Gut-Lung Microbiota Characterization in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma and COVID-19 Coinfection

Abstract

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with COVID-19 have an excessive chance of morbidity and mortality. The fecal-nasopharyngeal microbiota compositions of NSCLC patients were assessed in this study. Methods: In total, 234 samples were collected from 17 NSCLC patients infected with COVID-19, 20 NSCLC patients without confirmed COVID-19, 40 non NSCLC patients with COVID-19, and 40 healthy individuals. Results: In lung microbiota, the abundance of Streptococcus spp. in NSCLC patients with confirmed COVID-19 was significantly higher than the two control groups. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were listed as the most frequent pulmonary bacterial groups that colonized COVID-19 patients. In fecal specimens, the numbers of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria phyla were significantly higher amongst NSCLC patients with COVID-19. NSCLC patients infected with COVID-19 showed lower levels of Lactobacillus spp., Akkermansia muciniphila, and Bifidobacterium spp. The counts of Streptococcus spp., in NSCLC patients with COVID-19 were significantly higher than those of healthy individuals (8.49±0.70 log CFU/g wet feces vs 8.49±0.70 log CFU/g wet feces). Prevotella spp. were enriched in the gut and respiratory tracts of COVID-19 patient groups. The unbiased analysis showed an increment in Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., and Prevotella spp. Conclusion: Eventually, it was found that compared to control groups, COVID-19 patients with NSCLC showed diminished gut bacteria diversity and increase in Lactobacillus spp., A. muciniphila, and Bifidobacterium spp. The overgrowth of Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., and Prevotella spp. could be potential predictive biomarkers in the gut-lung axis of NSCLC patients with COVID-19.