J Cancer 2023; 14(3):322-335. doi:10.7150/jca.80977 This issue Cite
Research Paper
1. Interdisciplinary Program of Genomic Data Science, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Korea.
2. Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea.
3. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea.
4. Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea.
5. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Korea.
6. Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea.
7. Institute of Medical Science, Keimyung University, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea.
8. Institute for Cancer Research, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea.
*These authors contributed equally to this work.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Obesity is an important determinant of CRC incidence; however, obese patients have also shown better long-term survival than non-obese patients, suggesting that the development and progression of CRC are associated with different mechanisms. This study compares the expression of genes, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, and intestinal microbiota between high- and low-body mass index (BMI) patients at the time of CRC diagnosis. The results revealed that high-BMI patients with CRC have better prognosis, higher levels of resting CD4+ T cells, lower levels of T follicular helper cells, and different levels of intratumoral microbiota than low-BMI patients. Our study highlights that tumor-infiltrating immune cells and intratumoral microbe diversity are major features of the obesity paradox in CRC.
Keywords: Obesity paradox, colorectal cancer, TCGA, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, intratumoral microbiota