Neuroblastoma is associated with alterations in gut microbiome composition subsequent to maternal microbial seeding

Background: Neuroblastoma is the most frequent extracranial solid tumour in children, accounting for ∼15% of deaths due to cancer in childhood. The most common clinical presentation are abdominal tumours. An altered gut microbiome composition has been linked to multiple cancer types, and reported in...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Vallès Colomer, Mireia, Manghi, Paolo, Cumbo, Fabio, Masetti, Giulia, Armanini, Federica, Asnicar, Francesco, Blanco-Míguez, Aitor, Pinto, Federica, Punčochář, Michal, Garaventa, Alberto, Amoroso, Loredana, Ponzoni, Mirco, Corrias, Maria Valeria, Segata, Nicola
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Repositorio:Repositorio Digital de la UPF
OAI Identifier:oai:repositori.upf.edu:10230/70038
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/70038
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104917
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Gut microbiome
Metagenomics
Mother-infant transmission
Neuroblastoma
Paediatric cancer
Descripción
Sumario:Background: Neuroblastoma is the most frequent extracranial solid tumour in children, accounting for ∼15% of deaths due to cancer in childhood. The most common clinical presentation are abdominal tumours. An altered gut microbiome composition has been linked to multiple cancer types, and reported in murine models of neuroblastoma. Whether children with neuroblastoma display alterations in gut microbiome composition remains unexplored. Methods: We assessed gut microbiome composition by shotgun metagenomic profiling in an observational cross-sectional study on 288 individuals, consisting of patients with a diagnosis of neuroblastoma at disease onset (N = 63), healthy controls matching the patients on the main covariates of microbiome composition (N = 94), healthy siblings of the patients (N = 13), mothers of patients (N = 59), and mothers of the controls (N = 59). We examined taxonomic and functional microbiome composition and mother-infant strain transmission patterns. Findings: Patients with neuroblastoma displayed alterations in gut microbiome composition characterised by reduced microbiome richness, decreased relative abundances of 18 species (including Phocaeicola dorei and Bifidobacterium bifidum), enriched protein fermentation and reduced carbohydrate fermentation potential. Using machine learning, we could successfully discriminate patients from controls (AUC = 82%). Healthy siblings did not display such alterations but resembled the healthy control group. No significant differences in maternal microbiome composition nor mother-to-offspring transmission were detected. Interpretation: Patients with neuroblastoma display alterations in taxonomic and functional gut microbiome composition, which cannot be traced to differential maternal seeding. Follow-up research should include investigating potential causal links.