Analysis of Gut Microbiome of Neutropenic Enterocolitis

Neutropenic enterocolitis (NE) is a severe complication of chemotherapy, primarily affecting patients with hematologic malignancies. No study has specifically investigated the role of gut microbiota in patients with NE. To assess the modifications of the gut microbiota and the enterocyte barrier in NE we established a cohort of 65 patients undergoing chemotherapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) with a serial collection of stool and blood samples. Within this cohort, 26 patients developed NE (AML-NE). Thirteen patients presenting NE with other hematological malignancies were also included (N-AML-NE). Stool samples were subjected to bacterial load quantification (all bacteria quantitative PCR), 16s rRNA metagenomic analysis, and short-chain-fatty-acids quantification.