from CRC patients compared to controls. A test for P. micra could detect CRC with a specificity of 87.3% and a sensitivity of 60.5%. In addition, we found that combining P. micra with other microbial markers, could further enhance test sensitivity. Our findings support the potential use of P. micra as a non-invasive biomarker for CRC. Together with other microbial faecal markers, P. micra may identify patients with "high risk" microbial patterns, indicating increased risk and incidence of cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Systemic inflammation has been associated with poor survival in several tumor types, but has been less extensively studied in resectable metastatic disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of CRP in colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases (CRLM) compared to conventional tumor- and patient-related clinicopathological features as well as other indicators of the systemic inflammatory response (SIR). METHODS: A multinational retrospective study of 492 CRLM patients undergoing potentially curative resection of liver metastases between 1999 and 2009. Clinicopathological findings and the SIR markers CRP, hypoalbuminemia, and their combined Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) were analyzed. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative CRP >10 mg/L was a strong predictor of compromised survival (HR = 1.72, 95%CI 1.84-2.50, P < 0.01). Patients with CRP ≤10 mg/L had a median survival of 4.27 years compared to only 47 days in patients with CRP ≥30 mg/L (P < 0.01). Similarly, increased GPS was independently predictive of poor survival (HR 1.67, 95%CI 1.22-2.27, P < 0.01), but hypoalbuminemia alone did not have significant prognostic value. CONCLUSIONS: CRP alone is a strong prognostic factor, following curative resection of colorectal liver metastases and should be taken into consideration when selecting treatment strategies in CRLM patients.