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Diet and intestinal sulfate reducing bacteria populations distinguish native Africans from Caucasian and African Americans
Author(s) -
Nava Gerardo M.,
Ou Junhai,
O'Keefe Stephen J.,
Gaskins H. Rex
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.222.1
Subject(s) - sulfate reducing bacteria , bacteria , desulfovibrio , colorectal cancer , biology , incidence (geometry) , hydrogen sulfide , ribosomal rna , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer , gene , chemistry , genetics , sulfur , physics , organic chemistry , optics
Americans of African (AAs) descent have the highest incidence and mortality from sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) in the USA (65:100,000 vs. 50:100,000 in Caucasian Americans (CAs). In contrast, native Africans (NAs) are rarely diagnosed with the disease (<1:100,000). Reduced susceptibility to CRC in NAs is associated with low consumption of animal protein and greater microbial production of colonic methane compared to AAs and CAs. The present study examined in stool samples from these three groups the extent to which populations of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) vary. These bacteria contribute to an alternate pathway for colonic hydrogen disposal and in the process generate the potent genotoxin hydrogen sulfide. Molecular ecological analysis using a nested PCR‐based approach and principal component analysis revealed that Desulfovibrio spp. (major genus of colonic SRB) 16S rRNA gene profiles cluster in NAs (n = 19) compared to those of AAs (n = 18) and CAs (n = 17). This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that interactions among genetic background, diet and microbial mechanisms of hydrogen disposal may influence susceptibility to sporadic colorectal cancer. Grant Funding Source National Institutes of Health