A different gut microbiome linked to inflammation found in cirrhotic patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

BackgroundNo specific microbiome in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been reported to date.\n\nAimTo compare the gut microbiome found in cirrhotic patients with and without HCC.\n\nMethodsFrom 407 patients with Child Pugh A/B cirrhosis prospectively followed, 25 with HCC (cases) were matched with 25 without HCC (wo-HCC) in a 1:1 ratio according to age, gender, etiology, Child Pugh and severity of portal hypertension. In addition results were also compared with 25 healthy subjects. Faecal stool samples were collected noninvasively, aliquoted for DNA extraction and sequenced for the V3-V4 region of the microbial 16S rRNA (Illumina MiSeq Platform).\n\nResultsThere were no significant clinical differences among cases and controls. We found a differential abundance in family members of Firmicutes with a 3-fold increased of Erysipelotrichaceae and a 5-fold decrease in family Leuconostocaceae in HCC when compared to wo-HCC controls. Genus Fusobacterium was found 5-fold decreased in HCC versus wo-HCC. The ratio bacteriodes/prevotella was increased in HCC due to the significant decrease in the genus prevotella. Genus Odoribacter and Butyricimonas were more differentialy abundant in HCC. This pattern has been previously associated with an inflammatory milieu with a putative increased activation of NOD-like receptor signalling pathways. A Random Forest model trained with differential abundant taxa correctly classifyed HCC individuals with an error of 22%.\n\nConclusionsA pattern of microbiome linked to inflammation was observed in cirrhotic patients with HCC. These findings open the discussion whether or not microbiota has a physiopathologic role in HCC development in cirrhosis.