Intratumoral Bacterial Profiles, Bacterial Co-Detection Patterns, and Molecular Alterations in Colorectal Cancer and Colorectal Polyps: A Vietnamese Cohort Study.

Authors

Vu Son Giang, Ho Van Son, Dao Tien Manh, Nguyen Thanh Tung, Nguyen Phuong Thao, Nguyen Thi Than, Nguyen Dang Tung, Tran Viet Hao, Le Duy Cuong

Published in

Microorganisms. Volume 14. Issue 10. Oct 12, 2026. Epub Oct 12, 2026.

Abstract

Intratumoral microbiota may contribute to colorectal cancer (CRC), but their relationships with bacterial co-occurrence, relative bacterial loads, and molecular alterations remain incompletely understood. This study characterized intratumoral bacterial profiles in CRC and colorectal polyps and examined their clinicopathological and molecular associations. A cross-sectional study included 149 patients with CRC and 109 patients with benign colorectal polyps. F. nucleatum, ETBF, A. muciniphila, and eae⁺E. coli were detected in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues using multiplex real-time PCR, with relative bacterial loads quantified using the 2^-ΔCt method. KRAS and BRAF V600E mutations and HSP110ΔE9 transcripts were assessed by real-time PCR/RT-qPCR. After multivariable adjustment for age, sex, tumor location, and the other bacterial species, ETBF and eae⁺E. coli were independently associated with CRC (adjusted ORs, 4.69 and 6.26, respectively; both p < 0.001). Relative loads of all four bacterial species were higher in CRC than in polyps (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). ETBF + eae⁺E. coli showed the strongest dual-species association with CRC (adjusted OR, 10.64; 95% CI, 4.49-25.24), while F. nucleatum + A. muciniphila + eae⁺E. coli showed the strongest triple-species association (adjusted OR, 21.56; 95% CI, 5.02-92.60). Increasing numbers of detected bacterial species were positively associated with CRC (p for trend < 0.001). CRC was characterized by higher relative bacterial loads and more interconnected bacterial co-colonization patterns than colorectal polyps. These findings support a community-level association between intratumoral bacterial profiles and CRC and warrant validation in larger multicenter longitudinal studies.

PMID:
42943564
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 27 Oct 2026.

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