Third-generation PacBio sequencing to explore gut bacteria and gender in colorectal cancer.

Background: Gut bacteria have an important influence on colorectal cancer (CRC). The differences of gut bacteria between genders have been the hot spots.
Objective: To analyze the relationship between gut bacteria and gender differences in patients with CRC.
Methods: A total of 212 patients with CRC and 212 healthy volunteers were recruited. The subjects' fecal samples were obtained, and the fecal microorganisms were analyzed by the third-generation sequencing PacBio. The composition of gut bacteria was analyzed. Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) was used to analyze the differences in gut bacteria. Pearson coefficient was used to calculate the correlation between differential bacteria. CRC risk prediction models were used to rank the importance of effective differential bacteria.
Results: Escherichia flexneri and Phocaeicola vulgatus were the most frequent bacteria in both male and female CRC patients. Bacteroides, Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansiaceae were highly enriched in male CRC group, while Bacteroidetes, Phocaeicola and Tissierellales were highly enriched in female CRC group. Peptostreptococcus anaerobius and Phocaeicola vulgatus were important CRC related bacteria in males and females, respectively. Peptostreptococcus anaerobius was the most important characteristic bacterium of males (AUC = 0.951), and the sensitivity and specificity of the discovery set were 78.74 % and 93.98 %, respectively. Blautia stercoris was the most important characteristic bacterium of females (AUC = 0.966), and the sensitivity and specificity of the discovery set were 90.63 % and 90.63 %, respectively.
Conclusion: Gut bacteria varied in different genders. Therefore, gender should be considered when gut bacteria are applied in the diagnose and prevention of CRC.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that no potential conflicts of interest exist.
(Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)