Effects of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation on Inflammatory Markers in Parkinson’s Disease: Exploratory Results from the EFFACE-PD Study
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Kondratowicza 8 St., 03-242 Warsaw, Poland
- 2Chair and Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
- 3Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
- 4Department of Gastroenterology, Masovian Brodnowski Hospital, 03-242 Warsaw, Poland
- 5Department of Hematology, Transplantation and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
- 6Human Biome Institute, 02-234 Warsaw, Poland
Abstract
Inflammation and gut dysbiosis are increasingly recognized as important contributors to the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy aimed at restoring gut microbial balance and modulating inflammatory pathways. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of single fecal microbiota transplantation on systemic and gut-related inflammatory biomarkers in patients with PD. This exploratory analysis was conducted as part of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled EFFACE-PD study. Fifty-nine participants with PD were randomized to receive either donor-derived FMT or placebo. Serum levels of IL-18 and calprotectin were measured using ELISA before intervention and 3 months after the procedure. Ferritin, leukocyte count, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were assessed at baseline and after twelve months. No statistically significant between-group differences in changes in inflammatory biomarker concentrations were observed. Broader inflammatory markers, including ferritin and leukocyte parameters, also did not differ significantly between groups. We conclude that single FMT did not induce significant changes in systemic inflammatory biomarkers in this exploratory cohort of PD patients. Larger studies with standardized inflammatory assessments are needed to clarify the immunomodulatory effects of FMT in PD.
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BibTeX
@article{figura2026effects,
title = {{Effects of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation on Inflammatory Markers in Parkinson’s Disease: Exploratory Results from the EFFACE-PD Study}},
author = {Monika Figura and Weronika Zając and Dagmara Otto-Ślusarczyk and Łukasz Milanowski and Julia Maya Nowak and Aleksandra Antoniak and Mateusz Kopczyński and Karol Sadowski and Łukasz Hołubiuk and Weronika Walęcik-Kot and Stanisław Szlufik and Jarosław Biliński and Marta Struga and Dariusz Koziorowski},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27219924},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9924},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation on Inflammatory Markers in Parkinson’s Disease: Exploratory Results from the EFFACE-PD Study
AU - Monika Figura
AU - Weronika Zając
AU - Dagmara Otto-Ślusarczyk
AU - Łukasz Milanowski
AU - Julia Maya Nowak
AU - Aleksandra Antoniak
AU - Mateusz Kopczyński
AU - Karol Sadowski
AU - Łukasz Hołubiuk
AU - Weronika Walęcik-Kot
AU - Stanisław Szlufik
AU - Jarosław Biliński
AU - Marta Struga
AU - Dariusz Koziorowski
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27219924
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9924
AB - Inflammation and gut dysbiosis are increasingly recognized as important contributors to the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy aimed at restoring gut microbial balance and modulating inflammatory pathways. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of single fecal microbiota transplantation on systemic and gut-related inflammatory biomarkers in patients with PD. This exploratory analysis was conducted as part of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled EFFACE-PD study. Fifty-nine participants with PD were randomized to receive either donor-derived FMT or placebo. Serum levels of IL-18 and calprotectin were measured using ELISA before intervention and 3 months after the procedure. Ferritin, leukocyte count, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were assessed at baseline and after twelve months. No statistically significant between-group differences in changes in inflammatory biomarker concentrations were observed. Broader inflammatory markers, including ferritin and leukocyte parameters, also did not differ significantly between groups. We conclude that single FMT did not induce significant changes in systemic inflammatory biomarkers in this exploratory cohort of PD patients. Larger studies with standardized inflammatory assessments are needed to clarify the immunomodulatory effects of FMT in PD.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -