Abstract:
Objective To investigate gut microbiota differences between individuals with and without colorectal adenoma (CRA) and to identify gut microbes associated with CRA.
Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed the gut microbiota of 100 patients with CRA and 68 individuals without CRA (aged 40–75 years) who underwent colonoscopies between March 2021 and March 2022 at Tianjin Nankai Hospital. Fecal samples were sequenced for the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene using the Illumina NovaSeq platform.
Results Compared to the non-CRA group, the CRA group exhibited reduced relative abundances of identified and unidentified Lachnospiraceae, with increased Faecalibacterium and Streptococcus. In the non-CRA group, the relative abundances of Coprococcus, unidentified Clostridiaceae, and Clostridium were higher. LEfSe analysis revealed significant enrichment of Gammaproteobacteria, Proteobacteria, Enterobacteriales, and Faecalibacterium in the CRA group, while the non-CRA group was enriched for Moraxellaceae, Acinetobacter, and Anaerostipes.
Conclusions These findings suggest a discernible disparity in the gut microbiota structure between CRA patients and individuals without adenoma. The enrichment of potential pathogenic taxa, such as Faecalibacterium and Streptococcus, in the CRA group suggests a possible association with adenoma development.