SynthesisWorld journal of gastroenterology2023
Fecal microbiota transplantation for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in World journal of gastroenterology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- Feasibility and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation in adolescents with refractory irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized clinical pilot trial.Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition · 2026Trial
- Cross-kingdom microbial associations characterize responsiveness to fecal microbiota transplantation in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Article
- Towards a Standard Protocol for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility · 2026Review
- Article
- Similar Symptoms, Distinct Syndromes: Multi-modal Approach to the Patient with an IBD-IBS Overlap.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2026Review
- Commentary: Characterization of gut microbiota and metabolites in individuals with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Article
- Research progress concerning the involvement of the intestinal microbiota in the occurrence and development of inflammatory bowel disease.World journal of gastroenterology · 2025Review
- Ultra-Processed Foods, Gut Microbiota, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Critical Review of Emerging Evidence.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Gut microbiota development across the lifespan: Disease links and health-promoting interventions.Journal of internal medicine · 2025Review
- Review
- Microbiome characterization of patients with Crohn disease and the use of fecal microbiota transplantation: A review.Medicine · 2025Review
- Resolution of long-term severe irritable bowel syndrome following fecal microbiota transplantation: A case report and microbiota analysis.Gut microbes reports · 2025Article
- Fecal microbiota transplantation: current challenges and future landscapes.Clinical microbiology reviews · 2024Review
- The impact of the microbiota-gut-brain axis on endometriosis-associated symptoms: mechanisms and opportunities for personalised management strategies.Reproduction & fertility · 2024Article
- Fecal microbiota transplantation for irritable bowel syndrome: Current evidence and perspectives.World journal of gastroenterology · 2024Article
- Unmet needs of drugs for irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel diseases: interest of vagus nerve stimulation and hypnosis.Inflammopharmacology · 2024Review
- Perspective: on the future of fecal microbiota transplantation.Frontiers in microbiology · 2024Article
- Safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a modern adjuvant therapy in various diseases and disorders: a comprehensive literature review.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Review
- Evaluating the Potential of Casein Glycomacropeptide in Adult Irritable Bowel Syndrome Management: A Pilot Study.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 8 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorder in developed countries and reduces patients' quality of life, hinders their ability to work, and increases health care costs. A growing number of trials have demonstrated an aberrant gut microbiota composition in IBS, also known as 'gut dysbiosis'. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been suggested as a treatment for IBS.
aimTo assess the efficacy and safety of FMT for the treatment of IBS.
methodsWe searched Cochrane Central, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science up to 24 October 2022 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effectiveness of FMT compared to placebo (including autologous FMT) in treating IBS. The primary outcome was the number of patients with improvements of symptoms measured using a validated, global IBS symptoms score. Secondary outcomes were changes in quality-of-life scores, non-serious and serious adverse events. Risk ratios (RR) and corresponding 95%CI were calculated for dichotomous outcomes, as were the mean differences (MD) and 95%CI for continuous outcomes. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the quality of the trials. GRADE criteria were used to assess the overall quality of the evidence.
resultsEight RCTs (484 participants) were included in the review. FMT resulted in no significant benefit in IBS symptoms three months after treatment compared to placebo (RR 1.19, 95%CI: 0.68-2.10). Adverse events were reported in 97 participants in the FMT group and in 45 participants in the placebo group (RR 1.17, 95%CI: 0.63-2.15). One serious adverse event occurred in the FMT group and two in the placebo group (RR 0.42, 95%CI: 0.07-2.60). Endoscopic FMT delivery resulted in a significant improvement in symptoms, while capsules did not. FMT did not improve the quality of life of IBS patients but, instead, appeared to reduce it, albeit non significantly (MD -6.30, 95%CI: -13.39-0.79). The overall quality of the evidence was low due to moderate-high inconsistency, the small number of patients in the studies, and imprecision.
conclusionWe found insufficient evidence to support or refute the use of FMT for IBS. Larger trials are needed.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.