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. 2022 Feb 3:2022:2574964.
doi: 10.1155/2022/2574964. eCollection 2022.

Differential Circulating Fungal Microbiome in Prostate Cancer Patients Compared to Healthy Control Individuals

Xu Wang  1   2 , Zejun Zhou  3 , David Turner  4 , Michael Lilly  5 , Tongwen Ou  2 , Wei Jiang  1   6
Affiliations

Differential Circulating Fungal Microbiome in Prostate Cancer Patients Compared to Healthy Control Individuals

Xu Wang et al. J Immunol Res. .

Abstract

Backgrounds: Infection and inflammation play an important role in prostate cancer (PCa) etiology and pathogenesis. However, the environmental drivers for PCa are not fully understood.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we analyzed circulating fungal microbiome in plasma samples from age and race-matched healthy control men (n = 34) and preoperative PCa patients (n = 31).

Results: The fungal community in the plasma exhibited differences between individuals with PCa and healthy controls according to the beta diversity; there was no difference in the alpha diversity. Moreover, the relative abundance of several fungi differed between the two study groups from the class to species levels. The most significant differences were Filobasidiales family, Pyronemataceae family, and Cryptococcus ater species, which were enriched in PCa patients compared to controls. The increased Bipolaris genus was associated with low prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, increased Sordariomycetes class was associated with severe pathological stage, and decreased Phoma herbarum species was associated with disease relapse, compared to corresponding controls. Several fungi from class to species levels were increased in the controls compared to patients.

Conclusion: This is the first study to show plasma distinct fungal microbiome and its associations with PSA levels, relapse, and pathology stages in PCa patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare no conflict of interest in the current study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Alpha and beta diversities in prostate cancer patients and healthy men. (a) Alpha diversity and (b) beta diversity of plasma microbiome.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Plasma fungal microbiome in PCa patients and healthy men. (a) In the class level, enrichment of Sordariomycetes was increased in the PCa group (P = 0.006) and enrichment of Dothideomycetes (P = 0.003) was decreased in PCa patients compared to healthy controls. (b) Order Capnodiales was enriched in healthy controls compared to patients (P < 0.0001). (c) Family Filobasidiales and Pyronemataceae (P < 0.001) were enriched in PCa patients, and family Cladosporiaceae was reduced in PCa patients compared to controls (P < 0.001). (d) Genus Cladosporium was enriched in healthy controls compared to patients (P < 0.001). (e) Species Cryptococcus ater level was enriched in PCa patients compared to controls (P < 0.0001), and species Cladosporium cladosporioides was enriched in healthy controls compared to patients (P < 0.0001).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Associations between plasma fungal microbiome and PCa pathogenesis. (a) Increased abundance of class Sordariomycetes was observed in PCa patients with advanced stage tumor (pT3 to pT4) compared to healthy controls. (b) Enriched plasma Bipolaris genus in patients with low level of PSA compared to patients with high level of PSA. Low PSA level was identified as equal or lower than 10 ng/mL, and high PSA was identified as higher than 10 ng/mL. (c) Enriched plasma Phoma herbarum species was found in patients without relapse compared to patients with relapse after two years of prostatectomy.
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