Effects of Exclusive Enteral Nutrition on the Microbiome in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2016-08-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Children with Crohn's disease can be effectively treated by remaining on a single-formula diet for 8 continuous weeks. This dietary therapy is known as "exclusive enteral nutrition" (EEN). It is just as effective as steroid treatment, which is what's traditionally used for the initial treatment of Crohn's disease. It is not clear why EEN is an effective treated. One possibility is that it changes the bacteria in our intestines, which allows the intestine to heal. It is also unclear whether EEN can be used to treat ulcerative colitis, a disease that is very similar to Crohn's disease. The purpose of our research project is to determine whether EEN can be used to treat ulcerative colitis, and understand how the intestinal bacteria changes while on EEN. Investigators will compare the results to patients who have either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, and are receiving standard treatment for their disease (steroids). This is a pilot study, meaning that the goal of this study is to determine whether a larger study is feasible. Investigators will measure patient recruitment rates, whether patients are able to perform the treatment as requested, whether there are any safety concerns, and whether investigators are able to collect the bloodwork and stool samples without difficulty.

• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: McMaster Children's Hospital
• Collaborator: Canadian Association of Gastroenterology
• Treatments: Prednisone

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children 5-18 years old who have been diagnosed with IBD (confirmed by endoscopy, histology and radiography), and are followed by McMaster Children's Hospital's Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

• Patients requiring induction therapy

• Patients already taking 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine or anti-TNF (tissue necrosis factor) therapy (e.g. infliximab)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are in remission (on maintenance therapy).

• Patients who receive new medical therapies (e.g. antibiotics, probiotics) during the study period