When assessing the combined three ileal mucosal compartments, which bacterial group showed a significant increase in small cell GI lymphoma cats versus IBD cats?

• A. Fusobacterium spp. in ileum mucosa
• B. Enterobacteriaceae in colon
• C. Bacteroides spp. in the 3 combined ileal mucosal compartments ONLY
• D. Clostridium spp. in ileum

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that the mucosa-associated microbiota in the ileum shifts in a way that is specific to small cell GI lymphoma when compared with IBD. Among the bacterial groups tested, only the Bacteroides species showed a significant increase in cats with small cell GI lymphoma when you look across the combined three ileal mucosal compartments. This pattern suggests a lymphoma-associated dysbiosis that is not seen in the same way in IBD.

In contrast, the other groups did not show a significant rise in that particular comparison across the combined ileal mucosal compartments, even though they may be implicated in other inflammatory or colonic contexts. So, the enrichment of Bacteroides in the ileal mucosa across all three compartments stands out as the best fit for the question’s scenario.