Specific Bacteria and Metabolites Associated With Response to Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis.
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can induce remission in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). In a randomized controlled trial of FMT in patients with active UC, we aimed to identify bacterial taxonomic and functional factors associated with response to therapy.
We performed a double-blind trial of 81 patients with active UC randomly assigned to groups that received an initial colonoscopic infusion and then intensive multidonor FMT or placebo enemas, 5 d/wk for 8 weeks. Patients in the FMT group received blended homogenized stool from 3-7 unrelated donors. Patients in the placebo group were eligible to receive open-label FMT after the double-blind study period. We collected 314 fecal samples from the patients at screening, every 4 weeks during treatment, and 8 weeks after the blinded or open-label FMT therapy. We also collected 160 large-bowel biopsy samples from the patients at study entry, at completion of 8 weeks of blinded therapy, and at the end of open-label FMT, if applicable. We analyzed 105 fecal samples from the 14 individual donors (n = 55), who in turn contributed to 21 multidonor batches (n = 50). Bacteria in colonic and fecal samples were analyzed by both 16S ribosomal RNA gene and transcript amplicon sequencing; 285 fecal samples were analyzed by shotgun metagenomics, and 60 fecal samples were analyzed for metabolome features.
FMT increased microbial diversity and altered composition, based on analyses of colon and fecal samples collected before vs after FMT. Diversity was greater in fecal and colon samples collected before and after FMT treatment from patients who achieved remission compared with patients who did not. Patients in remission after FMT had enrichment of Eubacterium hallii and Roseburia inulivorans compared with patients who did not achieve remission after FMT and had increased levels of short-chain fatty acid biosynthesis and secondary bile acids. Patients who did not achieve remission had enrichment of Fusobacterium gonidiaformans, Sutterella wadsworthensis, and Escherichia species and increased levels of heme and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Bacteroides in donor stool were associated with remission in patients receiving FMT, and Streptococcus species in donor stool was associated with no response to FMT.
In an analysis of fecal and colonic mucosa samples from patients receiving FMT for active UC and stool samples from donors, we associated specific bacteria and metabolic pathways with induction of remission. These findings may be of value in the design of microbe-based therapies for UC. ClinicalTrials.gov, Number NCT01896635.
Paramsothy S
,Nielsen S
,Kamm MA
,Deshpande NP
,Faith JJ
,Clemente JC
,Paramsothy R
,Walsh AJ
,van den Bogaerde J
,Samuel D
,Leong RWL
,Connor S
,Ng W
,Lin E
,Borody TJ
,Wilkins MR
,Colombel JF
,Mitchell HM
,Kaakoush NO
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Lyophilised oral faecal microbiota transplantation for ulcerative colitis (LOTUS): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) delivered via colonoscopic infusion or enemas have been shown to induce remission in a proportion of patients with active ulcerative colitis. Whether orally administered FMT is effective in ulcerative colitis is unknown. We aimed to assess the efficacy of oral lyophilised FMT for the treatment of active ulcerative colitis.
A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at two centres in Australia. Eligible patients were aged 18-75 years with active ulcerative colitis (defined as clinical and endoscopic active ulcerative colitis, with a total Mayo score of 4-10, and a Mayo endoscopic subscore ≥1). After 2 weeks of amoxicillin, metronidazole, and doxycycline, patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either oral lyophilised FMT or placebo capsules for 8 weeks, using a prespecified computer-generated randomisation list with a permuted block size of 8. The primary outcome was corticosteroid-free clinical remission with endoscopic remission or response (total Mayo score ≤2, all subscores ≤1, and ≥1 point reduction in endoscopic subscore) at week 8. At week 8, FMT responders were randomly assigned (in a 1:1 ratio, permuted block size of 8) to either continue or withdraw FMT for a further 48 weeks. Analyses were done by modified intention-to-treat, including all patients who received at least one study dose. This trial is registered with Australian New Zealand Trial Registry, number ACTRN 12619000611123; this is the final report of the trial.
Between May 20, 2019, and March 24, 2020, 35 patients were randomly assigned: 15 to receive FMT and 20 to receive placebo. Recruitment was terminated early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At week 8, eight (53%) of 15 patients in the FMT group were in corticosteroid-free clinical remission with endoscopic remission or response, as were three (15%) of 20 patients in the placebo group (difference 38·3%, 95% CI 8·6-68·0; p=0·027; odds ratio 5·0, 95% CI 1·8-14·1). Adverse events occurred in 10 (67%) patients in the FMT group and 17 (85%) of those in the placebo group during the 8-week induction period, and were generally mild and self-limiting gastrointestinal complaints. Serious adverse events included worsening ulcerative colitis (two in the FMT group, one in the placebo group) and per-rectal bleeding (one in the placebo group). Ten patients in the FMT group who achieved a clinical or endoscopic response entered the maintenance phase and were randomly assigned to continue open-label FMT (n=4) or withdraw therapy (n=6). All four (100%) patients who continued FMT were in clinical, endoscopic, and histologic remission at week 56 compared with none of the patients who had FMT withdrawn.
Antibiotics followed by orally administered FMT was associated with the induction of remission in patients with active ulcerative colitis. Continuing FMT was well tolerated and appeared to demonstrate clinical, endoscopic, and histological efficacy. Oral FMT could be a promising and feasible treatment option for patients with ulcerative colitis.
St Vincent's Clinic Foundation, Gastroenterological Society of Australia, Gutsy Group.
Haifer C
,Paramsothy S
,Kaakoush NO
,Saikal A
,Ghaly S
,Yang T
,Luu LDW
,Borody TJ
,Leong RW
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Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Induces Remission in Patients With Active Ulcerative Colitis in a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is difficult to treat, and standard therapy does not always induce remission. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an alternative approach that induced remission in small series of patients with active UC. We investigated its safety and efficacy in a placebo-controlled randomized trial.
We performed a parallel study of patients with active UC without infectious diarrhea. Participants were examined by flexible sigmoidoscopy when the study began and then were randomly assigned to groups that received FMT (50 mL, via enema, from healthy anonymous donors; n = 38) or placebo (50 mL water enema; n = 37) once weekly for 6 weeks. Patients, clinicians, and investigators were blinded to the groups. The primary outcome was remission of UC, defined as a Mayo score ≤2 with an endoscopic Mayo score of 0, at week 7. Patients provided stool samples when the study began and during each week of FMT for microbiome analysis. The trial was stopped early for futility by the Data Monitoring and Safety Committee, but all patients already enrolled in the trial were allowed to complete the study.
Seventy patients completed the trial (3 dropped out from the placebo group and 2 from the FMT group). Nine patients who received FMT (24%) and 2 who received placebo (5%) were in remission at 7 weeks (a statistically significant difference in risk of 17%; 95% confidence interval, 2%-33%). There was no significant difference in adverse events between groups. Seven of the 9 patients in remission after FMT received fecal material from a single donor. Three of the 4 patients with UC ≤1 year entered remission, compared with 6 of 34 of those with UC >1 year (P = .04, Fisher's exact test). Stool from patients receiving FMT had greater microbial diversity, compared with baseline, than that of patients given the placebo (P = .02, Mann-Whitney U test).
FMT induces remission in a significantly greater percentage of patients with active UC than placebo, with no difference in adverse events. Fecal donor and time of UC appear to affect outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT01545908.
Moayyedi P
,Surette MG
,Kim PT
,Libertucci J
,Wolfe M
,Onischi C
,Armstrong D
,Marshall JK
,Kassam Z
,Reinisch W
,Lee CH
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