title: Management of inflammatory bowel disease: does rifaximin offer any promise?
abstract: An increasing number of both clinical and laboratory-derived observations support the importance of luminal components in driving the inflammatory response in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Although its role is unclear, antibiotic therapy is commonly used in clinical practice for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Metronidazole and/or ciprofloxacin are currently employed in active Crohn's disease, particularly in patients with colonic involvement and with perianal disease. Rifaximin, a rifamycin-derived antibiotic, is characterized by a wide range of antibacterial activity and a very low systemic absorption. Some preliminary data show its efficacy in severe active ulcerative colitis, pouchitis and prevention of postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease.
authors.affiliation: IBD Unit, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, University of Bologna, Italy. paolo@med.unibo.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gionchetti
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rizzello
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morselli
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campieri
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012294:Rifamycins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000078262:Rifaximin
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012294:Rifamycins; D008795:Metronidazole; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D000078262:Rifaximin