Page 11 - Introduction to FMT

FMT Introduction

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is a thyroid autoimmune disorder, and a series of studies have been
implemented to explore the link between gut micro-organisms and HT[92-95]. Although no data on gut
microbiota composition are available in HT, increased intestinal permeability was detected in patients
with HT[96]. The onset of HT is associated with Yersinia enterocolitica, though conflicting data has also
been presented[92,95]. Further work is required to test the hypothesis that the gut microbiota is an
epigenetic factor for triggering HT, and thereby determine whether FMT is favorable for managing the
illness.

The prevalence of allergic diseases has been increasing in modern society over the past 50 years. To
date, there are two hypotheses for the allergy pandemic[97]: the hygiene hypothesis[98] and the
microbiota hypothesis[99]. The latter hypothesis suggests that the disruption of intestinal microbiota
drives the emergence of allergy. A wealth of studies regarding the relationship between allergic diseases
and microbiota has been conducted in both humans and mice. In the model of allergic airway
inflammation induced by ovalbumin/alum, GF mice develop more severe allergic disease than
conventional mice[100,101]. Moreover, accumulating evidence has suggested early-life antibiotic
exposure is involved in the development of atopy, such as allergic asthma and food allergies, with an
altered composition of intestinal microbiota possibly being involved[102,103]. Though probiotic strategies
have shown some promise in animal models in preventing asthma development[104,105], it has had little
success in humans[106,107]. The use of FMT seems promising in restoring immune homeostasis by
transferring a complex community of bacteria which is more stable and harbors a greater ability to
colonize[97].

FMT Introduction