Crosstalk Between the Gut and Brain: Importance of the Fecal Microbiota in Patient With Brain Tumors

Abstract

BackgroundVariations in the gut microbiota may affect the metabolism, inflammation and immune response of the host. Microbiota dysbiosis has been extensively investigated in neurological disorders and diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). However, the alterations of the gut microbiota in patients suffering from brain tumors and the associations of the gut microbiota with these diseases remain unknown. Herein, we investigate the alterations of the gut microbiota community in patients with brain tumors and the associations between the two and further explore microbial markers used for the diagnosis of brain tumors.MethodsIn our study, we recruited 158 participants, consisting of 101 brain tumor patients (65 benign and 36 malignant cases) and 57 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). We characterized the gut microbial community by using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and investigated its correlations with clinical features.ResultsThe results showed remarkably less microbial ecosystem richness and evenness in patients with brain tumors than in HCs. The gut microbiota community structure underwent profound changes in the brain tumor group, including an increase in the abundances of pathogenic bacteria, such as Fusobacteriota and Proteobacteria and a reduction in the abundances of probiotic bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium or Lachnospira. Moreover, our study indicated more significant correlations and clustering of pathogens in the malignant brain tumor group. Furthermore, a biomarker panel was used to discriminate the brain tumor patients from the healthy controls (AUC: 0.77). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) annotation revealed an accumulation of harmful metabolites and disorders of the basic physiological pathways in the brain tumor group.ConclusionsOur study revealed that brain tumor patients may possess divergent host-microbe interactions from those of healthy controls, especially in malignant brain tumor patients. In addition, the intestinal flora may be involved in immune responses and metabolism in the microenvironment of brain tumors. All evidence, including the biomarker panel, suggests that the intestinal flora may be a useful diagnostic and predictive tool and an important preventive target for brain tumors.

Association between medically diagnosed postnatal infection and childhood cancers: A matched case‐control study in Denmark, 1978 to 2016

“…Estimated effects between infection and CNS tumors in our study were moderate in size and our results suggested that viral and enteric infections showed a stronger positive association than overall infections. This finding coincides with the emerging model on the gut‐brain axis and its contribution to brain tumors 50,51 …”

“…This finding coincides with the emerging model on the gut-brain axis and its contribution to brain tumors. 50,51 Our results showed that germ cell tumor cases were more likely to have been diagnosed with infections than controls, particularly appendicitis. 20 Mumps is rare in the Denmark population due to high vaccination rates.…”

Exploring Microbial Signatures in Individuals with Prolactin-Secreting Pituitary Adenoma: Unraveling Microbiome Variations and Underlying Markers

“…Current evidence suggests that the gut harbors a multitude of microbes that produce various small molecules impacting crucial pathways associated with immune balance and neurological homeostasis, particularly within the gut-brain axis [31] . In recent years, a growing body of evidence has emphasized the pivotal role of gut microbiota and its metabolic products in various neurological conditions and diverse brain tumors [18,19] . Understanding the intricacies of gut microbiota characteristics and regulation is increasingly crucial for diagnosing and treating individuals with different brain tumors.…”

“…The discovery of the brain-gut axis [17] has sparked increased research into the relationship between gut microbiota and various nervous system diseases, including Alzheimer's disease [7] and different types of cerebral tumors [18,19] . Meanwhile, emerging evidence suggests strong connections between gut microbiota and different types of pituitary adenomas.…”

Brain-gut-liver axis: Chronic psychological stress promotes liver injury and fibrosis via gut in rats

“…Furthermore, CNS can regulate intestinal functions through some neuropeptides such as 5-HT, γ-aminobutyric acid, norepinephrine and dopamine, etc. Numerous studies have confirmed that excessive or harmful chronic psychological stress can cause intestinal dysfunction, increased mucosal permeability, gut dysbiosis, microbial imbalance and bacterial translocation ( Rhee et al., 2009 ; Stasi et al., 2012 ; Forsythe et al., 2016 ; Sundman et al., 2017 ; Martin et al., 2018 ; Dalton et al., 2019 ; Jacobs and Mayer, 2019 ; Deng et al., 2021 ; Li et al., 2022 ). It indicates the intersection of the brain-gut axis and gut-liver axis is intestinal bacterial translocation ( Chudzik et al., 2022 ).…”