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Associations of fecal microbial profiles with breast cancer and nonmalignant breast disease in the Ghana Breast Health Study
Author(s) -
Byrd Doratha A.,
Vogtmann Emily,
Wu Zeni,
Han Yongli,
Wan Yunhu,
CleggLamptey JoeNat,
Yarney Joel,
WiafeAddai Beatrice,
Wiafe Seth,
Awuah Baffour,
Ansong Daniel,
Nyarko Kofi,
Hullings Autumn G.,
Hua Xing,
Ahearn Thomas,
Goedert James J.,
Shi Jianxin,
Knight Rob,
Figueroa Jonine D.,
Brinton Louise A.,
GarciaClosas Montserrat,
Sinha Rashmi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.33473
Subject(s) - breast cancer , unifrac , odds ratio , medicine , oncology , cancer , breast disease , population , biology , genetics , 16s ribosomal rna , environmental health , bacteria
Abstract The gut microbiota may play a role in breast cancer etiology by regulating hormonal, metabolic and immunologic pathways. We investigated associations of fecal bacteria with breast cancer and nonmalignant breast disease in a case‐control study conducted in Ghana, a country with rising breast cancer incidence and mortality. To do this, we sequenced the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize bacteria in fecal samples collected at the time of breast biopsy (N = 379 breast cancer cases, N = 102 nonmalignant breast disease cases, N = 414 population‐based controls). We estimated associations of alpha diversity (observed amplicon sequence variants [ASVs], Shannon index, and Faith's phylogenetic diversity), beta diversity (Bray‐Curtis and unweighted/weighted UniFrac distance), and the presence and relative abundance of select taxa with breast cancer and nonmalignant breast disease using multivariable unconditional polytomous logistic regression. All alpha diversity metrics were strongly, inversely associated with odds of breast cancer and for those in the highest relative to lowest tertile of observed ASVs, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 0.21 (0.13‐0.36; P trend < .001). Alpha diversity associations were similar for nonmalignant breast disease and breast cancer grade/molecular subtype. All beta diversity distance matrices and multiple taxa with possible estrogen‐conjugating and immune‐related functions were strongly associated with breast cancer (all P s < .001). There were no statistically significant differences between breast cancer and nonmalignant breast disease cases in any microbiota metric. In conclusion, fecal bacterial characteristics were strongly and similarly associated with breast cancer and nonmalignant breast disease. Our findings provide novel insight into potential microbially‐mediated mechanisms of breast disease.