Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

NCT ID: NCT06290258

Last Updated: 2024-08-22

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE1/PHASE2

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-03-06

Study Completion Date

2027-07-31

Brief Summary

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This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation on the gastrointestinal symptoms, autistic symptoms and emotional behavior symptoms of patients with autism spectrum disorder, and investigate the relations between the brain-gut axis, cytokines and autism spectrum disorder. Fecal microbiota transplantation have the potentials to improve intestinal microbiota composition, regulate immunity, and then improve gastrointestinal symptoms, autistic symptoms, emotional behavior symptoms and sleep of children with autism spectrum disorder. Early intervention at school-age may even benefit development, improve cognition and prognosis.

Detailed Description

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early neuropsychiatric developmental disorder. About 7-90% of patients with ASD have gastrointestinal problems which can relate to abnormal intestinal microbiota. The brain-gut axis can play a key role in the development of brain, and the interaction between microbiota and central nerve system can relate to the pathophysiology of ASD. Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) has just been used in the treatment of ASD in recent years. It has the potential to improve gastrointestinal, autistic, emotion and behavior symptoms of patients with ASD. Studies of its efficacy are still scarce, and no study has been conducted in Taiwan.

The purpose of this study is to treat patients with ASD by the fecal microbiota transplantation and evaluate its efficacy in gastrointestinal, autistic, emotion and behavior symptoms. It aims to prove the correlations between the brain-gut axis, intestinal microbiota, cytokines and ASD. FMT may improve and change the composition and diversity of intestinal microbiota of patients with ASD and modulate their immune reactions and subsequently improve gastrointestinal, autistic, emotion and behavior symptoms, as well as sleep. Early intervention by FMT in children with ASD may improve their cognition and hence result in better prognosis.

Study design: The investigators will recruit 45 patients with ASD and gastrointestinal problems, aged 6-30 years, who are willing to receive FMT and 1-year regular follow-up. The investigators will collect demographic data, blood and stool samples before and after the intervention, and analyze changes of intestinal microbiota and cytokines. The investigators will use subjective questionnaires to evaluate gastrointestinal, autistic, emotion and behavior symptoms, and objective measurements including actigraphy, intelligence and attention tests to evaluate changes in sleep and cognitive functions. The investigators will analyze the correlations between collected variables and compare the ASD group with the healthy control group at baseline to evaluate group differences. The investigators will evaluate the differences of the intervention group before and after FMT, and also compare the intervention group with the waiting list group, to evaluate the efficacy of FMT. Variables will be presented by mean and percentage. The investigators will use independent sample t-test or Chi-squared test for group comparison. The efficacy of FMT will be analyzed by dependent sample t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and the investigators will use Pearson correlation coefficient to analyze the correlations between variables.

Conditions

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Autism Spectrum Disorder Gastrointestinal Diseases Healthy

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Fecal microbiota transplantation

Children with autism spectrum disorder will receive fecal microbiota transplantation after evaluation. After the first intervention, the second transplantation will be arranged 6 months later.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Fecal microbiota transplantation

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Fecal microbiota transplantation has been applied to patients with autism spectrum disorder in recent years. Fecal microbiota of healthy donors can be transplanted to patients through colonoscopy. Before donation, donors were comprehensively screened to rule out gastrointestinal symptoms and infections. Patients will receive colon preparation before transplantation. After the intervention, patients will have to stay in bed and be monitored for 24 hours to assure safety.

Interventions

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Fecal microbiota transplantation

Fecal microbiota transplantation has been applied to patients with autism spectrum disorder in recent years. Fecal microbiota of healthy donors can be transplanted to patients through colonoscopy. Before donation, donors were comprehensively screened to rule out gastrointestinal symptoms and infections. Patients will receive colon preparation before transplantation. After the intervention, patients will have to stay in bed and be monitored for 24 hours to assure safety.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Diagnosed by a child psychiatrist in line with DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder
* Combined with gastrointestinal problems, any Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale score≧3.
* Age is between 7-30.
* Participants who are willing to participate in the study and sign the informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

* Cases where clinical assessment cannot cooperate with fecal microbiota transplantation and examination.
* Cases requiring antibiotics within 3 months before or after acceptance because of their physiological condition.
* Cases requiring long-term use of proton pump inhibitors due to their physiological conditions.
* Severe physical diseases, such as acute gastrointestinal diseases, severe malnutrition or underweight, immunodeficiency diseases, severe allergies or autoimmune diseases, brain injuries or severe organic brain diseases, will affect the evaluation of treatment results.
* Severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc.
* Those who used probiotics one month before the case may affect the intestinal flora.
* Pregnancy.
* Cases that cannot understand the content of this research.
* Participants who are unwilling to participate in the study or refuse to sign the informed consent.
* Participants who are not suitable to include in this study, evaluate by PI or Co-PI.
Minimum Eligible Age

7 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

30 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Wei-Chih Chin

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Chang Gung Medical Foundation

Locations

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Wei-Chih Chin

Taoyuan, , Taiwan

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Taiwan

Central Contacts

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Wei-Chih Chin

Role: CONTACT

+886 3 3281200 ext. 3836

Facility Contacts

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Wei-Chih Chin

Role: primary

+886 3 3281200 ext. 3836

References

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Adams JB, Johansen LJ, Powell LD, Quig D, Rubin RA. Gastrointestinal flora and gastrointestinal status in children with autism--comparisons to typical children and correlation with autism severity. BMC Gastroenterol. 2011 Mar 16;11:22. doi: 10.1186/1471-230X-11-22.

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Alharthi A, Alhazmi S, Alburae N, Bahieldin A. The Human Gut Microbiome as a Potential Factor in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jan 25;23(3):1363. doi: 10.3390/ijms23031363.

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Ashwood P, Krakowiak P, Hertz-Picciotto I, Hansen R, Pessah I, Van de Water J. Elevated plasma cytokines in autism spectrum disorders provide evidence of immune dysfunction and are associated with impaired behavioral outcome. Brain Behav Immun. 2011 Jan;25(1):40-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2010.08.003. Epub 2010 Aug 10.

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Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Li N, Chen H, Cheng Y, Xu F, Ruan G, Ying S, Tang W, Chen L, Chen M, Lv L, Ping Y, Chen D, Wei Y. Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Relieves Gastrointestinal and Autism Symptoms by Improving the Gut Microbiota in an Open-Label Study. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2021 Oct 19;11:759435. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.759435. eCollection 2021.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Reference Type BACKGROUND
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Other Identifiers

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202202143A0

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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