Objectives: The aim of the study was to review the principal effects of probiotics on pouchitis and identify their mechanisms of action.
Methods: The study was based on a review of all relevant studies published in the literature on the effects of probiotics in pouchitis and their possible mechanisms of action.
Results: Pouchitis is the major long-term complication after ileal pouch anal anstomosis for ulcerative colitis. The cause is still unknown but is likely to be multifactorial. An imbalance in the usual fecal flora was recently suggested. Most patients with symptoms of pouchitis respond promptly to antibiotics. However, 5-10% of them develop rapidly relapsing symptoms that required protacted therapy. Porbiotics are living microorganisms that ingested in adequate amounts exert beneficial effects. Promising results have been obtained with probiotics mainly in maintenance of remission of chronic pouchitis and also as induction of remission.
Conclusion: These results suggest that restoring the microbial imbalance may offer an effective therapeutic alternative to patients with pouchitis.