FMT stool metagenomics for rCDI
We collected stool samples from recurrent C. difficile infection (CDI) patients receiving FMT before and 2 weeks, 2 months, and 6 months after FMT. These samples were submitted to Diversigen for sample processing and shallow shotgun sequencing.Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of nosocomial, antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Antibiotic treatment is typically the first line of treatment CDI. However, antibiotics disrupt the gastrointestinal microbiota. These disruptions allow the pathogen to grow and cause toxin-induced diarrhea. Over 30% of people previously treated for CDI suffer from relapse, often when their gastrointestinal microbiota is again compromised by further antibiotic treatment. The risk of a recurrence of CDI following a first relapse is high, around 60%. Treatment of CDI poses a major challenge for many patients, particularly in the recurrent population. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), which transfers healthy donor stool to the patient, has emerged as a promising solution to this recalcitrant problem. Although cross-sectional studies on changes in the microbiota have been conducted in adults, the mechanism of FMT remains unknown. The objective of the proposed research is to understand how FMT promotes colonization resistance against C. difficile.