Authors:

Nadia Kabbej BS

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Introduction: Gut microbiota are a community of organisms colonizing the intestinal tract with essential roles in immune function, gut epithelial integrity, and metabolite production. Hypothesis: When the gut microbiota environment is negatively altered, termed dysbiosis, detrimental alterations in these functions can occur, which may predispose an individual to breast cancer development. Methods: To understand the relationship between dysbiosis and breast cancer development, fecal microbiota samples were collected from 27 post-menopausal breast cancer patients of varying hormone receptor statuses (ER+, Her2+, ER+Her2+, or ER-Her2-) who had not yet begun chemotherapeutic treatment. Samples were also collected from 25 healthy, age-matched, post- menopausal controls. All samples were sequenced using 16srRNA sequencing. Breast cancer and control samples were then compared for significant (P<.05) alpha and beta diversity differences between groups. Results: There was a significant difference in alpha diversity amongst all breast cancer types and healthy controls (P=.0104) and amongst ER+HER2- breast cancer and health controls (P=.00153). Healthy controls exhibited a higher mean Shannon index than breast cancer patients, thus higher within sample diversity. At the beta level, significant differences existed between all breast cancer types vs. controls (P = .01199) and ERpos_HER2neg breast cancer vs. control (P = .008991). Further analyses were conducted to identify specific taxa of microbiota which differed between groups. Specific genera with functions in breast cancer development were identified, including Ruminococcae, a B-glucuronidase producing bacteria, Akkermansia, a gut microbiota implicated in gut barrier dysfunction, and Parvimonas, a cell cycle regulator. Conclusion: Overall, this study adds to our knowledge of gut microbiota and its function in breast cancer development and provides insight into the potential mechanisms responsible for their relationship. Differences in composition, diversity, and function of the fecal microbiota of post-

Source:

University of Florida / Nadia Kabbej BS, John Sommerville, Coy Heldermon MD, / 2023

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Nadia Kabbej BS