A Modified Method Incorporating Multiplex PCR Reveals Fusobacterium Prevalence in Southern Chinese Population and Its...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology and Oncology
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Fusobacterium, an anaerobic bacillus, is an opportunistic pathogen linked to human diseases, particularly cancer.
• Previous studies show conflicting prevalence data for Fusobacterium species in healthy versus patient populations.
• Understanding Fusobacterium's role in cancer requires accurate species identification and prevalence assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-precision multiplex PCR assay for identifying key Fusobacterium species and subspecies.
• To investigate the prevalence and distribution of Fusobacterium in a Southern Chinese population and cancer patients.
• To explore the diagnostic potential of Fusobacterium species and host factors for cancer detection.

Main Methods:

• Development of a multiplex PCR assay for concurrent detection of five Fusobacterium species and four F. nucleatum subspecies.
• Application of the PCR assay to analyze Fusobacterium communities in fecal and tumor samples from Southern Chinese individuals and cancer patients.
• Statistical analysis, including logistic regression, to evaluate diagnostic performance of Fusobacterium species and host factors.

Main Results:

• Fusobacterium nucleatum was found to be dominant in both the general Southern Chinese population and cancer patients.
• Fusobacterium mortiferum demonstrated superior diagnostic performance for cancers compared to other species.
• A combined model including F. mortiferum, F. nucleatum, BMI, and hemoglobin showed excellent cancer diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The developed multiplex PCR assay accurately profiles Fusobacterium communities in human samples.
• Fusobacterium species prevalence varies and is correlated with host conditions and cancer status.
• Fusobacterium mortiferum holds significant potential as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis.