Circulating agents cause intestinal secretion or changes in motility with decreased intestinal transit time, resulting in secretory-type diarrhea. Secretory diarrhea as opposed to osmotic diarrhea is characterized by large-volume, watery…
Intestinal microflora can be considered an organ of the body. It has several functions in the human gut, mostly metabolic and immunologic, and constantly interacts with the intestinal mucosa in…
Collagenous and lymphocytic colitis are common causes of chronic watery diarrhea that are characterized by distinct histopathologic abnormalities without endoscopically visible lesions and are summarized as microscopic colitis. Several variants…
The practical diagnostic value of fecal analysis in the evaluation of patients with chronic nonbloody diarrhea is controversial. It is possible that variations in its value depend on how it…
Definitive curative strategies for inflammatory bowel disease remain challenging for physicians and patients. For decades, probiotic organisms have been used in various gastrointestinal diseases. Only recently has comprehension of the…
Clostridium difficile colitis is the most common gastrointestinal infection, exceeding all other gastrointestinal infections combined. There has been a dramatic increase in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) worldwide during the past…
Probiotics have a long record of safety, which relates primarily to lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. Experience with other forms of probiotics is more limited. There is no such thing as zero…
This article describes nucleic acid-based methods to assess the composition and function of the bowel microbiota. The methods range from the relatively simple (polymerase chain reaction) to the technically sophisticated…
Obesity-related disorders derive from a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Recent evidence supports the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and…
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic constipation (CC) are common problems worldwide and are associated with significant impact on activities of daily living and quality of life. Recent interest, in…
