Gut microbiome associated with chemotherapy-induced diarrhea from the CapeOX regimen as adjuvant chemotherapy in resected stage III colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy induced diarrhea (CID) is a common side effect in patients receiving chemotherapy for cancer. The aim of our study was to explore the association between gut microorganisms and CID from the CapeOX regimen in resected stage III colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. RESULTS: After screening and identification, 17 stool samples were collected from resected stage III CRC patients undergoing the CapeOX regimen. Bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA genes was sequenced, and a bioinformatics analysis was executed to screen for the distinctive gut microbiome and the functional metabolism associated with CID due to the CapeOX regimen. The gut microbial community richness and community diversity were lower in CID (p < 0.05 vs control group). Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most predominant species (31.22%) among the gut microbiome in CRC patients with CID. There were 75 microorganisms with statistically significant differences at the species level between the CRC patients with and without CID (LDA, linear discriminant analysis score > 2), and there were 23 pathways that the differential microorganisms might be involved in. CONCLUSIONS: The gut microbial community structure and diversity have changed in CRC patients with CID. It may provide novel insights into the prevention and treatment of CID. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13099-019-0299-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.