TITLE:
Comparative Study of Gut Microbiota in Breast Cancer Patients versus Controls in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
AUTHORS:
M’Bengue Gbonon Valérie, Gnahore Djeda Franck, Kouadio Kouamé, Assohoun Stanislas, Coulibaly Safiatou, Diplo Flore Bernadette, Sekongo Mamadou, Osseni Akandji, Afran Sidje Arlette, N’Guessan Jean-David, Dosso Mireille
KEYWORDS:
Gut Microbiota, 16S Metagenomic Sequencing, Breast Cancer, Dysbiosis
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.14 No.9,
September
9,
2024
ABSTRACT: Context: The gut microbiota represents a complex ecosystem encompassing all unicellular microorganisms residing in the digestive tract, primarily bacteria, fungi, archaea, and even viruses. The relationship between the host and the microbiota is symbiotic: bacteria benefit from a stable environment, while the host gains numerous capabilities in terms of digestion, metabolism, nutrition, and immunity. However, numerous studies suggest that the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in various non-communicable diseases, including obesity, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, allergic and immune disorders, behavioral disorders, and even certain cancers. The objective of our study was to characterize the gut microbiota of a group of breast cancer patients by comparing it to that of control subjects in Côte d’Ivoire, using a metagenomic approach. Method: A case-control study was conducted from May 2020 to September 2023. A total of 85 women (39 cases and 46 controls) were recruited, and stool samples were collected from both breast cancer patients and healthy women. Among these, ten (10) samples from patients and ten (10) samples from healthy women were randomly selected for the study of the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota was characterized by sequencing the V4 region of 16S rRNA using metagenomic NGS technology, and bioinformatic analysis was performed using the mothur pipeline. Results: In women with breast cancer, we observed a reduction in the relative abundance of the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, as well as an increase in the phyla Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. Additionally, their microbiota exhibited lower Chao1 and Sobs diversities compared to the control women (p