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Elevated plasma phage load as a marker for intestinal permeability in leukemic patients
Xue-Rui Yin1, Ping Liu1,2, Xi Xu1
1The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.
Medical Microbiology and Immunology
|September 30, 2020
Summary
Phage translocation, previously unstudied in leukemia, was investigated. Elevated plasma phage levels in leukemia patients indicate gut barrier damage and correlate with inflammation and immune cell activation.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Oncology
Background:
- Microbial translocation and gut dysbiosis are known in acute leukemia, contributing to immune activation.
- Phage translocation has not been previously studied in leukemia patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate phage translocation in acute leukemia patients.
- To assess the correlation between phage load, gut barrier integrity, and systemic inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Quantified levels of three prevalent phages (λ, Wphi, P22) in plasma of 44 leukemia patients and 52 healthy adults.
- Assessed intestinal mucosa integrity via plasma 16S rRNA content using qPCR.
- Analyzed correlations between phage load and clinical data, including CRP, sCD14, and sCD163 levels.
Main Results:
- λ phage showed the highest detection rate (68%) in plasma.
- Plasma phage load was influenced by chemotherapy and disease progression.
- Phage load positively correlated with CRP, sCD14, and sCD163 levels.
Conclusions:
- Plasma phage load serves as a potential biomarker for gut barrier damage in leukemia.
- Gut phage translocation is linked to monocyte/macrophage activation and systemic inflammation in leukemic patients.
