- 1. Pseudomembranous colitis
- 2. Inflammatory bowel disease
- 3. Irritable bowel syndrome
- 4. Obesity and other changes in metabolism
- 5. Autism
- 6. Neurological diseases
- Other possible uses
- How the transplant is done
Stool transplantation is a form of treatment that allows the transfer of feces from a healthy person to another person with diseases related to the intestine, especially in cases of pseudomembranous colitis, caused by infection by bacteria Clostridium difficile, and by inflammatory bowel disease, such as the disease Crohn's disease, being also a promise in the treatment of other diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, obesity and even autism, for example.
The purpose of fecal transplantation is to regulate the intestinal microbiota, which is the collection of innumerable bacteria that live naturally in the intestine. It is important that this microbiota is healthy, through a diet rich in fiber and avoiding the use of antibiotics unnecessarily, since it influences not only intestinal health, but can have effects on the development of immune, metabolic and neurological diseases.
Find out what are the causes and how to avoid this imbalance in the intestinal flora in Intestinal dysbiosis.
In Brazil, the first record of fecal transplantation was performed in 2013, at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, in São Paulo. Since then, it has been shown, more and more, that fecal transplantation can be useful for the treatment of several diseases, such as:
1. Pseudomembranous colitis
It is the main indication for fecal transplantation, being characterized by inflammation and infection of the intestine by the bacterium Clostridium difficile , which mainly infects people hospitalized using antibiotics, since it takes advantage of the elimination of healthy intestinal bacteria to settle.
The main symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis are fever, abdominal pain and persistent diarrhea, and its treatment is usually done with antibiotics such as Metronidazole or Vancomycin. However, in cases where the bacteria is resistant, fecal transplantation is proven to be effective in quickly rebalancing the intestinal flora and eliminating the infection.
Find out more details about the diagnosis and treatment of pseudomembranous colitis.
2. Inflammatory bowel disease
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the main forms of inflammatory bowel disease, and although it is not known exactly what causes them, it is known that, in addition to the influence of the immune system, there may be action of unhealthy bacteria in the intestine for the development of these diseases.
Thus, performing stool transplants can be effective to improve or even cause total remission of Crohn's disease, especially in severe or difficult-to-treat cases.
3. Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome seems to have several causes, such as changes in the intestinal nervous system, food sensitivity, genetics and psychological status, however, it has been shown that, more and more, the intestinal flora influences its presence.
Thus, some current tests have shown that fecal transplantation is very promising for an effective treatment of this syndrome, although further tests are still needed to confirm the possibility of a cure.
4. Obesity and other changes in metabolism
It is known that the intestinal flora may be altered in obese people, and there are indications that these bacteria modify the way the body uses energy from food, and, therefore, it is possible that this may be one of the causes of the difficulty to lose weight.
Thus, studies have observed that it may be possible to treat, with fecal transplantation, both obesity and other alterations that determine the metabolic syndrome, such as arterial hypertension, insulin resistance, increased glycemia, cholesterol and high triglycerides, however, more are still needed studies to prove how this treatment should be and for whom it is indicated.
In addition, it should be remembered that a diet rich in sugar and fat, and low in fiber, is one of the main causes of dysregulation of intestinal flora and the survival of harmful bacteria, and, therefore, there is no point in having a fecal transplant if there is no diet that favors the survival of good bacteria.
5. Autism
It was observed, in a scientific study, that patients with autism who received fecal transplant had an improvement in symptoms, however, further studies are still needed to conclude that there is really a connection and an influence of this procedure for the treatment of autism.
6. Neurological diseases
Another promising function of fecal transplantation is the possibility of treating and reducing the symptoms of neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, myoclonic dystonia and Parkinson's disease, as there has been an important link between the intestinal flora and the immune and brain functions.
Other possible uses
In addition to the aforementioned diseases, fecal transplantation has been studied in the treatment and control of other diseases, such as chronic hepatitis, hepatic encephalopathy, immune hematological diseases, such as thrombocytopenic purpura, and in the treatment of generalized infections caused by resistant bacteria.
Thus, although fecal therapy has been carried out for many years in medicine, discoveries of its real potential for health are still recent, and it is necessary that medical studies still prove all these promises.
How the transplant is done
Fecal transplantation is done by introducing the donor's healthy feces into the patient. For this, it is necessary to collect about 50 g of feces from the donor, which must be analyzed to make sure that they do not have the Clostridium difficile bacteria or other parasites.
Then, the feces are diluted in saline and placed in the patient's intestine, through a nasogastric tube, rectal enema, endoscopy or colonoscopy, and one or more doses may be necessary, depending on the disease treated and the severity of intestinal inflammation.
The procedure is usually quick and you don't feel any pain or discomfort.
