Characteristics of gut microbiota in patients with polycythemia vera and the impact of different treatments

[hunter5582]

Another interesting article from our friends at MPN Hub. Some of us on the forum have concluded that the microbiome matters in managing a MPN. Interesting details in this research.

mpn-hub.com/medical-informa...

Excerpts. Worth reading the whole article for details.

Currently, there is limited understanding of the gut microbiota in patients with MPN and how it compares with healthy individuals. Changes in the gut microbiota are associated with several autoimmune and inflammation-driven diseases, such as MPN, and can influence responses to immunotherapy and hematopoiesis; therefore, further understanding of the gut microbiota in patients with MPN is important. ...

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that the characteristic gut microbiota of patients with PV featured a lower abundance of Firmicutes compared with HCs. Differences in gut microbiota among different PV treatment groups were also seen. Interestingly, the gut microbiota of the IFN-α2-treated group appeared to be more comparable to that of HCs. However, further research is needed to explore whether these variations were due to IFN-α2 treatment or whether certain microbiota boosted IFN-α2 response. Also, this study was limited by a small sample size and variations in the start of treatment and when stool samples were taken.

The original article is worth reading for those with the interest in the microbiome. It is very intriguing that PV patients treated with IFN-a2 have a microbiome more like healthy controls. The authors note "It is intriguing to consider that IFN-α2 treatment implies conservation of a more healthy microbiota and accordingly a dampening of the microbial inflammatory signals that have recently been proposed to elicit MPNs. This consideration is even more relevant taking into account that INF-1, as antiinflammatory immunomodulators, have a protective role in the gut by ensuring a proper intestinal barrier function." While this is all theoretical conjecture, it is a promising line of investigation to pursue.

Original article

ashpublications.org/bloodad...

[SoledadBarcelona]

This is very interesting too. nature.com/articles/s41385-...

[Bluetop]

Thanks for this. Very interesting and something I think we will all be learning more about in the future.