TY - JOUR
T1 - Gut microbiota and fatigue in rectal cancer patients
T2 - a cross-sectional pilot study
AU - González-Mercado, Velda J.
AU - Lim, Jean
AU - Marrero, Sara
AU - Pedro, Elsa
AU - Saligan, Leorey N.
N1 - Funding Information:
This article was made possible by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number F32NR016618. Research reported in this publication was supported by the University of Puerto Rico NIH–funded awards 2U54MD007587 and CA096297/CA096300. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Funding Information:
The authors would like to express their special appreciation to all the staff at Tampa General Hospital Cancer Center, the Cancer Care team at AdventHealth Tampa, and the St. Joseph’s Hospital Cancer Institute for the collaborative clinical recruitment support. This study could not have been completed without the participants, for whom we are most grateful. In addition, we thank the staff of the College of Nursing’s Biobehavioral Laboratory at University of South Florida for the 16S rRNA gene sequencing support. N/A
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2021/8
Y1 - 2021/8
N2 - Context: Although microbial-mediated disturbance of intestinal mucosal homeostasis (dysbiosis) is believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of chemotherapy and radiotherapy (CRT)–related fatigue, potential differences in the gut microbial diversity and in the abundance of gut microbial taxa between fatigued and non-fatigued patients have not been adequately examined, particularly in the rectal cancer population. Purpose: In this cross-sectional study, we aim to examine the differences in (a) gut microbial diversity and gut microbial abundances and (b) predicted functional pathways of the gut microbiome between rectal cancer participants with and without fatigue at the end of CRT. Methods: Rectal cancer patients (n = 50) provided stool samples for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and symptom ratings for fatigue at the end of CRT. Gut microbiome data were analyzed using QIIME2, LEfSe, and the R statistical package. Results: Fatigued (n = 35) participants showed enriched bacterial abundances of Eubacterium, Streptococcus, Adlercreutzia, and Actinomyces, as well as enriched abundances of the microbial sucrose degradation pathway, compared to non-fatigued patients at the end of CRT (n = 15). Conclusions: Differentially abundant microbial taxa were identified in fatigued and non-fatigued rectal cancer participants at the end of CRT. However, the exact role of these taxa (and identification of species) in the biology of CRT-related fatigue remains to be examined.
AB - Context: Although microbial-mediated disturbance of intestinal mucosal homeostasis (dysbiosis) is believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of chemotherapy and radiotherapy (CRT)–related fatigue, potential differences in the gut microbial diversity and in the abundance of gut microbial taxa between fatigued and non-fatigued patients have not been adequately examined, particularly in the rectal cancer population. Purpose: In this cross-sectional study, we aim to examine the differences in (a) gut microbial diversity and gut microbial abundances and (b) predicted functional pathways of the gut microbiome between rectal cancer participants with and without fatigue at the end of CRT. Methods: Rectal cancer patients (n = 50) provided stool samples for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and symptom ratings for fatigue at the end of CRT. Gut microbiome data were analyzed using QIIME2, LEfSe, and the R statistical package. Results: Fatigued (n = 35) participants showed enriched bacterial abundances of Eubacterium, Streptococcus, Adlercreutzia, and Actinomyces, as well as enriched abundances of the microbial sucrose degradation pathway, compared to non-fatigued patients at the end of CRT (n = 15). Conclusions: Differentially abundant microbial taxa were identified in fatigued and non-fatigued rectal cancer participants at the end of CRT. However, the exact role of these taxa (and identification of species) in the biology of CRT-related fatigue remains to be examined.
KW - Chemotherapy and radiotherapy
KW - Fatigue
KW - Gut microbial taxa
KW - Rectal cancer
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U2 - 10.1007/s00520-021-06013-2
DO - 10.1007/s00520-021-06013-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 33495850
AN - SCOPUS:85099931083
SN - 0941-4355
VL - 29
SP - 4615
EP - 4621
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
IS - 8
ER -