Ulcerative Colitis, Fecal Microbiota Transplant, and Fecal Flora - Medical Literature - Possible Cure?

Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis Using Fecal Bacteriotherapy

 

Borody TJ, Warren EF, Leis S, Surace R, Ashman O.

 

Source

 

Centre for Digestive Diseases, 144 Great North Rd, Five Dock NSW 2046, Australia.

 

Abstract

 

Background

 

Although the etiology of idiopathic ulcerative colitis (UC) remains poorly understood, the intestinal flora is suspected to play an important role. Specific, consistent abnormalities in flora composition peculiar to UC have not yet been described, however Clostridium difficile colitis has been cured by the infusion of human fecal flora into the colon. This approach may also be applicable to the treatment of UC on the basis of restoration of flora imbalances.

 

Goal 

 

To observe the clinical, colonoscopic and histologic effects of human probiotic infusions (HPI) in 6 selected patients with UC.

 

Case Reports

 

Six patients (3 men and 3 women aged 25-53 years) with UC for less than 5 years were treated with HPI. All patients had suffered severe, recurrent symptoms and UC had been confirmed on colonoscopy and histology. Fecal flora donors were healthy adults who were extensively screened for parasites and bacterial pathogens. Patients were prepared with antibiotics and oral polyethylene glycol lavage. Fecal suspensions were administered as retention enemas within 10 minutes of preparation and the process repeated daily for 5 days. By 1 week post-HPI some symptoms of UC had improved. Complete reversal of symptoms was achieved in all patients by 4 months post-HPI, by which time all other UC medications had been ceased. At 1 to 13 years post-HPI and without any UC medication, there was no clinical, colonoscopic, or histologic evidence of UC in any patient.

 

Conclusions

 

Colonic infusion of donor human intestinal flora can reverse UC in selected patients. These anecdotal results support the concept of abnormal bowel flora or even a specific, albeit unidentified, bacterial pathogen causing UC.

 

J Clin Gastroenterol. 2003 Jul;37(1):42-7.

PMID:

12811208

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

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Reduced Diversity and Imbalance of Fecal Microbiota in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.

Hideyuki Nemoto, Keiko Kataoka, Hideki Ishikawa, Kazue Ikata, Hideki Arimochi, Teruaki Iwasaki, Yoshinari Ohnishi, Tomomi Kuwahara and Koji Yasutomo

Source

 

Department of Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan

 

Abstract

 

BACKGROUND:

 

Clinical observations and experimental colitis models have indicated the importance of intestinal bacteria in the etiology of ulcerative colitis (UC), but a causative bacterial agent has not been identified.

 

AIM:

 

To determine how intestinal bacteria are associated with UC, fecal microbiota and other components were compared for UC patients and healthy adults.

 

METHODS:

 

Fresh feces were collected from 48 UC patients. Fecal microbiota were analyzed by use of terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), real-time PCR, and culture. The concentrations of organic acids, indole, and ammonia, and pH and moisture, which are indicators of the intestinal environment, were measured and compared with healthy control data.

 

RESULTS:

 

T-RFLP data divided the UC patients into four clusters; one cluster was obtained for healthy subjects. The diversity of fecal microbiota was significantly lower in UC patients. There were significantly fewer Bacteroides and Clostridium subcluster XIVab, and the amount of Enterococcus was higher in UC patients than in healthy subjects. The fecal concentration of organic acids was significantly lower in UC patients who were in remission.

 

CONCLUSION:

 

UC patients have imbalances in the intestinal environment-less diversity of fecal microbiota, lower levels of major anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides and Clostridium subcluster XIVab), and a lower concentration of organic acids.

PMID:

22623042

[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Dig Dis Sci. 2012 May 24. [Epub ahead of print]