Assessing the Dynamics of Gut Microbiota Following Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis

The success of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients is linked with specific microbiota families, such as Prevotellaceae, according to a study published in the Journal of Crohn’s & Colitis.

Researchers analyzed stools from 24 UC patients treated with four FMTs weekly following randomization for pretreatment during three weeks with budesonide (n = 12) or placebo (n = 12). These stool samples were collated nine times pre-, during, and post FMT. Both clinical and endoscopic response was assessed 14 weeks after initiation using the full Mayo score.

The investigatorsidentified five distinct clusters based on the microbiota composition of 180 patient samples and 27 donor samples. They observed that Prevotellaceae-dominant cluster was associated with poor response to FMT treatment. Conversely, the researchers noted that the families Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae were associated with a successful clinical response.

The researchers concluded that: “Monitoring the dynamics of these microbial families could potentially be used to inform treatment success early during FMT.”