Exploration of lung mycobiome in the patients with non-small-cell lung cancer

Yiming Zhao; Junqi Yi; Juanjuan Xiang; Wei Jia; Anqi Chen; Liyu Chen; Leliang Zheng; Wen Zhou; Minghua Wu; Zheng Yu; Jingqun Tang

doi:10.1186/s12866-023-02790-4

Exploration of lung mycobiome in the patients with non-small-cell lung cancer

BMC Microbiol. 2023 Mar 25;23(1):81. doi: 10.1186/s12866-023-02790-4.

Authors

Yiming Zhao^#^{1

2}, Junqi Yi^#^{1

3}, Juanjuan Xiang^{3

4}, Wei Jia⁵, Anqi Chen¹, Liyu Chen², Leliang Zheng⁴, Wen Zhou⁴, Minghua Wu⁴, Zheng Yu⁶, Jingqun Tang^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
² Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
³ Hunan Key Laboratory of Early Diagnosis and Precise Treatment of Lung Cancer, Changsha, Hunan, China.
⁴ NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and the Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
⁵ School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, China.
⁶ Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. yuzheng@csu.edu.cn.
⁷ Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. tangjq@csu.edu.cn.
⁸ Hunan Key Laboratory of Early Diagnosis and Precise Treatment of Lung Cancer, Changsha, Hunan, China. tangjq@csu.edu.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

As the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) progresses, the relationship between microbes and human health has been receiving increasing attention. A growing number of reports support the correlation between cancer and microbes. However, most studies have focused on bacteria, rather than fungal communities. In this study, we studied the alteration in lung mycobiome in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using metagenomic sequencing and qPCR. The higher fungal diversity and more complex network were observed in the patients with NSCLC. In addition, Alternaria arborescens was found as the most relevant fungus to NSCLC, and the enrichment of it in cancerous tissue was also detected. This study proposes that the changes in fungal communities may be closely related to lung cancer, and provides insights into further exploration the relationship between lung cancer and fungi.

Keywords: Alternaria arborescens; Mycobiome; Non-small-cell lung cancer.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung*
Fungi / genetics
Humans
Lung
Lung Neoplasms*
Mycobiome*