Changes in Gut Microbiome Associated With Co-Occurring Symptoms Development During Chemo-Radiation for Rectal Cancer: A Proof of Concept Study. Issue 1 (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: González-Mercado, Velda J.; Henderson, Wendy A.; Sarkar, Anujit; Lim, Jean; Saligan, Leorey N.; Berk, Lawrence; Dishaw, Larry; McMillan, Susan; Groer, Maureen; Sepehri, Farrah; Melkus, Gail D'Eramo
• Other Names: Joseph Paule V. guest-editor.; Wright Michelle L. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Biological research for nursing. Volume 23:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 31
• Page End: 41
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: gut microbiome -- rectal cancer -- co-occurrence of symptoms -- chemotherapy and radiation therapy; Clinical biochemistry -- Periodicals; Physiology, Pathological -- Periodicals; Nursing -- Periodicals; Nursing -- Research -- Periodicals; 610.73
• DOI: 10.1177/1099800420942830
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1099-8004

Abstract

Purpose: To examine a) whether there are significant differences in the severity of symptoms of fatigue, sleep disturbance, or depression between patients with rectal cancer who develop co-occurring symptoms and those with no symptoms before and at the end of chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CRT); b) differences in gut microbial diversity between those with co-occurring symptoms and those with no symptoms; and c) whether before-treatment diversity measurements and taxa abundances can predict co-occurrence of symptoms. Methods: Stool samples and symptom ratings were collected from 31 patients with rectal cancer prior to and at the end of (24–28 treatments) CRT. Descriptive statistics were computed and the Mann-Whitney U test was performed for symptoms. Gut microbiome data were analyzed using R's vegan package software. Results: Participants with co-occurring symptoms reported greater severity of fatigue at the end of CRT than those with no symptoms. Bacteroides and Blautia2 abundances differed between participants with co-occurring symptoms and those with no symptoms. Our random forest classification (unsupervised learning algorithm) predicted participants who developed co-occurring symptoms with 74% accuracy, using specific phylum, family, and genera abundances as predictors. Conclusion: Our preliminary results point to an association between the gut microbiota and co-occurring symptoms in rectal cancer patients and serves as a first step in potential identification of a microbiota-based classifier.