title: Probiotics and immune regulation of inflammatory bowel diseases.
abstract: Intestinal microflora play an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Certain probiotic bacteria provide beneficial effects for human health and intervention of IBD. Possible mechanisms underlying these effects are diverse and include many aspects of the interaction of the host with its commensal microflora, with immunological and non-immunological effects. This review paper will focus on the recent progress in the use of probiotics in the treatment of IBD, and discuss the potential immunological mechanisms underlying their effects, such as the modulation of mucosal T cell, B cell, epithelial cell, dendrtic cell, macrophage, nature killer cell, antibody, and cytokine responses.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0007, USA. ycong@uab.edu
authors.forename: Yingzi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Konrad
authors.forename: Nuzhat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Charles O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Elson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*