Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41842880›Full record

ArticlePuerto Rico health sciences journal2026

Dietary Quality and Microbiome Profiles among Rectal Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

Velda J González-Mercado, Shen Jean Lim, Praveen Kumar Singh, Sabrina Sales-Martinez, Moroni Fernandez-Cajavilca, Luis M Marrero, Elsa Pedro, Gail D'Eramo Melkus

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Puerto Rico health sciences journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Velda J González-MercadoAssistant Professor, Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
Shen Jean LimScientist, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
Praveen Kumar SinghScientist, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Sabrina Sales-MartinezAssociate Professor, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
Moroni Fernandez-CajavilcaPhD student, New York University, Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York, NY, USA.
Luis M MarreroStudent, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
Elsa PedroAssistant Professor, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, School of Pharmacy, San Juan, PR.
Gail D'Eramo MelkusProfessor Emerita, Florence and William Downs Professor in Nursing Research, Senior Research Scientist, New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York, NY, USA.

Funding

Tracking and Evaluation CoreU54GM133807 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES · PI CRUZ-CORREA, MARCIA ROXANA · 2020 to 2024
$17.7M
Research Design, Compliance, and Data Management Core (RDCD)P50GM133807 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES · PI EDNA ACOSTA-PEREZ · 2025 to 2026
$15.0M
Multi-omic Evaluation of the mTOR pathway in Radiotherapy-Related FatigueK23NR020039 · NINR · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · PI GONZALEZ-MERCADO, VELDA JANET · 2021 to 2023
$501k
Cross-talk between social determinants of health and MTOR pathway, the missing link in fatigueR21CA288925 · NCI · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · PI GONZALEZ-MERCADO, VELDA JANET · 2025 to 2025
$427k
NCI NIH HHS R21 CA288925NIGMS NIH HHS P50 GM133807NIGMS NIH HHS U54 GM133807NINR NIH HHS K23 NR020039
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveExamining whether gut microbial taxa abundances and predicted functional pathways correlate with dietary quality scores at the end of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for rectal cancer (RC); identifying differentially abundant bacterial species from the pantothenate and acetyl-coenzyme A biosynthesis pathways that differ among dietary quality groups in a subset of participants.

methodsRC patients (n = 30) provided stool samples for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To validate pathway predictions from the 16S rRNA gene data, stool samples from a subset of 17 participants underwent shallow shotgun metagenomics sequencing (SMS). Dietary quality was calculated using the Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS; 24-hour recall). 16S rRNA gene data were analyzed using QIIME2, and SMS data were analyzed using HUMAnN2.

resultsAt the genus level, Parvimonas, Caproiciproducens, and uncultured Eggerthellaceae abundances positively correlated (Spearman's rho = 0.36 to 0.50) with PDQS scores, whereas abundances of Prevotella, Rothia, Peptostreptococcus, Paeniclostridium, Enterococcus, and Howardella correlated negatively (Spearman's rho = -0.43 to 0.36). Predicted pathways, including those related to B-vitamin biosynthesis and enzyme cofactor biosynthesis (e.g., B5/pantothenate [phosphopantothenate biosynthesis I]), were correlated with higher PDQS scores. Mean abundances of species predicted to encode the vitamin B5-CoA pathway were greater in the high- diet-quality group.

conclusionFindings suggest important associations between the taxa abundances of gut bacteria and the abundances of predicted B-vitamin biosynthesis pathways and dietary quality at the end of nCRT. Three bacterial species encoding vitamin B5-CoA biosynthesis pathways were prominent in high-dietaryquality participants.

Indexed as

DietGastrointestinal MicrobiomeRectal NeoplasmsAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFecesFemaleHumansMaleMetagenomicsMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsRNA, Ribosomal, 16SRNA, Ribosomal, 16SDietary qualityMicrobiome profilesRectal cancer

Identifiers

PMID41842880
PMCPMC13075383

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.