WCLC 2025 - Posters & ePosters-P3.14.13 Sex and Histology Related Profile of Gut Microbiota (GM) in Pleural Mesothelioma (PM): Preliminary Results of a Prospective Observational Study

P3.14.13 Sex and Histology Related Profile of Gut Microbiota (GM) in Pleural Mesothelioma (PM): Preliminary Results of a Prospective Observational Study

Back to course

Pdf Summary

This preliminary report presents baseline findings from a prospective observational study (Micromeso) investigating gut microbiota (GM) profiles in pleural mesothelioma (PM) patients, focusing on differences related to sex and tumor histology. Conducted at AOU AL since February 2022, the study enrolled 50 patients with a median age of 72 years, predominantly male (82%), most having epithelioid histology (68%) and treated mainly with platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy.<br /><br />GM was assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing of rectal swabs collected at baseline, alongside comprehensive demographic, pathology, treatment, and outcome data. Alpha diversity metrics (Shannon and Simpson indexes) showed no significant difference by sex or histology. In contrast, beta diversity revealed significant compositional differences between epithelioid versus non-epithelioid histology and between males and females (p=0.019).<br /><br />Specific taxa were differentially abundant according to histology: non-epithelioid PM patients had higher levels of Anaerococcus sp. and Dialister propionifaciens, while epithelioid cases were enriched in Phocaeicola vulgatus and unclassified Lachnospiraceae. Furthermore, Fusicatenibacter sp. and unclassified Prevotellaceae showed differential abundance stratified by both histology and sex.<br /><br />These findings extend limited existing evidence on GM’s prognostic and predictive roles in PM, highlighting distinct microbiome signatures linked to tumor histology and patient sex. Future analyses will explore how GM compositions and their dynamic changes during treatment relate to therapeutic response, adverse events, and survival outcomes. This work lays groundwork for potential microbiome-based biomarkers or therapeutic targets in PM management.<br /><br />Acknowledgement is given to Fondazione Buzzi Unicem for supporting the study. Correspondence can be directed to Luigi Cerbone at luigi.cerbone@ospedale.al.it.

Asset Subtitle

Federica Grosso

Meta Tag

Speaker Federica Grosso

Topic Mesothelioma, Thymoma, and Other Thoracic Tumors

Keywords

pleural mesothelioma

gut microbiota

microbiome

16S rRNA sequencing

epithelioid histology

non-epithelioid histology

sex differences

beta diversity

chemotherapy

biomarkers