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Table 3 Potential prognostic biomarkers of pancreatic cancer

From: Microbiome as a biomarker and therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer

Biomarker

Site

Proposed Mechanisms

Effects

Ref.

K. pneumoniae

Biliary fluid

Gemcitabine metabolism and resistance plus other possible yet undiscovered effects

If negative, improved progression-free survival

[103]

Quinolone-resistant K. pneumoniae

Biliary fluid

Quinolones induce long-lasting alterations in the microbiome leading to changes in tumor biology

Shorter progression-free survival

[103]

Campylobacter, Citrobacter and Leptotrichia

Gallbladder

NA

Increased in cholangiocarcinoma

[104]

Enterobacter, Hungatella, Mycolicibacterium, Phyllobacterium and Sphingomonas

Gallbladder

NA

Significant difference in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, between stages with and without lymph node metastasis

[104]

Enterococcus, Eggerthella, Klebsiella, Corynebacterium, Moraxella, Hungatella, Paracoccus, Dermacoccus, Citrobacter, Lawsonella and Pseudoxanthomonas

Gallbladder

NA

Higher amounts lead to worse prognoses

[104]

Streptococcus, Escherichia, Veillonella and Dialister

Gallbladders

NA

Patients with higher amounts have better prognoses

[104]

Fusobacterium

Pancreas

Lead to inflammation, reactive oxygen species, and epigenetic changes

Worse prognoses

[105]

F. prausnitzii, Alistipes, and Enterobacteriaceae species

Gut

Survival analysis revealed associations of favorable prognosis with higher abundances of short-chain fatty acid producers in the gut

Abundance in gut microbiome indicator of lower mortality

[36]

Capnocytophaga

Oral cavity

NA

Abundance in oral microbiome indicator of lower mortality

[36]

R. torques

Gut

linked with inflammatory bowel disease

Poorer prognosis

[36]

S. vestibularis, and N. bacilliformis

Oral Cavity

NA

Poorer prognosis

[36]

Akkermansia

Gut

Adaptive immune system activation

increased proportion in the gut microbiota of NAT responders

[106]

Enterobacteriaceae

Gut

Gemcitabine metabolization

increased proportion in the gut microbiota of NAT non-responders

[106]

Coprococcus catus, colesterdium hathewayi, genera Alistipes and Anaerostipes

Gut

A positive correlation exists between the abundance pf Alistipes and saturated long-chain fatty acids that are decreased in unresectable PDAC compared to resectable PDAC

positively correlated with survival time

[109]

Alistipes, Anaerostipes, Faecalibacterium and Parvimonas

Gut

Abundance of Faecalibacterium was reduced in unresectable PDAC and positively correlated with phosphatidylcholine, an indicator of less serious physiological state;

reduction in unresectable PDAC patients

[109]

Pseudonocardia, Cloacibacterium, Mucispirillum, and Anaerotruncus

Gut

Anaerotruncus is associated with LysoPE that is decreased in unresectable PDAC

Increase in unresectable PDAC patients

[109]

Hepatitis B virus

Liver

Inflammation and down regulation of anti-cancer cytokines

Higher occurrence of simultaneous liver metastasis in PDAC

[110]

Gammaproteobacteria

Intratumoral

Metabolizes and deactivates gemcitabine

Metabolize and deactivate gemcitabine leading to drug resistance

[37]