Background and Aims: There is a high prevalence of gastrointestinal-related (GI) symptoms among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is associated with the severity of behavioral symptoms. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a proposed therapeutic strategy that aims to address the dysregulation of the gut microbiome among children with ASD. Our study performed the first systematic review aimed to evaluate the benefits of FMT on the behavioral and gastrointestinal symptoms of pediatric patients with autism. Methods: A literature search was performed using variations of the keywords “pediatrics” and “fecal microbiota transplantation” in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Web of Science from inception to 30 June 2022. Four studies that met the eligibility criteria were included in the systematic review. The efficacy of FMT on behavioral symptoms was measured by the difference in Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Child Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores before and after FMT. Results: We found a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.05) in ABC and CARS scores following FMT, with a statistically significant decrease in scores observed across all studies. In addition, substantial improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms were observed across all studies. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that FMT may offer a promising intervention for treating both behavioral and gastrointestinal symptoms in pediatric patients with autism.
9 March 2024 in Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology
Purpose of Review: Hepatitis B (HBV) remains a health threat around the world. Hepatitis C is closer to meeting the World Health Organization’s 2030 elimination goal compared to HBV. To achieve a successful micro-elimination and macro-elimination, there are certain objectives that need to be met. Recent Findings: HBV infects more than 262 million people worldwide and is associated with significant morbidity and increased mortality. There have been previous HBV and hepatitis C virus micro-elimination trials with varying success. Micro-elimination programs should be designed to move services forward with a plethora of avenues for monitoring, testing, and treatment. Summary: Ultimately, successful and maintained micro-elimination is needed to achieve macro-elimination of HBV. Here, we propose 5 core tenets of micro-elimination that can be expanded to macro-elimination; these 5-line guidelines provide for 5 pillars of HBV management that support a path to a successful global elimination of HBV.