The role of gut microbiota and probiotics in preventing, treating, and boosting the immune system in colorectal cancer.

The gut microbiome plays a significant role in developing colorectal cancer (CRC). The gut microbiome usually acts as a protective barrier against harmful pathogens and infections in the intestine, while also regulating inflammation by affecting the human immune system. The gut microbiota and probiotics play a role not only in intestinal inflammation associated with tumor formation but also in regulating anti-cancer immune response. As a result, they associated with tumor progression and the effectiveness of anti-cancer therapies. Research indicates that gut microbiota and probiotics can be used as biomarkers to predict the impact of immunotherapy and enhance its efficacy in treating CRC by regulating it. This review examines the importance of gut microbiota and probiotics in the development and progression of CRC, as well as their synergistic impact on anti-cancer treatments.

Association between Pre-Operative 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Deficiency and Surgical Site Infection after Right Hemicolectomy Surgery.

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most important and costly complications of surgical operations. The present study hypothesized that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of SSI, and this current study investigated this hypothesis. Patients and Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed with adult patients undergoing open right hemicolectomy operation with stapled anastomosis between February 2018 and March 2021 in the surgery ward of Imam Khomeini hospital. A logistic regression test examined and analyzed the connection between serum 25-OH vitamin D levels and post-operative wound infections. Results: This study comprised 315 participants who met the inclusion criteria. Pre-operative serum vitamin D levels were <30 ng/mL in 107 participants (34%) and ≥30 ng/mL in 208 participants (66%). The mean serum vitamin D level was 35.66 ± 13.26 ng/mL among the study population. Increased vitamin D deficiency was linked with elevated odds of surgical wound infection incidence among the patients after surgery (odds ratio [OR], 5.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.06-14.6; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Pre-operative vitamin D level strongly affects post-operative SSI in patients with colon cancer. This study highlighted the importance of conducting further research to determine the possible advantages of vitamin D in preventing incision infection after surgery.

Prognostic value of increased postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with early intestinal anastomosis leakage who underwent right hemicolectomy surgery.

<b> Introduction:</b> Anastomotic leak after colorectal surgery is a serious complication that causes significant postoperative morbidity and mortality. </br></br> <b>Aim:</b> This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of increased postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in early intestinal anastomosis leakage in patients who underwent right hemicolectomy surgery.</br></br> <b>Material and methods:</b> In this prospective study, 535 patients who underwent right colon cancer surgery with stapled anastomosis were enrolled. A subset of 315 patients was included in the study after meeting the inclusion criteria. Preoperatively, their serum CEA levels were measured, and on postoperative days 3 and 6, the levels were measured again.</br></br> <b>Results:</b> Early AL occurred in 18 patients (5.71%). The mean SD age of patients was 65.06 11.69 years. Increased CEA level was associated with increased odds of intestinal AL among the patients after three and six days of surgery (OR after three days = 1.3; 95%CI = 1.11.5, OR after six days = 1.7 95%CI = 1.142.5). The mean CEA level significantly increased among patients with anastomose leakage (P-value < 0.001). </br></br> <b>Conclusion:</b> The results showed that increasing CEA levels can be used as one of the non-invasive markers in detecting early AL in patients with right colon cancer surgery.

Anti-Tumor Effect of the Ketogenic Diet against DMH-Induced Colon Cancer in Rats.

Colon cancer is one of the most common malignancies with significant importance. Recent theories believe that cancers are metabolic diseases. Therefore, the role of metabolism in the prevention and treatment of cancer has been considered and the ketogenic diet is one example. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of the ketogenic diet and a high carbohydrate diet on tumor size and number, histopathology, and insulin level as well as VEGF level in 1, 2 dymethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon cancer in rats. Forty adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups as follows: control, colon cancer, ketogenic diet, and high carbohydrate diet groups. For induction of colon cancer, 30 mg/kg of 1,2 DMH solution was injected subcutaneously twice a week for 24 weeks. The results showed that the ketogenic diet reduced tumor size, number, and histopathological changes as well as VEGF level (P<0.01) compared to the colon cancer group. The ketogenic diet also increased the levels of beta hydroxyl butyrate (P<0.001) and decreased those of glucose, insulin and HbA1c (P<0.001). Furthermore, a high carbohydrate diet did not show any protective effects on colon cancer prevention. In conclusion, the ketogenic diet demonstrated prophylactic effects on colon cancer, and this anti-cancer effect could be partially attributed to the reduction in VEGF and insulin levels.

Repeated small bowel resection in a patient with Buerger's disease and intestinal involvement.

Buerger's disease, also called thromboangiitis obliterans, is a recurrent and an uncommon vaso-occlusive inflammatory disease, which typically affects small and medium-sized arteries, veins and nerves of the upper and lower extremities. Mesenteric and multisystem involvement of two or more organs is extremely rare. Here we report the case of a 39-year-old male heavy smoker who had undergone four repetitive laparotomies and multiple small bowel resections for ischaemic involvement of Buerger's disease. He had below-the-knee amputation of the right leg and finger of the left hand because of that disease before bowel involvement. Histopathological findings revealed that the arteries and veins of the resected small intestine were occluded with organised thrombi. Inflammatory cell infiltration was recognised mainly in the intima of distal branches of mesenteric artery. These findings were compatible with previous findings in histopathological examinations of amputated extremities.