Effect of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet on the Microbiome of a Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and Ulcerative Colitis Patient.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to investigate fecal microbiome changes and symptom control in a patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD).
Results Summary
The SCD led to substantial fecal microbiome changes within two weeks, including increased Enterobacteriaceae and decreased Fusobacterium ulcerans, while UC symptoms were controlled within one week. Bacterial diversity and evenness improved near healthy control levels, though species richness remained low.
Population
A 20-year-old female with UC and PSC, previously treated with high-dose oral vancomycin.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Two weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) | increase | fecal bacterial composition | patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) | - | substantial changes in the fecal bacterial composition detectable | #1 |
specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) | decrease | UC symptoms | patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) | - | all UC symptoms were also controlled | #2 |
specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) | increase | Enterobacteriaceae, including Escherichia and Enterobacter species | patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) | - | increase in Enterobacteriaceae, including Escherichia and Enterobacter species | #3 |
specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) | decrease | prevalence of the most dominant fecal bacterial species, Fusobacterium ulcerans | patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) | two- to three-fold | two- to three-fold decrease was observed in the prevalence of the most dominant fecal bacterial species, Fusobacterium ulcerans | #4 |
specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) | increase | Overall species diversity and evenness | patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) | levels near the controls | Overall species diversity and evenness increased to levels near the controls | #5 |
specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) | no change | species richness | patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) | low | species richness remained low | #6 |
A 20-year-old female was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) at age 14 and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) at age 16. The PSC was successfully treated with high doses of oral vancomycin; however, the UC was more difficult to manage. After many drug treatments failed to treat the UC, the patient began following the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD). This report documents fecal microbiome changes resulting from following the SCD for two weeks. The DNA extracted from fecal samples was subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing to quantify bacterial species abundance. Not only were substantial changes in the fecal bacterial composition detectable within two weeks, but all UC symptoms were also controlled as early as one week following the start of the diet. The patient's fecal microbiota was dramatically different from those of three healthy control subjects and showed remarkable loss of bacterial diversity in terms of species richness, evenness, and overall diversity measures. Other specific changes in bacterial composition included an increase in Enterobacteriaceae, including Escherichia and Enterobacter species. A two- to three-fold decrease was observed in the prevalence of the most dominant fecal bacterial species, Fusobacterium ulcerans, after two weeks on the SCD. Overall species diversity and evenness increased to levels near the controls, although species richness remained low. These findings provide information on the fecal bacteria from a patient with PSC and UC, following prolonged oral vancomycin treatment, and identifies a potentially specific microbial effect for the SCD.