Metagenomic analysis of colonic tissue and stool microbiome in patients with colorectal cancer in a South Asian population

Abstract Background The gut microbiome is thought to play an important role in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, as the gut microbiome varies widely based on diet, we sought to investigate the gut microbiome changes in patients with CRC in a South Asian population. Methods The gut microbiome was assessed by 16s metagenomic sequencing targeting the V4 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA in stool samples (n = 112) and colonic tissue (n = 36) in 112 individuals. The cohort comprised of individuals with CRC (n = 24), premalignant lesions (n = 10), healthy individuals (n = 50) and in those with diabetes (n = 28). Results Overall, the relative abundances of genus Fusobacterium (p Prevotella species, being most abundant in many individuals. We believe these results pave the way for possible dietary interventions for prevention of CRC in the South Asian population.