目的:探讨老年与中青年食管鳞癌（esophageal squamous cell carcinoma， ESCC）患者食管组织的菌群特征及差异，以助于研究老年ESCC患者潜在的生物标志物。方法:采用回顾性研究，选取2018年7月至2019年7月在湖北省十堰市太和医院确诊的72例ESCC患者，其中老年组49例（≥60岁，男性40例，女性9例），中青年组23例（0.05）；Beta多样性老年组与中青年组亦无明显差异（PC1=19.14%、PC2=6.95%，n PPC1=0.67、n PPC2=0.42）。在门水平，中青年组丰度前五的菌门依次为厚壁菌门（n Firmicutes）、拟杆菌门（n Bacteroidetes）、变形菌门（n Proteobacteria）、放线菌门（n Actinobacteria）和梭杆菌门（n Fusobacteria），老年组患者丰度最高的五个门分别是厚壁菌门（n Firmicutes）、拟杆菌门（n Bacteroidetes）、变形菌门（n Proteobacteria）、梭杆菌门（n Fusobacteria）和放线菌门（n Actinobacteria）；两组差异显著的是梭杆菌门（n Fusobacteria）（n Q=0.596，n P<0.05）。在属水平，中青年组丰度前五的菌属依次为：普雷沃菌属（n Prevotella）、拟杆菌属（n Bacteroides）、链球菌属（n Streptococcus）、月形单胞菌属（n Selenomonas）和韦荣球菌属（n Veillonella）；而老年组丰度前五的分别是普雷沃菌属（n Prevotella）、拟杆菌属（n Bacteroides）、链球菌属（n Streptococcus）、月形单胞菌属（n Selenomonas）和嗜血杆菌属（n Haemophilus），两组有显著差异的为梭杆菌属（n Fusobacterium）（n Q=0.938，n P<0.05）。基于未观测状态重建的群落系统发育研究（PICRUSt）功能预测，老年组患者氨酰tRNA生物合成（n Aminoacyl.tRNA.biosynthesis）、核苷酸切除修复（n Nucleotide.excision.repair）、核糖核酸聚合酶（n RNA.polymerase）、核糖体（n Ribosome）、克拉维酸生物合成（n Clavulanic.acid.biosynthesis）、光合作用（n Photosynthesis）和光合作用蛋白（n Photosynthesis.proteins）丰度较中青年组降低（均n Q=0.734，n P<0.05）。n 结论:老年ESCC患者食管菌群与中青年患者的Alpha多样性和Beta多样性无明显差异，但老年患者梭菌属菌群丰度增高。“,”Objective:To explore the flora characteristics and differences of esophageal tissues between elderly esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients and young and middle-aged ESCC patients, so as to assist in studying the potential biomarkers of elderly ESCC patients.Methods:In this study, a retrospective study was adopted. 72 ESCC patients diagnosed in Taihe Hospital, Shiyan City, Hubei Province from July 2018 to July 2019 were selected, including 49 patients in the elderly group (≥ 60 years old, 40 males and 9 females), 23 patients in the young and middle-aged group (0.05). There was no significant difference in β-diversity between the elderly group and the young and middle-aged group (PC1=19.14%, PC2=6.95%,n PPC1=0.67, n PPC2=0.42). At the phyla level, the top 5 phyla in abundance were as follows: n Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and n Fusobacteria in the young and middle-aged group, while the top 5 phyla in abundance were as follows:n Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria and n Actinobacteria in the elderly group; the significant difference between the two groups wasn Fusobacteria (n Q=0.596, n P<0.05). At the genus level, the top 5 genera in the young and middle-aged group in abundance were as follows: n Prevotella, Bacteroides, Streptococcus, Selenomonas and n Veillonella. In the elderly group, n Prevotella, Bacteroides, Streptococcus, Selenomonas and n Haemophilus were the top 5 in abundance, and there were significant difference in n Fusobacterium between the two groups (n Q=0.938, n P<0.05). PICRUSt function prediction showed that the abundance of n Aminoacyl.tRNA.biosynthesis, Nucleotide.excision.repair, RNA.polymerase, Ribosome, Clavulanic.acid.biosynthesis, Photosynthesis and n Photosynthesis. proteins in the elderly group were lower than those in the young and middle-aged group (all n Q=0.734, n P<0.05).n Conclusion:There is no significant difference in α-diversity and β-diversity between elderly ESCC patients and young and middle-aged patients, but the abundance of n Fusobacterium flora increased.n