Efficacy and Mechanisms of Action of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Ulcerative Colitis: Pitfalls and Promises From a First Meta-Analysis.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the results of a chronic inflammatory process deriving from disequilibrium between self-microbiota composition and immune response.



New evidence, coming from Clostridium difficile infection, clearly showed that active and powerful modulation of microbiota composition by fecal microbiota composition (FMT) is safe, easy to perform, and efficacious, opening new frontiers in gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal diseases. FMT has been proposed also for IBD as well as other non-gastrointestinal conditions related to intestinal microbiota dysfunctions, with good preliminary data.



In this setting, ulcerative colitis (UC) represents one of the most robust potential indications for FMT after C difficile colitis.



In the present review, we focus on FMT and its application on ulcerative colitis, clarifying mechanisms of actions and efficacy data, trough completion of a meta-analysis on available randomized, controlled trial data in UC. Because microbiota is so crucially involved in this topic, a short review of microbial alterations in UC will also be performed.
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: francoscaldaferri@gmail.com.
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Scaldaferri
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Pecere
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Petito
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Zambrano
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Fiore
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Lopetuso
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Schiavoni
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Bruno
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Gerardi
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Laterza
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Pizzoferrato
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Ianiro
Institute of Hygiene, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Stojanovic
Institute of Hygiene, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Poscia
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Papa
Institute of Microbiology, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Paroni Sterbini
Institute of Microbiology, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Sanguinetti
Institute of Microbiology, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Masucci
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Cammarota
Institute of Special Pathology, Gastroenterology Division, Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy.
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Gasbarrini
D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000069467:Fecal Microbiota Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome