The association between gut butyrate-producing bacteria and non-small-cell lung cancer

J Clin Lab Anal. 2020 Aug;34(8):e23318. doi: 10.1002/jcla.23318. Epub 2020 Mar 29.

Abstract

Background: Recently, it has been found that the gut microbiota may affect the development of lung cancer through the "gut-lung axis." To investigate this relationship, we performed this study to determine whether the gut microbiota in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is different from that in healthy adults.

Methods: Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of eight gut butyrate-producing bacteria in healthy adults and NSCLC patients. We enrolled 30 patients with NSCLC and 30 subjects from 100 healthy adults after matching for age and sex.

Results: Compared to healthy adults, most of the gut butyrate-producing bacteria in NSCLC patients were significantly decreased; these included Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Clostridium leptum, Clostridial cluster I, Ruminococcus spp., Clostridial Cluster XIVa, and Roseburia spp. Among the gut butyrate-producing bacteria, we analyzed Clostridial cluster IV and Eubacterium rectale were not decreased in NSCLC patients.

Conclusions: We conclude that NSCLC patients had gut butyrate-producing bacteria dysbiosis. Further studies should be performed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of how these specific bacteria affect lung cancer progression and prognosis.

Keywords: butyrate-producing bacteria; dysbiosis; gut microbiota; gut-lung axis; non-small-cell lung cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Bacteria / metabolism
  • Butyrates / metabolism*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* / microbiology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Dysbiosis* / metabolism
  • Dysbiosis* / microbiology
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms* / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms* / microbiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged

Substances

  • Butyrates