Abstract
The aim of this study is to compare and analyze the structure and diversity of intestinal flora between gastric cancer patients and healthy people in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and to explore the characteristics of the intestinal flora composition in gastric cancer patients in the plateau area, and to determine the possible correlation between the intestinal flora and gastric cancer. Fresh feces from 22 cases of gastric cancer patients diagnosed in a tertiary hospital in Qinghai Province and 30 cases of healthy people during the same period were collected. The 52 subjects were undergone for 16S rDNA gene sequencing of intestinal bacteria to analyze and compare the diversity and compositional characteristics of intestinal flora. Analysis of the diversity of intestinal flora between the gastric cancer group and the healthy group was based on the Chao1 index of species richness, Shannon diversity index, and Simpson index. It showed that the gastric cancer group had no statistically difference from the healthy group (P > 0.05). In the Venn diagram, the number of OTU units shared by the gastric cancer group and the healthy group is 6997, and the number of unique OTU units in the healthy group is 2282, while the number of OTU units in the gastric cancer group is 896 and the difference is statistically significant (χ2 = 495.829), P < 0.000). Analysis of the composition and abundance distribution of intestinal flora showed that at the phylum level, there is no significant deference in abundance between the healthy group of Bacteroides and Firmicutes compared with the gastric cancer group (P > 0.05). However, there is a statistically significant difference in abundance between the healthy groups of Proteobacteria compared with the gastric cancer group (P < 0.05). At the genus level, the gastric cancer group of Prevotella_9 is significantly different from the healthy group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the gastric cancer group of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus are significantly different from the healthy group (P < 0.001). There are differences in the composition and abundance of intestinal flora between patients with gastric cancer and healthy people in plateau areas, suggesting that Proteobacteria, Prevotella_9, Streptococcus, and Lactobacillus have increased in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and becoming one of the factors related to the incidence of gastric cancer in the region.
Highlights
The 2020 World Health Organization (WHO) statistical report shows that gastric cancer has become one of the three most common malignant tumors in the world
The geographical environment of Qinghai Province belongs to the plateau area, and gastric cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence in Qinghai Province [2]
We explore the diversity of intestinal flora and the structural composition of different bacteria genera in patients with gastric malignant tumors who reside in the plateau area, in order to identify the cause of gastric cancer in plateau areas and provide new ideas for the treatment of gastric cancer patients, and reduce the incidence through early intestinal flora intervention
Summary
The 2020 World Health Organization (WHO) statistical report shows that gastric cancer has become one of the three most common malignant tumors in the world. The geographical environment of Qinghai Province belongs to the plateau area, and gastric cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence in Qinghai Province [2]. Relevant studies at home and abroad have shown that the occurrence and development of gastric cancer are related to multiple factors such as environment, diet, smoking, genetics, and Helicobacter pylori infection. The relationship between intestinal flora and disease has become one of the hot research topics. Many studies have shown that the intestinal flora is closely related to various system disea ses. There are only few studies on the relationship between gastric cancer and intestinal flora in the plateau areas. Qinghai Province is located in the eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average altitude of above 3000 m. The average temperature in the territory is between − 5.1 and
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