ABSTRACT
In recent years, valuable experience and insights have been gained into L-forms (cell-wall-deficient variants) of bacteria and fungi and their disease-trigger potential in cases with chronic infections, autism spectrum disorders, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. Based on the concept of “internal” blood microbiota, consisting of L-forms and its relevance to health and disease, the current study aims to outline the profile of dysbiotic disorders in three cancer patients (with endometrial cancer, breast cancer and acute myeloid leukemia), all in a phase before chemotherapy. Venous blood samples from the patients and from one control healthy person, were microbiologically studied. The used novel methodology of blood microbiota assessment was based on the following phases: isolation of L-forms, development and propagation, cultivation and conversion of L-forms into classical bacteria and fungi, as well as their identification with MALDI-TOF method. From the patients were isolated L-forms of opportunistic bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, Esherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas oryzihabitans) and fungi such as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Aspergillus fumigatus and Mucorales. In conclusion, the common feature found for the three cancer patients was the isolation from the blood of highly associated communities consisting of morphologically indistinguishable L-bodies, which through reversion in broth, were identified as distinct bacterial and fungal species. Unlike classic bacteria or fungi causing sepsis and bacteremia/fungemia, the presence of L-forms in blood is hidden, it does not demonstrate clinical signs nor it can be detected by conventional methods. It should be noted, however, that the dysbiotic blood microbiota shows unique and individual characteristics for the concrete cancer patient, correlates to the common state of the organism and tumor localization in the body, as well as it outlines the cancer promoting role of L-forms in processes of malignization, cancer genesis and progression.