REVIEW

Probiotics and inflammatory bowel diseases

A-P Bai, Q Ouyang

Department of Gastroenterology, Huaxi Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor Q Ouyang
Department of Gastroenterology, Huaxi Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China; qin.ouyang{at}163.com

Enteric microflora profiles vary considerably between active inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and healthy conditions. Intestinal microflora may partake in the pathogenesis of IBD by one or some ways: specific pathogenic infection induces abnormal intestinal mucosal inflammation; aberrant microflora components trigger the onset of IBD; abnormal host immune response loses normal immune tolerance to luminal components; luminal antigens permeate through the defective mucosal barrier into mucosal lamina propria and induce abnormal inflammatory response. Preliminary studies suggest that administration of probiotics may be benefit for experimental colitis and clinical trials for IBD. Researches have been studying the function of probiotics. Introduction of probiotics can balance the aberrant enteric microflora in IBD patients, and reinforce the various lines of intestinal defence by inhibiting microbial pathogens growth, increasing intestinal epithelial tight junction and permeability, modulating immune response of intestinal epithelia and mucosal immune cells, secreting antimicrobial products, decomposing luminal pathogenic antigens.

Abbreviations: IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; TLR, toll-like receptor; IL, interleukin

Keywords: inflammatory bowel diseases; probiotics; enteric microflora

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