Profiling of the mycobiome and metabolome: a comparative study of benign pulmonary nodules and lung adenocarcinoma.

Gut fungal community composition differed significantly between patients with benign pulmonary nodules (BPN) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

• Fecal samples were analyzed using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing to quantify gut fungi.
• Multiple fungal genera and species were more abundant in LUAD than in BPN.
• The study used a comparative design with fecal and serum samples from individuals with BPN and patients with LUAD.

Docosapentaenoic acid n-6 (DPAn-6), indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), and interferon-γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10) were significantly elevated in the LUAD group compared to the BPN group.

• Serum metabolites were quantified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS).
• Cytokines including IP-10 were measured using multiplex Luminex assays.
• DPAn-6 and IPA are serum metabolites identified as differentially abundant between BPN and LUAD groups.
• IP-10 is a cytokine that was significantly elevated in LUAD.

An integrated model combining gut fungi and serum metabolites demonstrated excellent performance in distinguishing BPN from LUAD.

• The model incorporated both gut fungal biomarkers and serum metabolite biomarkers.
• The study describes the model's performance as 'excellent' for differentiating BPN from LUAD.
• This integrated approach outperformed or complemented individual omics-based classification.

A multi-omics interaction network was constructed among differentially abundant gut fungi, serum metabolites, and cytokines.

• The network integrated data from ITS sequencing, UPLC-MS/MS metabolomics, and multiplex Luminex cytokine assays.
• The network established interactions among gut fungi, serum metabolites, and cytokines in the context of LUAD.
• The authors describe this as providing 'new insights into investigating the mechanistic role of gut mycobiota dysbiosis in LUAD.'

The study identifies a novel panel of fungal and metabolite biomarkers for differentiating between BPN and LUAD.

• Both gut fungal markers and serum metabolite markers were included in the biomarker panel.
• The panel was designed to enable non-invasive differentiation of benign from malignant pulmonary nodules.
• The authors note that 'effective non-invasive methods for differentiating BPN from LUAD are lacking,' positioning this panel as addressing an unmet clinical need.