A Comparative Analysis of Tissue and Digestive Microbiota Composition in Patients With Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Zhongyuan Yang, Xiujiao Shen, Yulian Lai, Tongjing Liu, Zhenjie Yue, Lizhen Huang, Shuaishuai Sun, Yunzhu Chen, Xinya Qiao, Tong Wu, Mingjie Jiang, Zan Jiao, Ankui Yang, Yu Miao, Wenlin Liu, Cuifang ChenIntroduction
As the most prevalent malignant tumor in oral cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains incompletely understood, especially its complex interactions with microbiota. This study investigated microbial signatures across tumor tissue and digestive tract niches in patients with OSCC.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study included 28 patients with OSCC who underwent surgical treatment at a tertiary cancer center between 2019 and 2022, along with 14 healthy controls. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to characterize microbial profiles in tumor tissues, as well as oral and gut samples.
Results
Tumor tissues exhibited largely similar microbial compositions to adjacent tissues and lymph nodes. However, tumor tissues showed a relatively higher abundance of
Conclusion
The tissues and digestive microbiota of OSCC patients exhibit heterogeneity. These findings suggest that specific microbial signatures may serve as potential biomarkers for disease detection and progression; however, these associations should be interpreted cautiously and require validation in larger cohorts and mechanistic studies.