A cross-cohort study identifies potential oral microbial markers for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Yanxiang Yu,
Lei Xia,
Zhouxuan Wang,
Tong Zhu,
Lujun Zhao,
Saijun Fan
Affiliations
Yanxiang Yu
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China
Lei Xia
Department of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China; Department of Cancer Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 401336, China
Zhouxuan Wang
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China
Tong Zhu
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China; Corresponding author
Lujun Zhao
Department of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin 300060, China; Corresponding author
Saijun Fan
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China; Corresponding author
Summary: Current screening methods for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) face challenges such as low patient compliance and high costs. This study aimed to develop a model based on oral microbiome data for identifying ESCC. By analyzing 249 oral flora samples, we identified microbial markers associated with ESCC and constructed random forest classifiers that distinguished patients with ESCC from controls, achieving an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.87. Key ESCC-associated microbial markers included Neisseria perflava and Haemophilus parainfluenzae. The classifier was validated within the cohort, attaining an AUC of 0.93. For comparison, traditional tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) yielded AUCs of 0.84. Functional analysis identified pathways linked to ESCC, such as glycerol degradation and nitrate reduction. This study suggests a potential noninvasive method for detecting ESCC, offering a more accessible and accurate alternative to current screening methods.
