Concomitant decrease of double-positive lymphocyte population CD4CD8αα and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in patients...

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Microbiology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Gut microbiota alterations are linked to colorectal cancer (CRC) development.
• A decrease in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii abundance is observed in CRC patients.
• A specific regulatory T cell population, CD4CD8αα double-positive (DP8α), targets F. prausnitzii.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gut microbiome dysbiosis in CRC patients using metagenomic analysis.
• To quantify circulating DP8α T cells specific for F. prausnitzii in CRC patients.

Main Methods:

• Shotgun sequencing of stool samples from CRC patients and controls.
• Flow cytometry analysis of peripheral blood to identify and quantify DP8α T cells.

Main Results:

• CRC patients exhibited significantly lower abundance of F. prausnitzii and four other bacterial species.
• A significant decrease in the circulating DP8α T cell population was observed in CRC patients compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Reduced F. prausnitzii abundance in CRC is associated with decreased DP8α T cells.
• This suggests a potential role for reduced DP8α T cell activity in colorectal carcinogenesis.
• Findings may inform new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for CRC.