Association of Antibody Responses to Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus gallolyticus Proteins with Colorectal Adenoma and Colorectal Cancer

Background Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies gallolyticus (SGG) and Fusobacterium (F.) nucleatum have been implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis. Here, the association of immune responses to bacterial exposure with advancing stages of colorectal neoplasia was assessed by multiplex serology. Methods Immunoglobulin (Ig) A and G antibody responses to eleven proteins each of F. nucleatum and SGG were measured in plasma of controls ( n = 100) and patients with colorectal cancer (CRC, n = 25), advanced adenoma ( n = 82), or small polyps ( n = 85). Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of bacterial sero-positivity with colorectal neoplasia. In a cohort subset with matched data ( n = 45), F. nucleatum sero-positivity was correlated with bacterial abundance in both neoplastic and matched normal tissue. Results IgG sero-positivity to Fn1426 of F. nucleatum was associated with an increased CRC risk (OR = 4.84; 95% CI 1.46–16.0), while IgA sero-positivity to any SGG protein or specifically Gallo0272 and Gallo1675 alone was associated with increased advanced adenoma occurrence (OR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.10–3.71; OR = 2.67, 95% CI 1.10–6.46; and OR = 6.17, 95% CI 1.61–23.5, respectively). Only F. nucleatum abundance in the normal mucosa positively correlated with the IgA response to the Fn1426 antigen (Correlation coefficient (r) = 0.38, p < 0.01). Conclusion Antibody responses to SGG and F. nucleatum were associated with occurrence of colorectal adenomas and CRC, respectively. Further studies are needed to clarify the role these microbes or the immune response to their antigens may have in colorectal carcinogenesis stages. Graphical Abstract