The study of bacteria in biopsies from Slovak colorectal adenoma and carcinoma patients.

 Lenka Wachsmannova, Juraj Majek, Vladimír Zajac, Viola Stevurkova, Sona Ciernikova

Abstract:

The development of colorectal cancer is affected by many factors, of which intestinal microbiota present an important player. However, knowledge about bacterial communities associated with the mucosa in various parts of the colon is limited. By using the gentamicin protection assay, we have detected the presence of intracellular bacteria in colorectal biopsies from Slovak patients with colorectal adenoma and carcinoma, in comparison with healthy controls. For the identification of cultivated bacteria, ENTEROtest 24 and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry were used. Our results showed the presence of intracellularly localized Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Proteus vulgaris in patients with colorectal adenomas and carcinomas. Beside these species, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis and Bacillus cereus were identified in colorectal biopsies, but not present intracellularly. Marked increase in the relative abundance of intracellular E. coli in patients with colorectal adenomas and with colorectal carcinomas compared to controls was statistically significant. Our preliminary data support a role of E. coli as a pro-oncogenetic pathogen.