Quote:
Originally Posted by Marlene
https://ashpublications.org/blood/ar...searchresult=1
Click on the PDF for the full article. I find reading the key points and abstract, and then skipping to the discussion/conclusion most helpful with these studies. The middle part is way over my head but a bit easier if I already know the conclusion if I attempt to read it.
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Marlene,
I read the full article to learn what their study found, and whether their conclusions were of benefit only for prognostication or if the results suggested particular treatment approaches.
The researchers started with the knowledge that, in adults, diversity of gut microbiota before transplant and at the time of engraftment led to better outcomes, namely higher survival rates and lower rates of acute Graft versus Host Disease.
They found that there's a similar correlation for children, but that diversity of gut microbiota was predictive only when measured before transplant, not at the time of engraftment.
When it comes to treatment, they point out two possibilities: nutritional changes and fecal microbiota transplants, both with the goal of increasing microbiota diversity. The study shows that these treatment approaches would need to be pre-transplant, whereas in adults these treatments could be beneficial either pre-transplant or at the time of engraftment.