FIG 1.

Clinical trial timeline, principal-component analysis (PCA), and heat map profile with dendrogram with plasma and fecal samples at different time points. (a) The timeline consists of 10-week microbiota transfer therapy (MTT) and an 8-week follow-up observation period. (b and d) Seventy-three plasma metabolites whose levels were relatively different at baseline between two groups (unadjusted P < 0.05) were included in the PCA and heat map. (c) Distances from the ASD group to TD group were measured by pairwise PERMANOVA. In heat map profiles, the top line indicates diagnosis, with red for ASD and green for TD. The second line indicates time (pink, baseline; green, week 3; orange, week 10; blue, week 18). The colors for each point in the heat maps indicate either higher levels (red) or lower normalized relative intensity (blue). (d) Plasma metabolites in the heat map were clustered when their initial levels at baseline were higher (clusters 1 and 2) or lower (clusters 3, 4, and 5) at baseline and whether they increased/decreased (clusters 1, 3, and 4) or were maintained (clusters 2 and 5) after MTT. Clusters 1, 3, and 4 displayed metabolites whose levels generally became more similar to levels in TD samples after MTT at week 10, whereas metabolites in clusters 2 and 5 did not change significantly after treatment. The plasma metabolites discussed in the text are highlighted (red). (e and f) 26 fecal metabolites whose levels were relatively different at baseline between the two groups (unadjusted P < 0.05) were included in the PCA and heat map.