title: Probiotics.
abstract: Ample research has described multiple biological activities of probiotics in animals and in humans. Probiotics interfere with local and systemic immune reactions and thus exert an influence on the barrier function of the intestinal mucosa. Therefore, attempting inflammatory bowel disease treatment with probiotics seems reasonable. In fact, a growing number of trials have studied the therapeutic effects in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Promising results have been found and in some, indications such as maintenance of remission of ulcerative colitis and pouchitis guidelines recommend therapy with probiotics already today. However, many open questions still remain and the urgent need for high-quality trials requires much more research in the future.
authors.affiliation: Evangelisches Krankenhaus Kalk, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kruis
mesh_terms: D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D019449:Pouchitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012074:Remission Induction