Gut microbiota display alternative profiles in patients with early-onset colorectal cancer

The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is increasing worldwide. This study aimed to explore whether there is an alternative gut microbiota profile in patients with early-onset colorectal cancer.

A total of 24 patients with EOCRC, 43 patients with late-onset colorectal cancer and 31 young volunteers were included in this study. The diversity of their fecal bacteria was explored using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Cluster of ortholog genes (COG) functional annotation and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) were used to detect enrichment pathways among the three groups.

Community separations were observed among the three groups. The Shannon index of the EOCRC group was significantly lower than the LOCRC group (P=0.007) and the NC group (P=0.008). Both PCoA analysis (Principal co-ordinates analysis, P=0.001) and NMDS (non-metric multidimensional scaling, stress=0.167, P=0.001) analysis indicated significant difference in beta diversity among the three groups. Fusobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Clostridia were the most abundant bacteria in the EOCRC group, LOCRC group, and NC group, respectively. The results of COG showed that transcription (P=0.01398), defense mechanisms (P=0.04304), inorganic ion transport and metabolism (P=0.00225) and cell wall/membrane/envelope biogenesis (P=0.02534) were differentially expressed among the three groups. The KEGG modules involved in membrane transport (P=0.00856) and porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism (P=0.04909) were differentially expressed among the three groups.

Early-onset colorectal cancer patients have a different gastrointestinal microbiota derangement compared to late-onset colorectal cancer patients. This dysbiosis can be reflected in the species diversity of the microbiota, the abundance of bacteria, and the abnormal functional predictions.