Administration, Oral ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Middle Aged

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) can produce all kind of blood lineage cells, and gut microbiota that consists of various species of microbe affects development and maturation of the host immune system including gut lymphoid cells and tissues. However, the effect of altered gut microbiota composition on homeostasis of HSPCs remains unclear. Here we show that compositional change of gut microbiota affects homeostasis of HSPCs using Rag1(-/-) mice which represent lymphopenic condition. The number and proportions of HSPCs in Rag1(-/-) mice are lower compared to those of wild types. However, the number and proportions of HSPCs in Rag1(-/-) mice are restored as the level of wild types through alteration of gut microbiota diversity via transferring feces from wild types. Gut microbiota composition of Rag1(-/-) mice treated with feces from wild types shows larger proportions of family Prevotellaceae and Helicobacterceae whereas lower proportions of family Lachnospiraceae compared to unmanipulated Rag1(-/-) mice. In conclusion, gut microbiota composition of lymphopenic Rag1(-/-) mice is different to that of wild type, which may lead to altered homeostasis of HSPCs.
Animals ; Feces ; Homeostasis* ; Humans ; Immune System ; Lymphocytes ; Mice* ; Microbiota* ; Stem Cells*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Survivors of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are at risk for developing hypertension. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of early onset hypertension during the engraftment period after HSCT. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 157 consecutive patients (mean age at HSCT: 9.1+/-5.1 years) who underwent HSCT for acute myeloid leukemia (n=47), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n=43), severe aplastic anemia (n=41), and other reasons (n=26). Blood pressure data were collected at five time points: 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after HSCT. Hypertension was defined as having systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure > or =95th percentile according to age, gender, and height. To analyze the risk factors related to hypertension, data, including patients' demographic and transplant characteristics, were reviewed. RESULTS: Hypertension developed in 59 patients (38%), among whom 12 (7.6%) required long term therapy. Thirty-two (54%) patients had systolic and diastolic, 8 (14%) had only systolic, and 19 (32%) had only diastolic hypertension. Younger age, acute graft-versus-host disease, sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, treatment with antifungal agent, and greater increase in serum creatinine (Cr) levels were associated with hypertension. Multivariate analysis showed that younger age at HSCT and greater increase in serum Cr level were independent risk factors for hypertension. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of hypertension during immediate post-HSCT period is high, especially in younger children. A greater increase in Cr after HSCT was significantly associated with hypertension. Further study is needed to elucidate long-term cardiovascular complications in pediatric HSCT survivors.
Anemia, Aplastic ; Blood Pressure ; Child ; Creatinine ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells* ; Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Incidence* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Multivariate Analysis ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Survivors