Treatment of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection

Gut microbiota and its roles in the pathogenesis and therapy of endocrine system diseases

A new field of microbial research is the relationship between microorganisms and multicellular hosts. It is known that gut microbes can cause various endocrine system diseases, such as diabetes and thyroid disease. Changes in the composition or structure and the metabolites of gut microbes may cause gastrointestinal disorders, including ulcers or intestinal perforation and other inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In recent years, reports on the interactions between intestinal microorganisms and endocrine system diseases have been increasingly documented. In the meantime, the treatment based on gut microbiome has also been paid much attention. For example, fecal microbiota transplantation is found to have a therapeutic effect on many diseases. As such, understanding the gut microbiota-endocrine system interactions is of great significance for the theranostic of endocrine system diseases. Herein, we summarize the relations of gut microbiome with endocrine system diseases, and discuss the potentials of regulating gut microbiome in treating those diseases. In addition, the concerns and possible solutions regarding the gut microbiome-based therapy are discussed.

Updates in Treatment of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection

Recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a perpetual problem that leads to increased economic burden, higher healthcare cost, and significant morbidity and mortality. Its treatment remains a challenge. While various treatment approaches have been attempted with different levels of success, robust data establishing the superiority of one approach over the others is lacking. In this article, we review the current evidence pertaining to conventional pharmacological treatment as well as fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a novel, rapidly emerging treatment modality for recurrent CDI.