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Personalised azithromycin+metronidazole (PAZAZ), in combination with standard induction therapy, to achieve a faecal microbiome community structure and metagenome changes associated with sustained remission in paediatric Crohn's disease (CD): protocol of a pilot study

Verburgt CM, Dunn KA, Otley A, Heyman MB, Verstraete S, Sunseri W, Sylvester F, de Meij T et al.

BMJ open, 2023

20 participants · 2 citations

Abstract

Introduction: Early relapse in Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with a more severe disease course. The microbiome plays a crucial role, yet strategies targeting the microbiome are underrepresented in current guidelines. We hypothesise that early manipulation of the microbiome will improve clinical response to standard-of-care (SOC) induction therapy in patients with a relapse-associated microbiome profile. We describe the protocol of a pilot study assessing feasibility of treatment allocation based on baseline faecal microbiome profiles.

Methods and analysis: This is a 52-week, multicentre, randomised, controlled, open-label, add-on pilot study to test the feasibility of a larger multicontinent trial evaluating the efficacy of adjuvant antibiotic therapy in 20 paediatric patients with mild-to-moderate-CD (10<PCDAI≤37.5; PCDAI, Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index). SOC induction treatment will be Crohn's Disease Exclusion Diet+Partial Enteral Nutrition (CDED+PEN). Relapse-associated microbiome signatures will be evaluated using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and a previously generated Bayesian predictive model (BioMiCo) based on baseline stool. At week 4, patients in remission with relapse-associated signatures (group A) will be randomised to CDED+antibiotics (A2) or CDED+PEN alone (A1). Patients in remission without this signature will continue CDED+PEN alone (B). Patients not in remission will receive CDED+antibiotics regardless of their microbiome signature (C). Subjects…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 20 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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