Administration of probiotics to healthy volunteers: effects on reactivity of intestinal mucosa and systemic leukocytes.

BACKGROUND: Oral administration of health-promoting bacteria is increasingly used in clinical practise. These bacteria have anti-inflammatory characteristics and modulate the immune system without major reported side effects. The mechanisms of action are not yet fully defined. Our aim was to study systemic effects of probiotics by measurements of leukocytes as well as local effects on rectal mucosal biopsies after adding a standardized inflammatory stimulus in vitro. METHODS: Fourteen healthy subjects were randomized to receive 1010 colony forming units/day orally of the probiotic strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299 (Lp299), n = 7, or Bifidobacterium infantis CURE21 (CURE21), n = 7, for six weeks. Rectal biopsies were taken before and after ingestion of either probiotic strain product, for stimulation in vitro with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) at 10 and 100 ng/ml respectively up to 8 h. Blood tests were sampled before and after treatment. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) confirmed viable tissue. RESULTS: Composition of the intestinal microbiota was not changed. Systemic leukocytes decreased after administration of CURE21 (P<0.05) and Lp299 (P<0.01). Levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in rectal mucosa after stimulation with TNF-α were attenuated after ingestion of Lp299. No effect was seen with CURE21. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of these probiotic strains to healthy humans show both a systemic and local reduction of inflammatory response by lowering leukocyte counts, and for Lp299 IL-6 levels in rectal mucosa. Probiotics may play an important role in the reduction of inflammatory responses expected after trauma during surgery or after pelvic irradiation. Trial registration Clinical Trials, registration number NCT01534572, retrospectively registered ( http://www.clinicaltrials.gov ).

MMP7 Modulation by Short- and Long-term Radiotherapy in Patients with Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7) expression is highly associated with colorectal cancer and modulates tumour growth and invasion. Radiation injury induces inflammation with increases in MMP7 and in transforming growth factor beta (TGFß). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect on MMP7 and TGFß. expression in patients with rectal cancer undergoing different regimens of neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 53 patients in three RT treatment groups receiving RT of 25 Gy, long-term RT 50 Gy and controls receiving no RT. Three biopsies were obtained from each patient during the treatments: before RT, after RT and after surgery. Tissue samples were formalin fixed, paraffin embedded and tissue microarrays were constructed and stained for MMP7 and TGFß. Mann-Whitney U-tests and Wilcoxon Z-tests were used to determine differences between patients before and after RT, and after surgery, as well as between the RT groups. RESULTS: In all three patient groups, increases of MMP7 and TGFß expression were observed after surgery. MMP7 expression was significantly increased in patients receiving short-term RT but TGFß expression was not affected by RT. CONCLUSION: 50 Gy Irradiation of rectal cancer gives less tumour activation of MMP7, whilst it is up-regulated by 25 Gy and surgery regardless of RT.

[Still obvious shortcomings in nutrition therapy in hospitals. Survey study comparing the years 2004 and 2014]. / Fortfarande klara brister i nutritionsbehandling på sjukhus - Enkätstudie med jämförelse mellan åren 2004 och 2014.

In 2003 the Council of Europe published a resolution on food and nutritional care in hospitals. The resolution suggests screening of nutritional status for all patients and a care plan should be established for malnourished patients or patients at risk of malnutrition. In 2004 a survey amongst Swedish physicians, nurses and dieticians focusing on education, knowledge in clinical nutrition, division of responsibilities and guidelines was made. The results showed that Swedish hospitals did not meet the standards set by the Council. This study is a ten year follow-up of the original study from 2004. Data from 2014 show only minor improvements. Screening of nutritional status was still performed in less than fifty percent of all hospitalisations. The level of knowledge is still seen as a barrier against optimal treatment of malnutrition. Lack of guidelines was mentioned as another barrier, and a majority of physicians and nurses were not aware of the existing guidelines.

MMP7 expression in colorectal tumours of different stages.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in cancer biology. Expression of MMP7 (matrilysin) in colorectal cancer is associated with metastatic disease even though it is expressed in most tumour states. In the present study, our purpose was to analyze MMP7 in bowel and lymph nodes of different tumour stages and to evaluate its expression as a cancer biomarker. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 28 patients surgically-treated for benign and malignant colorectal tumours were recruited and analyzed for MMP7 in tumoural tissue, lymph nodes and serum by histology, immunohistochemistry, ELISA and western blotting. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed prevalent expression of MMP7 in advanced cancer. A significant increase (p<0.001) was evident in serum of stage III/IV cancers compared to both adenomas and non-metastatic disease. MMP7 was increased in cancer tissues with prevalence in stage I/II. Lymph nodes presented a significant increase of MMP7 (p<0.05 adenoma vs. stage I/II and p<0.001 vs. stage III/IV). CONCLUSION: MMP7 increases with dysplasia and cancer disease stage in tumour tissue as well as in the regional lymph nodes. It may be used as a complement in investigating suspected locally advanced cancer.

Effects of radiation therapy on tissue and serum concentrations of tumour associated trypsin inhibitor and their prognostic significance in rectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: We have previously demonstrated that elevated concentrations of tumour-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI) in both tumour tissue (t-TATI) and in serum (s-TATI) are associated with a poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients. It was also found that s-TATI concentrations were lower in patients with rectal cancer compared to patients with colon cancer. In this study, we investigated the effects of neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT) on concentrations of t-TATI and s-TATI in patients with rectal cancer. METHODS: TATI was analysed in serum, normal mucosa and tumour tissue collected at various time points in 53 rectal cancer patients enrolled in a case-control study where 12 patients received surgery alone, 20 patients 5 × 5 Gy (short-term) preoperative RT and 21 patients 25 × 2 Gy (long-term) preoperative RT. T-TATI was analysed by immunohistochemistry and s-TATI was determined by an immunofluorometric assay. Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon Z (Z) test were used to assess t-TATI and s-TATI concentrations in relation to RT. Spearman's correlation (R) test was used to explore the associations between t-TATI, s-TATI and clinicopathological parameters. Overall survival (OS) according to high and low t-TATI and s-TATI concentrations was estimated by classification and regression tree analysis, Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log rank test. RESULTS: RT did not affect concentrations of t-TATI or s-TATI. In patients receiving short-term but not long-term RT, s-TATI concentrations were significantly higher 4 weeks post surgery than in serum drawn prior to surgery (Z = -3.366, P < 0.001). T-TATI expression correlated with male gender (R = 0.406, P = 0.008). High t-TATI expression in surgical specimens was associated with a significantly shorter OS (P = 0.045). S-TATI concentrations in serum drawn at all time points were associated with an impaired OS (P = 0.035 before RT, P = 0.001 prior to surgery, P = 0.043 post surgery). At all time points, s-TATI correlated with higher age (P < 0.001-0.021) and with increased s-creatinine concentrations assessed prior to surgery (P = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: The results presented here further validate the utility of t-TATI and s-TATI as prognostic biomarkers in patients with rectal cancer, independent of neoadjuvant RT.