Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC), the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, is driven by host genetics and environmental factors. with one to two million new patients recorded each year, making it the 3rd most common malignancy and the 4th leading cause of cancer-related death. One of its most important risk factors is gut bacteria as it’s involved in nutrition metabolism and absorption, drug metabolism, and xenobiotic clearance in healthy individuals. Furthermore, a healthy gut microbiota aids in the preservation of intestinal barrier integrity defend against infections and aids in immunomodulation. One of these microorganisms is Fusobacterium Nucleatum, a gram-negative anaerobic opportunistic bacteria that may affect the tumor microenvironment. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of Fusobacterium nucleatum as an associated factor with CRC. Patients and methods: This study was conducted from January 2022 to June 2022. Tissue biopsies were collected from a total of 35 colorectal patients, 35 of tumor-adjacent tissue and 35 biopsies of polyp tissue, from patients who had attended the Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Hospital and 30 normal control tissue were collected from autopsies at the Forensics Medicine Department. All samples were homogenized and underwent DNA extraction and it was investigated for Fusobacterium nucleatum using nusG gene-specific primers by real-time PCR.Results: it’s been found that Fusobacterium nucleatum is significantly higher in malignant tissue which shows positive results in 18 patients (51.4%), followed by resection tissue which shows positive results in 14 patients (40.0%), and benign tissue in 7 patients (20%), with significant P value (P =<0.001). Fusobacterium nucleatum is significantly higher in the rectum tumor tissue compared to other sites of tumors represented by 8 cases (80%) out of a total 10, with a significant P value of (P=0.048). And according to the staging system it was mostly expressed in patients with extensive tumor invasion (T4) with 15 patients (93.80%) out of 16 patients compared to patient with T1+T2+T3, with a significant P value (P =0.001). According to lymph node spreading of cancer, it was mostly expressed in N2 with 11 patients (78.60%) out of 14 patients compared to patients with N0+N1, with a significant P value (P =0.015). It was also mostly expressed in the metastases patient at M1 with 15 patients (75.00%) out of 20 patients, with a significant P value (P =0.001). Conclusions: A higher abundance of F. nucleatum in CRC compared to normal and pre-malignant tissue refers to the important role of the bacteria in cancer development. F. nucleatum on the gastrointestinal mucosa has a significant impact on the onset and development of CRC. However, its contribution to the progression of cancer is still complex.
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2023
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