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…
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has gained widespread recognition in light of the recent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) epidemic, responsible for almost 110,000 deaths per year. The procedure’s success rate has…
Gut microbiota composition can discriminate between allergic and healthy children, and the distinction may precede clinical manifestations of disease. The mother provides the first inoculum of bacteria, which influences the…
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating condition characterized by diffuse intestinal inflammation and necrosis in preterm infants. It is the most common gastrointestinal emergency in the neonatal intensive care unit…
Gut microbiota constitute a highly complex ecosystem that interacts with the host and profoundly affects gastrointestinal and systemic immunologic functions. Specific microbial patterns are associated with healthy children and adults,…
