Evaluation of Durability of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Patients With Mild to Moderate Ulcerative Colitis

Fecal microbiota therapy (FMT) is an emerging treatment for gastrointestinal disorders marked by an imbalance in the intestinal microbial flora (dysbiosis). It is hypothesized to work by shifting the recipient's microbiota toward a eubiotic microbial community that resists colonization by pathogenic organisms or decreases its inherent inflammatory properties. Several studies now report its efficacy in treatment of severe Clostridium difficile colitis. Preliminary studies using FMT in Ulcerative Colitis (UC) have also met with some success. This is corroborated by several lines of evidence suggesting dysbiosis plays an important role in UC pathogenesis. While a recent study using FMT in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation found transplants persist for up to 2 years, the extent to which the microbiota is alterable in UC is not known. Indeed, there may be particular genetic or immunologic factors in UC leading to selection pressure preventing a change in the microbiota. As an initial step into investigating the potential efficacy of stool transplants for Ulcerative Colitis (UC), the investigators propose to determine the feasibility and stability of transplanted microbiota in a series of 10 patients with mild to moderate UC.