Fecal microbiota transplantation induces remission of infantile allergic colitis through gut microbiota re-establishment

AIM To investigate the impact of fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT) treatment on allergic colitis(AC) and gut microbiota(GM).METHODS We selected a total of 19 AC infants,who suffered from severe diarrhea/hematochezia,did not relieve completely after routine therapy or cannot adhere to the therapy,and were free from organ congenital malformations and other contraindications for FMT. Qualified donor-derived stools were collected and injected to the AC infants via a rectal tube. Clinical outcomes and follow-up observations were noted. Stools were collected from ten AC infants before and after FMT,and GM composition was assessed for infants and donors using 16 S r DNA sequencing analysis.RESULTS After FMT treatment,AC symptoms in 17 infants were relieved within 2 d,and no relapse was observed in the next 15 mo. Clinical improvement was also detected in the other two AC infants who were lost to followup. During follow-up,one AC infant suffered from mild eczema and recovered shortly after hormone therapy. Based on the 16 S r DNA analysis in ten AC infants,most of them(n = 6) had greater GM diversity after FMT. As a result,Proteobacteria decreased(n = 6) and Firmicutes increased(n = 10) in post-FMT AC infants. Moreover,Firmicutes accounted for the greatest proportion of GM in the patients. At the genus level,Bacteroides(n = 6),Escherichia(n = 8),and Lactobacillus(n = 4) were enriched in some AC infants after FMT treatment,but the relative abundances of Clostridium(n = 5),Veillonella(n = 7),Streptococcus(n = 6),and Klebsiella(n = 8) decreased dramatically.CONCLUSION FMT is a safe and effective method for treating pediatric patients with AC and restoring GM balance.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND: Gut microbiota plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to assess the contribution of gut microbiota dysbiosis to the pathogenesis of NAFLD. METHODS: Forty-seven human feces samples (25 NAFLD patients and 22 healthy subjects) were collected and 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing was conducted on Hiseq 2000 platform. Discrepancy of species composition between controls and NAFLD group was defined by Metastats analysis under P value <0.01. RESULTS: NAFLD patients harbored lower gut microbiota diversity than healthy subjects did. In comparison to the control group, the Proteobacteria (13.50%) and Fusobacteria (2.76%) phyla were more abundant in NAFLD patients. Additionally, the Lachnospiraceae (21.90%), Enterobacteriaceae (12.02%), Erysipelotrichaceae (3.83%), and Streptococcaceae (1.39%) families, as well as the Escherichia_Shigella (10.84%), Lachnospiraceae_Incertae_Sedis (7.79%), and Blautia (4.95%) genera were enriched in the NAFLD group. However, there was a lower abundance of Prevotella in the NAFLD group than that in the control group (5.83% vs 27.56%, P<0.01). The phylum Bacteroidetes (44.63%) also tended to be more abundant in healthy subjects, and the families Prevotellaceae (28.66%) and Ruminococcaceae (26.44%) followed the same trend. Compared to those without non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), patients with NASH had higher abundance of genus Blautia (5.82% vs 2.25%; P=0.01) and the corresponding Lachnospiraceae family (24.33% vs 14.21%; P<0.01). Patients with significant fibrosis had a higher abundance of genus Escherichia_Shigella (12.53% vs 1.97%; P<0.01) and the corresponding Enterobacteriaceae family (13.92% vs 2.07%; P<0.01) compared to those with F0/F1 fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: NAFLD patients and healthy subjects harbor varying gut microbiota. In contrast to the results of previous research on children, decreased levels of Prevotella might be detrimental for adults with NAFLD. The increased level of the genus Blautia, the family Lachnospiraceae, the genus Escherichia_Shigella, and the family Enterobacteriaceae may be a primary contributor to NAFLD progression.