Gut Microbiome Composition Predicts Infection Risk During Chemotherapy in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic LeukemiaOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
Researchers examined whether gut microbiome composition predicts infection risk in children undergoing chemotherapy for newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
How was it studied?
Fecal samples from 199 children were collected at diagnosis and after each of the first three chemotherapy phases. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing measured microbiome diversity and taxonomic composition, and results were linked to clinical registry NCT00549848.
What did they find?
Microbial diversity dropped significantly after induction and reinduction I chemotherapy. Bacteroidetes relative abundance decreased, while Clostridiaceae and Streptococcaceae increased. A pre-chemotherapy microbiome dominated by Proteobacteria predicted later febrile neutropenia. Enterococcaceae dominance (relative abundance of 30 percent or more) predicted greater risk of subsequent febrile neutropenia and diarrheal illness, and Streptococcaceae dominance predicted greater diarrheal illness risk, independent of chemotherapy phase and ALL risk level.
Why it matters
Gut microbiome signatures measured before or during chemotherapy could help identify children with ALL at elevated risk for febrile neutropenia and diarrheal complications, supporting earlier monitoring or intervention.