Psychological, inflammation & gut microbiota in men with PSA >5ng/mL
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessment of Psychological Well-being, inflammatory related molecules, gut microbiota and fatty acids in men with higher than normal levels of PSA.
IRAS ID
259263
Contact name
Masood Khan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals of Leicester, NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the commonest malignancy and second leading cause of cancer death in men in the UK. There is a high co-morbidity of depressive disorder in PCa which adversely affects quality of life, disease course and survival. The high incidence of depression in PCa may not be explained solely by having to face a serious illness but may be due in part to other factors such as chronic inflammation, which is regulated by fatty acids (FAs), gut-flora and microbiota-derived metabolites. In a pilot study, we have assessed 30 men with PCa and 10 men with no known disease for measures of psychological distress, and inflammation. Results from this preliminary analysis showed that men with PCa had higher scores on a general depression scale than men with no known disease. However, these scores were not related to blood markers of inflammation. We were also able to show that a specific type of depression that relates to poor attitude towards self was related to higher levels of an inflammatory molecule in the blood known as tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha). However, no differences between groups was found on a scale that measures the experience of pleasure and motivation. We aim to confirm and extend the above-mentioned results in a larger group (80 patients per group and learn more about the nature of psychological distress in men with PCa before proceeding with the evaluation of interventions. More specifically we aim to assess distinct facets of depression in men with a recent diagnosis of PCa, examine the relationship between inflammation, stress, hormones status and depression in the context of Gut-Brain axis in men with a recent diagnosis of PCa as well as understand the role of Fatty Acids (FA's) and gut permeability in regulating inflammation and mood in men with PCa.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EM/0313
Date of REC Opinion
16 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion