title: Almost all irritable bowel syndromes are post-infectious and respond to probiotics: consensus issues.
abstract: Several reports have described post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (Pi-IBS), while many animal and human studies have shown the presence of increased infiltration of inflammatory cells and hyperplasia of enterochromaffin cells in the intestinal mucosa after acute gastroenteritis. The potential value of probiotic bacteria in restoring normal gut function has been demonstrated by animal models of Pi-IBS. In humans, Pi-IBS can be prevented utilizing probiotics to reduce the duration of acute gastroenteritis, despite the variable efficacy shown in randomized control trials evaluating unspecified IBS. Here, advances in the pathophysiology supporting the post-infectious hypothesis are considered. In addition, the current role of probiotics in the management of Pi-IBS is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterological Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. rcuomo@unina.it
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cuomo
authors.forename: Maria Flavia
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Savarese
authors.forename: Rosalba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gargano
mesh_terms: D032921:Consensus; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012307:Risk Factors