Plasma levels of organic acids associated with the gut microbiome display significant alterations in neuroendocrine tumor patients.

Introduction: The gut microbiome, allegedly involved in both healthy homeostasis and development of disease, is found to be associated with several types of cancer. Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), important metabolites derived from the gut microbiota, are described to carry both protective and promoting features in cancer development. Limited research exists on neuroendocrine tumors (NET) and their association with microbiota derived SCFAs. The aim of this study was to investigate possible alterations in plasma SCFAs/organic acids in NET patients compared to healthy controls.

Methods: We quantified 11 organic acids, including SCFAs, in plasma from 109 NET patients (49 curatively operated patients and 60 patients with distant metastasis) as well as 20 healthy controls. Acids were quantified using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Results: We found that levels of 3OH-propionic acid, 3OH-butyric acid, lactic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, glyoxylic acid and glycolic acid were significantly altered in NET patients with metastatic disease, as well as curatively operated NET patients, compared to healthy controls (p<0.05). In addition, a trend displaying increased acid level alterations from healthy controls in curatively operated patients with future recurrence, compared to patients with no documented recurrent disease, was detected.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrating significantly altered levels of multiple organic acids in NET patients represents a novel finding implicating further research on their role in NET pathophysiology.