The Gut Microbiome Plays a Role in Metastatic Kidney Cancer

According to a study presented at the 2022 International Kidney Cancer Symposium: North America, gut bacteria play a role in the development of sarcopenia in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

“This is the first study examining the association between sarcopenia and metabolic expression of the gut microbiome in patients with mRCC,” Neal S. Chawla, MD, and colleagues said. In this analysis, researchers assessed 62 patients with mRCC. The population of interest was required to have an investigational stool collection and a computed tomography scan. A specific software was used to estimate muscle mass area.

The results showed that the bacteria’s vulgatis, Collinsella aerofaciens, Streptococcaceae species, and Monoglobius species were correlated with the absence of sarcopenia. However, distinct metabolic pathways, specifically gluconeogenesis I, methanogenesis from acetate, and pathway 7254 of TCA cycle VII, were notably linked with sarcopenia.

“Distinct bacterial populations appear to express metabolic pathways associated with a catabolic state in mRCC patients with sarcopenia,” the researchers concluded.

Source: Chawala N, Zengin Z, Lee K, et al. Metagenomic analysis of the gut microbiome in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients with sarcopenia. Poster 45. Presented at the 2022 IKCS: North America; November 4-5, 2022; Austin, Texas.