Bacterial translocation contributes to cachexia from locally advanced gastric cancer

Studies have indicated that cancer cachexia patients have high cytokines levels and worse prognosis and bacterial translocation can increase cytokines production. So we aimed to investigate the association of BT with cachexia and prognosis of cachectic patients.

The locally advanced gastric cancer patients enrolled in this study were divided into cachectic and non-cachectic. Polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect bacterial DNA Cytokines levels were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Flow cytometry was used to detect immunological indicators.

BT ratio was significantly higher in cachectic patients than in non-cachectic patients and healthy volunteers (p=0.019, p=0.000). BT positive cachectic patients had significantly higher levels of IL-1a, IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ and worse survival than BT negative cachectic patients. The levels of CD3⁺T, CD4⁺T, NK cell and CD4⁺T /CD8⁺T in gastric cancer patients were lower as compared to healthy volunteers. The level of CD8⁺T-cell was significantly higher in gastric cancer patients than that in healthy volunteers.

This study for the first time suggested that bacterial translocation may contribute to cancer cachexia and impact prognosis of cachectic patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.