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Significant Changes in the Intestinal Environment After Surgery in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery Aims and scope

Abstract

Background

There have been very few detailed reports of the intestinal environment after surgical treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC). We analysed faecal microbiota, organic acids and pH to investigate the influence of colorectal surgery on the intestinal environment.

Methods

Faecal samples from 81 CRC patients were collected before the start of pre-operative preparation the day before surgery, as well as 7 days or more after surgery. Thirteen groups of intestinal microbiota, eight types of organic acids, and pH were measured using 16S rRNA-targeted reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, high-performance liquid chromatography and a pH meter, respectively.

Results

Total bacterial counts (10.3 ± 0.6 vs. 9.4 ± 1.2 log10 cells/g; p < 0.001) and the numbers of 6 groups of obligate anaerobes were significantly decreased after surgery. In contrast, the populations of Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas were significantly increased. Post-operatively, the concentration of total organic acids was lower (77.9 ± 40.1 vs. 50.1 ± 37.0 μmol/g; p < 0.001) than the pre-operative concentration, and a significant reduction in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) was observed.

Conclusion

Significant changes in the intestinal environment, including marked decreases in obligate anaerobes, increases in pathogenic bacteria, and reductions in SCFAs, were detected after surgery for CRC.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all of the subjects who participated in this study. We also thank the nursing staff of the 10E Medical Examination Ward and 8E Surgery Ward in St. Luke’s International Hospital for their cooperation in the prompt collection and storage of faecal samples. We thank Asahara Takashi and Yuki Norikatsu for their help with the analysis of faecal microbiota, organic acids, and pH. This study was supported by a grant from St. Luke’s Life Science Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, St. Luke’s International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8560, Japan

    Seiji Ohigashi, Kazuki Sudo & Hisashi Onodera

  2. Department of General Internal Medicine, St. Luke’s International Hospital, Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Daiki Kobayashi

  3. Yakult Central Institute for Microbiological Research, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo, Japan

    Takuya Takahashi & Koji Nomoto

Authors
  1. Seiji Ohigashi
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  2. Kazuki Sudo
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  3. Daiki Kobayashi
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  4. Takuya Takahashi
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  5. Koji Nomoto
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  6. Hisashi Onodera
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Correspondence to Seiji Ohigashi.

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Ohigashi, S., Sudo, K., Kobayashi, D. et al. Significant Changes in the Intestinal Environment After Surgery in Patients with Colorectal Cancer. J Gastrointest Surg 17, 1657–1664 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-013-2270-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-013-2270-x

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