Posted on 12/19/2022 8:19:03 PM PST by ConservativeMind
An altered gut microbiome is an unexpected cause of fever afflicting many patients undergoing chemotherapy, according to scientists who've also discovered that poor appetite during cancer treatment may trigger biological forces that can likewise adversely raise body temperature.
The new research shines a spotlight on the role of the gut microbiome and how it can promote neutropenic fever.
Neutropenic fever in anyone undergoing cancer treatment is considered an emergency because these patients are immune-suppressed and the underlying infection can morph into life-threatening sepsis.
The team discovered that when they transferred gut microbiota from patients who developed neutropenic fever to irradiated mice, some of the animals inevitably developed a fever, too.
What the team found when analyzing the gut microbiota of the mice was an excess of mucin-degrading Akkermansia bacteria, the same bacteria in the patients with neutropenic fever. The study of fecal samples confirmed that Akkermansia muciniphila replicates prolifically in the absence of sufficient neutrophils and is linked with subsequent fever. The bacteria are also noteworthy because they are mucin-degrading, which means they actively deplete the protective mucin layer of the intestines.
A total of 63 patients—53%—developed a fever and their fecal microbiome displayed increased accumulation of Akkermansia muciniphila.
The team found that the bacterial overgrowth could be circumvented with the administration of propionate. Propionate is found in a wide range of products, from baked goods to energy drinks. Propionate also discourages bacterial growth, which makes it ideal to prevent the growth of Akkermansia muciniphila.
In the mice, targeting their A. muciniphila bacterial growth with propionate or an antibiotic helped preserve the gut mucus layer and reduced inflammation and fever.
"Treating irradiated mice with propionate or an antibiotic targeting A. muciniphila preserved the mucus layer, suppressed translocation of flagellin, reduced inflammatory cytokines in the colon, and improved thermoregulation," Schwabkey noted.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Does taking a probiotic like Kefir help prevent the overgrowth of this harmful organism? Or even Yogurt with live cultures?
In theory, it would seem helpful.
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