Here we report a pilot-sized study to compare the taxonomic composition of sputum microbiome in 17 newly-diagnosed lung cancer (LC) patients and 17 controls. Another object was to compare the representation of individual bacterial genera and species in sputum with the frequency of chromosomal aberrations in the blood lymphocytes of LC patients and in controls. Both groups were male; average age 56.1 ± 11.5 in patients and 55.7 ± 4.1 in controls. Differences in the species composition of bacterial communities in LC patients and controls were significant (pseudo-F = 1.94; p = 0.005). Increased prevalence in LC patients was detected for the genera Haemophilus and Bergeyella; whereas a decrease was observed for the genera Atopobium, Stomatobaculum, Treponema and Porphyromonas. Donors with high frequencies of chromosomal aberrations had a significant reduction in the microbiome of representatives of the genus Atopobium in the microbiome and a simultaneous increase in representatives of the species Alloprevotella compared to donors with a low level of chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes. Thus, a comparison of the bacterial composition in the sputum of donors with cytogenetic damages in theirs lymphocytes, warrants further investigations on the potential role of microorganisms in the process of mutagenesis in somatic cells of the host body.

Recent findings indicate that the microbiome may have significant impact on the development of lung cancer by its effects on inflammation, dysbiosis or genome damage. The aim of this study was to compare the sputum microbiome of lung cancer (LC) patients with the chromosomal aberration (CA) and micronuclei (MN) frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes. In the study, the taxonomic composition of the sputum microbiome of 66 men with untreated LC were compared to 62 control subjects with respect to CA and MN frequency and centromere FISH analysis. Results showed a significant increase in CA (4.11 ± 2.48% vs 2.08 ± 1.18%) and MN (1.53 ± 0.67% vs 0.87 ± 0.49%) frequencies respectively in LC patients as compared to control subjects. The higher frequency of centromeric positive MN of LC patients was mainly due to aneuploidy. A significant increase in Streptococcus, Bacillus, Gemella and Haemophilus in LC patients, in comparison to the control subjects while 18 bacterial genera were significantly reduced, which indicates a decrease in the beta diversity in the microbiome of LC patients. Although, the CA frequency in LC patients is significantly associated with an increased presence of the genera Bacteroides, Lachnoanaerobaculum, Porphiromonas, Mycoplasma and Fusobacterium in their sputum, and a decrease for the genus Granulicatella after application of false discovery rate (FDR) correction significance was not any more present. The decrease of MN frequency of LC patients is significantly associated with a increase in Megasphaera genera and Selenonomas bovis. In conclusion, a significant difference in beta diversity of microbiome between LC and control subjects and association between the sputum microbiome composition and genome damage of LC patients was detected, thus supporting previous studies suggesting an etiological connection between the airway microbiome and LC.

Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis (CWP) is an occupationally induced progressive fibrotic lung disease. This irreversible but preventable disease currently affects millions across the world, mainly in countries with developed coal mining industries. Here, we report a pilot study that explores the sputum microbiome as a potential non-invasive bacterial biomarker of CWP status. Sputum samples were collected from 35 former and active coal miners diagnosed with CWP and 35 healthy controls. Sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes was used to study the taxonomic composition of the respiratory microbiome. There was no difference in alpha diversity between CWP and controls. The structure of bacterial communities in sputum samples (β diversity) differed significantly between cases and controls (pseudo-F = 3.61; p = 0.004). A significant increase in the abundance of Streptococcus (25.12 ± 11.37 vs. 16.85 ± 11.35%; p = 0.0003) was detected in samples from CWP subjects as compared to controls. The increased representation of Streptococcus in sputum from CWP patients was associated only with the presence of occupational pulmonary fibrosis, but did not depend on age, and did not differ between former and current miners. The study shows, for the first time, that the sputum microbiota of CWP subjects differs from that of controls. The results of our present exploratory study warrant further investigations on a larger cohort.

This study is aimed at elucidating the fractional composition, volume and toxicity of dust that is deposited in the snow cover for the period of snow accumulation at different distances from coal mines and a coal-fired power station in the Kemerovo region (Russia). During the filtration process, fractions of 10–0.1 µm and less than 0.1 µm were isolated and weighed. Light microscopy was used to estimate the size of dust particles in the 0–0.1 µm fraction. We found that the total volume and fractional composition of dust has no significant trend to change in the research space. The dust contamination is associated mainly with PM2 particles. Genotoxic tests on cell lines A549 and MRC-5 with different concentrations of dust showed high toxicity (including control points). Taking into account the fact that an increase in the concentration of PM leads to intensification in the toxicity of dust, we can determine that the territory within the studied boundaries is dangerous for the population. Our study is important for understanding the processes of formation, toxicity, transport and sedimentation in the snow cover from dust generated in the process of coal mining and the operation of a coal-fired power station.

Background. The purpose of this study was to investigate the genotoxic risk in anthracosilicosis patients and in those with occupational exposure to coal dust. Materials and methods. We studied micronuclei (MN) and other cytogenetic lesions in blood lymphocytes in three groups of men comparable in age: 74 coal miners suffering from anthracosilicosis (AS), 41 healthy miners, and 70 control donors. Results. A significant increase in the frequency of MN was revealed with a simultaneous decrease in proliferative activity in samples of healthy and sick miners compared with the control. The level of MN in the lymphocytes of patients with AS significantly exceeded the corresponding indicator in the sample of healthy miners (1.22 0.05% versus 1.03 0.07%; p 0.01). The age of the subjects and the status of smoking did not have a significant effect on the frequency of cytogenetic parameters. Conclusion. AS in miners makes an additional contribution to the formation of DNA damage in lymphocytes. This contribution is probably due to oxidative stress accompanying inflammatory processes in pulmonary fibrosis. The results of the study also indicate the absence of differences in the frequency of MN when comparing subgroups of current and former miners. This means that the genotoxic effects in the lymphocytes of miners are able to persist for a long time after the termination of exposure by adverse factors in coal mining.