TABLE 3.
Microbial-based therapeutic interventions in ASD patients.
| Type of trial | Treatments | Findings | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treatments with probiotics/prebiotics/synbiotics in ASD patients | |||
| Case study | S. boulardii | Reduced obsessive compulsive disorder and self-injurious behavior | Kobliner et al. (2018) |
| Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial | Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 + intranasal oxytocin | Improved ASD core socio-behavioral symptoms, clinical global functioning, and gut microbiome dysbiosis | Kong et al. (2021c) |
| Randomized prospective studies | Lactobacillus plantarumPS128 | Increased attention, communication skills, and personal autonomies | Mensi et al. (2021) |
| Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study | Lactobacillus plantarumPS128 | Ameliorated opposition/defiance behaviors | Liu et al. (2019) |
| A prospective, open-label study | Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Bifidobacteria longum | Have beneficial effects on both behavioral and GI manifestations | Shaaban et al. (2018) |
| Double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled trial | Probiotics (De Simone Formulation) | Improve core autism symptoms in the social-affective domain | Santocchi et al. (2020) |
| A randomized controlled trial | Probiotic mixture (Vivomixx®) | Alleviated autistic symptoms | Santocchi et al. (2016) |
| Case study | VSL#3 | Improved autistic core symptoms and GI symptoms | Grossi et al. (2016) |
| A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled | B-GOS® | Improved anti-social behavior and significant increase of Lachnospiraceae family | Grimaldi et al. (2018) |
| A double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study | Probiotics + FOS | Reduced the severity of autism and GI symptoms | Wang et al. (2020b) |
| Randomized, double-blind, crossover clinical trial | BCP + B. infantis | Reduced GI symptoms and aberrant behaviors | Sanctuary et al. (2019) |
| A placebo-controlled pilot trial | VISBIOME (eight probiotic species) | Improved parent-selected target symptoms | Arnold et al. (2019) |
| Multi-center clinical study | ABA training + probiotics (six strains of bacteria) | Decreased ATEC and GI scores | Niu et al. (2019) |
| Open-label study | Probiotic | Decreased levels of total SCFAs and lysozymes | Adams et al. (2011) |
| Open-label trial | Lactobacillus acidophilus (strain Rosell-11) | Improved the ability to concentrate and fulfil orders | Kałużna-Czaplińska and Błaszczyk, (2012) |
| Treatments with antibiotics in the ASD patients | |||
| Case report | Amoxicillin | Improve speech, eye contact, and sleep behaviors and reduced repetitive behaviors | Kuhn et al. (2012) |
| Case reports | Vancomycin | Ameliorated communication and several behavioral defects | Sandler et al. (2020) |
| Treatments with FMT in the ASD patients | |||
| Open-label clinical trial | FMT | Mitigated autism symptoms and GI disorder; reconstructed gut microbiota; and recovered the serum levels of 5-HT, GABA, and DA | Li et al. (2021) |
| Open-label trial | FMT | Driving the metabolic profile of the ASD group similar to the TD group | Kang et al. (2020) |
| Open-label study | FMT | Improved most of GI symptoms and ASD-like symptoms | Kang et al. (2017) |
| Follow-up study | FMT | Maintained the improved most of GI symptoms and ASD-like symptoms | Kang et al. (2019) |
| Open-label, randomized wait-list-controlled trial | FMT | Improved ASD-related symptoms and GI symptoms | Zhao et al. (2019) |
| Treatments with dietary interventions in the ASD patients | |||
| Parallel randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial | Vitamin D | Alleviated CARS and ATEC scales | Javadfar et al. (2020) |
| Randomized clinical trial | Gluten free diet | Improved gastrointestinal symptoms and ASD behaviors | Ghalichi et al. (2016) |