Patient knowledge of gut microbiota and acceptability of fecal microbiota transplantation in various diseases

Abstract

Background Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is now evaluated in various diseases. However, large‐scale population treatment may encounter feasibility issues in terms of acceptance. We aim to evaluate patient knowledge of gut microbiota and the acceptability of FMT in various diseases. Methods Patients of Carenity's French online community were invited by email to participate in a questionnaire. The following parameters were assessed: patient's principal illness and duration, demographic data, therapeutics, dietary habits, knowledge of gut microbiota, probiotics and FMT, and its acceptability. Key Results In total, 877 patients participated in the online questionnaire: 156 with inflammatory bowel disease (17.8%), 127 with rheumatoid arthritis (14.5%), 222 with ankylosing spondylitis (25.3%), 52 with lupus (5.9%), 64 with psoriasis (7.3%), 61 with obesity (7%), and 195 with type 2 diabetes (22.2%). Characteristics of participating patients were similar to those of the entire cohort (n = 23084). Overall, 47.1% (n = 413/877) of patients knew what the microbiota is with no difference among diseases. Knowledge was reported to be developed by patients themselves (203/413; 49.2%) without involving a healthcare professional. If proposed by a healthcare professional, 37.2% (326/877) reported being interested or very interested in undergoing FMT. Factors associated with good acceptability of FMT were the male sex (OR: 1.63, CI95% [1.14 to 2.32]), previous knowledge of FMT (OR: 4.16, CI95% [2.92 to 5.96]), and previous knowledge of gut microbiota (OR: 1.54, CI95% [1.05 to 2.24]). Conclusion and Inferences Knowledge of gut microbiota is still limited in patients’ communities and mainly developed by patients themselves, impacting FMT acceptability.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Safety of Faecal Microbiota Transplantation in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

“…54 Secondly, the acceptability of FMT has been reported to vary widely by indication, with highest acceptability reported in gastrointestinal disorders such as IBD. 37 As such, participants with gastrointestinal disorders may have been more interested in participating in FMT research. Thirdly, depression is highly comorbid with both IBS 55 and IBD.…”

“…One study surveyed 887 patients in which 50% of patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease stated they would be interested or very interested in undergoing this type of procedure, but this figure was 25% for patients with psoriasis. 37…”

“…One study surveyed 887 patients in which 50% of patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease stated they would be interested or very interested in undergoing this type of procedure, but this figure was 25% for patients with psoriasis. 37 To our knowledge, there are no published controlled studies specifically evaluating the use of FMT for mental illness in humans. Current evidence is limited to uncontrolled open-label studies and case reports.…”

Fecal microbiota transplantation ameliorates bone loss in mice with ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis via modulating gut microbiota and metabolic function

“…Up to now, FMT treatment has been verified to be effective in various intestinal diseases, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and colon cancer. Meanwhile, it also been widely explored and applied in several metabolic and immune diseases, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, and so on [ [25] , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] ]. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is still no evidence of FMT treatment on the PMOP currently, and none is known about its feasibility and effectiveness.…”