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Possible Role of Butyric Acid in Long-Term Symptom Relief in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients Following Fecal
Magdy El-Salhy1,2, Jørgen Valeur3,4, Ingeborg Brønstad1,2
1Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Background:
We previously found that the fecal levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) changed in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients at 1 month and 1 year after fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). This study analyzed SCFAs at 2 and 3 years after FMT in the same IBS patients included in those previous studies.
Methods:
This study randomized 113 IBS patients into placebo, 30-g, and 60-g groups, who received FMT with 30 g of their own feces and with 30 g and 60 g of the donor's feces, respectively. The patients completed four questionnaires to assess IBS symptoms, fatigue, and quality of life, and supplied fecal samples at the baseline and at 2 and 3 years after FMT. The fecal SCFA levels were measured using gas chromatography.
Results:
The butyric acid level was significantly increased at 2 and 3 years after FMT in the 30-g and 60-g groups, and was significantly higher than that in the placebo group. The total SCFA and acetic acid levels decreased significantly in the 30-g and 60-g groups at 2 and 3 years after FMT, while the propionic acid level decreased in the 60-g group at both time points. The butyric acid level was inversely correlated with IBS symptoms and fatigue.
Conclusion And Inferences:
The increased butyric acid levels in IBS patients at 2 and 3 years after FMT and their inverse correlation with both IBS symptoms and fatigue suggest that butyric acid contributes to the long-term improvement seen after FMT (www.
Clinicaltrials:
gov: NCT03822299).
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