The survival and colonic adhesion of Bifidobacterium infantis in patients with ulcerative colitis

Abstract

While evidence of the beneficial effects of probiotics on acute intestinal disorders has been accumulating during recent years, there have been few studies on the use of probiotics in chronic diseases of the digestive tract. Since colonisation of the gut and adhesion to the intestinal mucosa have been considered as essential in probiotic action, a study with a prospective probiotic strain, Bifidobacterium infantis UCC35624, was performed with seven volunteer ulcerative colitis patients. The volunteers consumed a fermented milk product containing the strain for 5–7 days before colonoscopy. Faecal analysis demonstrated that the strain had established itself in the colon, reaching levels of 10 5 –10 8 cfu g −1 , depending on the individual. The strain could also be recovered from biopsies (especially from those specimens obtained from the transverse and descending part of the colon). The study provides preliminary data which support the necessity for an actual therapy trial.