Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a multifactorial chronic disorder characterized by various abdominal complaints and a worldwide prevalence of 10% - 20%. Although its etiology and pathophysiology are complex and still not completely understood, aberrations along the microbe-gut-brain axis are known to play a central role. IBS is characterized by interrelated alterations in intestinal barrier function, gut microbe composition, immune activation, afferent sensory signaling and brain activity. Pharmaceutical treatment is generally ineffective and, hence, most therapeutic strategies are based on non-drug approaches. A promising option is the administration of probiotics, in which lactic acid bacteria strains are considered specifically beneficial. This review aims to provide a concise, although comprehensive, overview of the role of lactic acid bacteria in the pathophysiology and treatment of IBS.
Highlights
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has a worldwide prevalence of 10% - 20%
Own preliminary data applying immune fingerprinting of intraepithelial and lamina propria lymphocytes isolated from mucosal biopsies, show that patients suffering from IBS after an episode of infectious gastroenteritis display an altered composition of immune cells compared to healthy controls
This review aims to provide a concise, comprehensive, overview of the role of lactic acid bacteria in the pathophysiology and treatment of IBS, based on the paradigm that aberrant microbe-gut-brain interactions play a pivotal role in IBS
Summary
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has a worldwide prevalence of 10% - 20%. It strongly affects the patients’ quality of life and causes substantial economic costs due to the need for medical consultation and work absenteeism [1,2]. IBS is a multifactorial disease, and both etiology and pathophysiology are complex and still not completely understood. It is, well accepted that a dysregulation of the microbe-gut-brain axis plays a profound role. Mild immune activation has been found both locally in the gut as well as systemically [5], and mucosal biopsies from IBS patients are characterized by an increased quantity of various immune-associated cells, including mast cells [6,7,8]. This review aims to provide a concise, comprehensive, overview of the role of lactic acid bacteria in the pathophysiology and treatment of IBS, based on the paradigm that aberrant microbe-gut-brain interactions play a pivotal role in IBS
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