Donor program for fecal microbiota transplantation: A 3-year experience of a large-volume Italian stool bank.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Due to the increasing rise of C. difficile infection, stool banks and donor programs have been launched to grant access to fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Our aim is to describe characteristics and outcomes of the donor program at our stool bank.

METHODS:

Donor candidates underwent a four-step selection process, including a clinical interview, blood and stool testing, a further questionnaire and a direct stool testing the day of each donation. From March 2020, specific changes to this process were introduced to avoid the potential transmission of COVID-19. We evaluated the rate of excluded candidates at each step of the screening, as well as the number of total fecal aliquots provided by qualified donors.

RESULTS:

Overall, 114 donor candidates were evaluated. Seventy-five candidates declined to join the program for logistic or personal issues, three were excluded after the questionnaire and seven for positive stool exams. Finally, 29 (25%) subjects qualified as stool donors, and provided 70 stool samples. Fifteen samples were excluded after direct molecular stool testing. A total of 127 aliquots was finally obtained.

CONCLUSIONS:

Donor recruitment for FMT is a challenging process, and only a small rate of candidates are eligible as donors.

• Authors: Gianluca Ianiro, Serena Porcari, Stefano Bibbò, Federica Giambò, Gianluca Quaranta, Luca Masucci, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Antonio Gasbarrini, Giovanni Cammarota
• Journal: Digestive and liver disease : official journal of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (Dig Liver Dis) Vol. 53 Issue 11 Pg. 1428-1432 (11 2021) ISSN: 1878-3562 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 34030988 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Observational Study)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Topics

• Adult
• Biological Specimen Banks (organization & administration, statistics & numerical data)
• Donor Selection (methods, organization & administration, statistics & numerical data)
• Fecal Microbiota Transplantation
• Feces (microbiology)
• Female
• Humans
• Infection Control (methods)
• Italy
• Male
• Program Evaluation
• Prospective Studies