Published online Oct 25, 2020. doi: 10.5314/wjd.v8.i2.10
Peer-review started: August 19, 2020
First decision: September 12, 2020
Revised: September 16, 2020
Accepted: September 22, 2020
Article in press: September 22, 2020
Published online: October 25, 2020
Processing time: 64 Days and 15.6 Hours
Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) has quickly become popular in research not only for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections but for other chronic conditions as well. Recent, small dermatologic studies have reported improvements in inflammatory skin conditions in individuals treated with FMT, but larger studies are needed to clarify this possible relationship between the skin and the gut microbiome. We conducted a single-center, retrospective chart review to assess changes in acne, dermatitis herpetiformis and/or celiac disease, eczema, and psoriasis. Due to the retrospective nature of this study and the limitations of the current electronic medical record, we were unable to adequately assess cases of these diseases in relation to FMT. However, this study informs us that improvements in retrospective data are needed to formally evaluate this possible association. The better, but more cumbersome, study design would be a prospective, observational study. We encourage others to pursue further interdepartmental research on the influence of the gut microbiome on inflammatory skin diseases.
Core Tip: Future research investigating fecal microbiota transplant’s potential role in treating dermatologic disease needs to focus on large interdisciplinary prospective studies in order to obtain the information needed for determining an association.