Characteristics of Gut Microbiota in Patients With Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Different gut microbiota is implicated in different diseases, including cancer. However, gut microbiota differences between individuals with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and healthy individuals are unclear. Here, we analyzed gut microbiota composition in 51 ccRCC patients and 40 healthy controls using 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. We observed that <i>Blautia</i>, <i>Streptococcus</i>, <i>[Ruminococcus]_torques_group</i>, <i>Romboutsia</i>, and <i>[Eubacterium]_hallii_group</i> were dominant and positively associated with ccRCC. We isolated and cultured <i>Streptococcus lutetiensis</i> to characterize specific gut microbiota that promotes ccRCC and found that it promoted <i>in vitro</i> ccRCC proliferation, migration, and invasion <i>via</i> the TGF-signaling pathway. Interactions identified between the gut microbiota and ccRCC suggest the gut microbiota could serve as a potential non-invasive tool for predicting ccRCC risk and also function as a cancer therapy target.