Gut microbial composition difference between pediatric ALL survivors and siblings.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Oncology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has high cure rates, resulting in more long-term survivors.
• Adult survivors of childhood ALL face increased risks of obesity and cardiovascular disease.
• ALL therapy may cause lasting gut microbiome changes, predisposing survivors to chronic conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate long-term gut microbiome alterations in pediatric ALL survivors.
• To compare the gut microbiota of pediatric ALL survivors with that of their healthy siblings.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study collected stool samples from 38 pediatric ALL survivors (≥1 year post-therapy) and 16 healthy siblings.
• 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was used to analyze the stool microbiota composition.
• Sparse partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) identified differences in microbial populations.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in overall alpha or beta diversity were observed between survivors and controls.
• Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) mapping to the genus *Faecalibacterium* were found to be depleted in ALL survivors.
• This depletion in *Faecalibacterium* mirrors findings in adult ALL survivors and individuals with obesity.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric ALL survivors exhibit distinct gut microbial compositions compared to their siblings.
• The depletion of *Faecalibacterium* in pediatric survivors suggests microbiome alterations begin in childhood.
• These early-stage gut microbiome changes may contribute to chronic illness risk later in survivorship.