Open AccessFaecalibacterium prausnitzii increases following fecal microbiota transplantation in recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection
Author(s) -
Olle Björkqvist,
Ignacio Rangel,
Lena Serrander,
Cecilia Magnusson,
Jonas Halfvarson,
Torbjörn Norén,
Malin BergmanJungeström
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0249861
Subject(s) - faecalibacterium prausnitzii , clostridioides , feces , gastroenterology , medicine , context (archaeology) , gut flora , fecal bacteriotherapy , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , immunology , antibiotics , clostridium difficile , paleontology
Objective Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a highly effective treatment for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). However, the fecal transplant’s causal components translating into clearance of the CDI are yet to be identified. The commensal bacteria Faecalibacterium prausnitzii may be of great interest in this context, since it is one of the most common species of the healthy gut microbiota and produces metabolites with anti-inflammatory properties. Although there is mounting evidence that F . prausnitzii is an important regulator of intestinal homeostasis, data about its role in CDI and FMT are relatively scarce. Methods Stool samples from patients with recurrent CDI were collected to investigate the relative abundance of F . prausnitzii before and after FMT. Twenty-one patients provided fecal samples before the FMT procedure, at 2 weeks post-FMT, and at 2–4 months post-FMT. The relative abundance of F . prausnitzii was determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results The abundance of F . prausnitzii was elevated in samples (N = 9) from donors compared to pre-FMT samples (N = 15) from patients (adjusted P<0.001). No significant difference in the abundance of F . prausnitzii between responders (N = 11) and non-responders (N = 4) was found before FMT (P = 0.85). In patients with CDI, the abundance of F . prausnitzii significantly increased in the 2 weeks post-FMT samples (N = 14) compared to the pre-FMT samples (N = 15, adjusted P<0.001). The increase persisted 2–4 months post-FMT (N = 15) compared to pre-FMT samples (N = 15) (adjusted P<0.001). Conclusions FMT increases the relative abundance of F . prausnitzii in patients with recurrent CDI, and this microbial shift remains several months later. The baseline abundance of F . prausnitzii in donors or recipients was not associated with future treatment response, although a true predictive capacity cannot be excluded because of the limited sample size. Further studies are needed to discern whether F . prausnitzii plays an active role in the resolution of CDI.