Was there a correlation between any bacterial abundance and CD11b+ cells or NF-κB, and if so, what was the direction?

• A. No correlation
• B. Positive correlation with Fusobacterium and CD11b+ only
• C. Positive correlation with Fusobacterium and NF-κB only
• D. Positive correlation with Fusobacterium and both CD11b+ and NF-κB

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is how the abundance of a bacterium relates to the host’s inflammatory signals. The data show that higher Fusobacterium levels are associated with more CD11b+ myeloid cells and with greater NF-κB activity. In other words, as Fusobacterium abundance increases, both the presence of CD11b+ cells (neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages) and the inflammatory signaling driven by NF-κB rise. This aligns with the idea that Fusobacterium components can stimulate innate immune receptors, triggering NF-κB–mediated transcription of inflammatory genes and recruitment/activation of CD11b+ cells. It’s important to note that correlation does not prove causation, but the observed pattern supports a positive relationship with both markers.