Scientists talked about the ability of severe pneumonia to help detect blood cancer
A severe infection caused by the bacterium pneumococcus can help doctors detect previously undetected blood cancer or immune defense disorders. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the University of Gothenburg, who examined adult patients who needed hospital treatment. What diseases were detected and why the results cannot be extended to any pneumonia — in the Izvestia article.
What infections have scientists studied?
Pneumococcus is a bacterium that can cause inflammation of the lungs, middle ear, and paranasal sinuses. In more severe cases, it causes infection of the bloodstream or meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord. Pneumococcus is one of the possible causative agents of pneumonia.
The study involved 156 adults hospitalized in the Swedish region of Vestra-Götaland in 2018-2023. The median age was 70 years: This means that half of the participants were younger than this age, and half were older.
All patients had an invasive pneumococcal infection. This is the name of a disease in which a bacterium enters the blood or other parts of the body where it normally should not be. For example, pneumonia may be accompanied by the entry of pneumococcus into the bloodstream. It is precisely such cases that researchers have studied.
For comparison, the researchers examined 64 more people of similar age and gender who did not tolerate such an infection. The participants' levels of antibodies, proteins that help the body defend itself against pathogens, were checked and the so—called M protein was searched.
M-protein is a special protein from the group of antibodies. Its detection may be associated with certain blood diseases, but this indicator alone is not enough to diagnose cancer.
Some of the patients were re–examined two to four months after the acute infection. This made it possible to assess the state of the immune system during the recovery period.
What the tests showed
M-protein was found in 22% of patients who had not previously known about a malignant blood disease— in 31 out of 141 people. In the comparison group, this figure was about 5%.
After additional examinations, seven patients were diagnosed with malignant diseases, including multiple myeloma and some other tumors of the cells of the immune system. Another 12 patients were diagnosed with monoclonal gammapathy of undetermined significance, a condition in which M—protein is present in the blood, but there are no signs of a corresponding malignant tumor.
By itself, the detection of M-protein does not mean that a person has cancer. It also occurs in a non-cancerous condition, which only in some cases eventually turns into a malignant disease. Therefore, the result of the analysis requires further evaluation, rather than an immediate oncological diagnosis.
In addition, according to the university, eight participants were found to have immunodeficiency, a decrease in the body's ability to resist infections. Seven patients were able to start treatment aimed at preventing new severe infections.
Why is it suggested to check the immune system after infection?
The authors believe that screening adults after an invasive pneumococcal infection can help identify diseases that went unnoticed before hospitalization. They suggest considering checking the level of antibodies and the presence of M-protein in such patients.
"Currently, these tests are not performed regularly after a severe pneumococcal infection," said Tor Hernqvist, an infectious disease specialist at the NU Hospital group and a researcher at the University of Gothenburg.
According to him, because of this, doctors may miss a previously undiagnosed blood disease or immunodeficiency and the opportunity to start treatment on time.
However, the study does not show that pneumonia causes cancer. His conclusion concerns the possibility of detecting an existing disease during examination after a severe infection. The figures obtained also cannot be transferred to all people with pneumonia: scientists studied a certain group of hospitalized patients, mostly the elderly.
How are the results related to vaccination
The university's message also contains the conclusions of another work by Karin Bergman, a member of the research group. She studied how the pneumococcal varieties changed after the inclusion of vaccination in the Swedish children's program.
The bacterial species that the childhood vaccine protected against became much less common. However, they have largely been replaced by others not covered by this vaccine. They often cause serious illnesses in the elderly and patients with cancer or immune disorders.
According to Bergman, when developing recommendations for adult vaccination, it is necessary to take into account which drugs children receive and which types of pneumococcus continue to spread among the population. This conclusion concerns the choice of vaccines, taking into account the changing situation.
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