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Gut microbiota composition associated with alterations in cardiorespiratory fitness and psychosocial outcomes among breast cancer survivors

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Abstract

Purpose

In this proof-of-concept pilot study, our purpose was to determine correlations between gut microbiota composition and alterations in cardiorespiratory fitness and psychosocial outcomes among post-primary treatment breast cancer survivors (BCS).

Methods

Composition of the gut microbiota in BCS (n = 12) was assessed at baseline (M0) and at the end of 3 months (M3) using Illumina MiSeq DNA Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed using the QIIME bioinformatics software and represented through diversity metrics and taxa analyses. Cardiorespiratory fitness, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep dysfunction were assessed at M0 and M3 via the submaximal treadmill test, Fatigue Symptom Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively.

Results

Increased fatigue interference in BCS was associated with increased mean within-sample Shannon diversity (organism richness and evenness) (p = 0.009). Weighted UniFrac analysis (shifts in taxa relative abundance) revealed significant differences in between-sample (beta) diversity for changes in fatigue interference (p = 0.01) and anxiety (p = 0.022), with a trend observed for fatigue intensity and sleep dysfunction (p < 0.1). Unweighted UniFrac analysis (shifts in taxa types) found significant beta diversity differences for cardiorespiratory fitness (p = 0.026). Prior to false discovery correction (FDR), changes in fitness, fatigue, anxiety, and sleep dysfunction were associated with the frequency of certain gut bacteria genera (e.g., Faecalibacterium, Prevotella, Bacteroides) (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Correlations may exist between alterations in gut microbiota composition and longitudinal changes in cardiorespiratory fitness, fatigue, and anxiety in BCS. Further research examining the role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in exercise-induced effects on psychosocial outcomes in BCS is warranted.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the following funding sources: R01CA136859, U01CA136859, R25CA76023 (CaRES), R25CA047888 (Cancer Prevention and Control Training Grant), and P30DK056336 (University of Alabama at Birmingham Nutrition Obesity Research Center). We also acknowledge support from the Microbiome Resource at the University of Alabama at Birmingham: School of Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center (P30AR050948), Center for AIDS Research (5P30AI027767), Center for Clinical Translational Science (UL1TR000165), Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center (P60AR064172), and Heflin Center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Jesseca A. Paulsen & LaKeshia Hyndman

  2. Center for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Travis S. Ptacek, Ranjit Kumar & Elliot J. Lefkowitz

  3. Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Webb 222, 1720 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-3360, USA

    Stephen J. Carter & Laura Q. Rogers

  4. Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Nianjun Liu

  5. Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Elliot J. Lefkowitz

  6. Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Casey D. Morrow

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  1. Jesseca A. Paulsen
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  2. Travis S. Ptacek
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  9. Laura Q. Rogers
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Q. Rogers.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Conflicts of interest

Jesseca A. Paulsen and all contributing authors declare they have no personal or professional relationships that may represent a potential conflict of interest.

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Paulsen, J.A., Ptacek, T.S., Carter, S.J. et al. Gut microbiota composition associated with alterations in cardiorespiratory fitness and psychosocial outcomes among breast cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer 25, 1563–1570 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3568-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3568-5

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