Beneficial Effects of Repeated Washed Microbiota Transplantation in Children With Autism

Zhao-Yu Pan; Hao-Jie Zhong; Dong-Ni Huang; Li-Hao Wu; Xing-Xiang He

doi:10.3389/fped.2022.928785

Beneficial Effects of Repeated Washed Microbiota Transplantation in Children With Autism

Front Pediatr. 2022 Jun 16:10:928785. doi: 10.3389/fped.2022.928785. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Zhao-Yu Pan^{1

2}, Hao-Jie Zhong^{1

2

3}, Dong-Ni Huang^{1

2}, Li-Hao Wu^{1

2}, Xing-Xiang He^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
² Research Center for Engineering Techniques of Microbiota-Targeted Therapies of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China.
³ School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

Objective: While fecal microbiota transplantation is demonstrated to improve symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it remains unclear whether additional treatment courses yield better results. This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of repeated washed microbiota transplantation (WMT) in children with ASD.

Methods: Retrospective data from children who were serially treated with WMT, including ASD symptoms, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, and white blood cell (WBC) and globulin levels were obtained. The effect of WMT on children with ASD and whether additional WMT courses led to a further improvement in symptoms were assessed.

Results: Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), Childhood Autism Rating Scale, and Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) scores, the proportion of children with constipation and abnormal fecal forms, and WBC and globulin levels were all significantly lower in ASD children after WMT. More WMT treatment courses led to significantly lower scores on the ABC and SDSC.

Conclusion: WMT significantly improved ASD and GI symptoms and sleep disorders in children with ASD, and reduced systemic inflammation. Additional WMT courses led to more obvious improvements in ASD symptoms within three treatment courses.

Keywords: autism; clinical efficacy; gastrointestinal symptoms; sleep disorders; treatment course; washed microbiota transplantation.