title: The Potential Effect of Oral Microbiota in the Prediction of Mucositis During Radiotherapy for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral mucositis is probably the most debilitating complication that can arise in treating a patient with head and neck cancer. Little is known about the impacts of oral microbiota on the initiation and progression of mucositis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, dynamic changes in oral bacterial profile as well as correlations between the severity of mucositis and bacterial shifts during radiotherapy were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results revealed that bacterial community structure altered progressively during radiation therapy, in parallel with a marked increase in the relative abundance of some Gram-negative bacteria. Patients who eventually developed severe mucositis harbored a significantly lower bacterial alpha diversity and higher abundance of Actinobacillus during the phase of erythema - patchy mucositis. Accordingly, a random forest model for predicting exacerbation of mucositis was generated, which achieved a high predictive accuracy (AUC) of 0.89.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral microbiota changes correlate with the progression and aggravation of radiotherapy-induced mucositis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Microbiota-based strategies can be used for the early prediction and prevention of the incidence of severe mucositis during radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Lan
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.
authors.forename: Hua-Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Yue
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Division of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China. Electronic address: biodegradation@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hong-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000188:Actinobacillus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064307:Microbiota; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D004247:DNA
keywords: Microbiota; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Oral mucositis; Radiotherapy