Circulating Bacterial DNA in Colorectal Cancer Patients: The Potential Role of .

Intestinal dysbiosis is a major contributor to colorectal cancer (CRC) development, leading to bacterial translocation into the bloodstream. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of circulated bacterial DNA (cbDNA) in CRC patients ( = 75) and healthy individuals ( = 25). DNA extracted from peripheral blood was analyzed using PCR, with specific primers targeting rRNA, (), and (). High rRNA and detections were observed in all patients and controls. Only the detection of was significantly higher in metastatic non-excised CRC, compared to controls ( < 0.001), non-metastatic excised CRC ( = 0.023), and metastatic excised CRC ( = 0.023). This effect was mainly attributed to the presence of the primary tumor ( = 0.006) but not the presence of distant metastases ( = 0.217). The association of cbDNA with other clinical parameters or co-morbidities was also evaluated, revealing a higher detection of in CRC patients with diabetes ( = 0.004). These results highlighted the importance of bacterial translocation in CRC patients and the potential role of as an intratumoral oncomicrobe in CRC.