Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common gastrointestinal condition, affecting 10% to 20% of adults in developed countries. Over the last few years, growing evidence has supported a new hypothesis for IBS based on alterations in intestinal bacterial composition. This article reviews the evidence for a bacterial concept in IBS and begins to formulate a hypothesis of how these bacterial systems could integrate in a new pathophysiologic mechanism in the development of IBS. Data suggesting an interaction between this gut flora and inflammation in the context of IBS is also presented.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
MeSH terms
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Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
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Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
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Enterobacteriaceae / growth & development
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Gastroenteritis / complications
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Gastroenteritis / microbiology
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Gastrointestinal Tract / microbiology
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Gastrointestinal Tract / physiopathology
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Humans
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Inflammation / drug therapy
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Inflammation / immunology
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Inflammation / microbiology*
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Inflammation / physiopathology*
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Intestinal Mucosa / immunology
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Intestinal Mucosa / microbiology*
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Intestinal Mucosa / physiopathology*
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome / drug therapy
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome / immunology
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome / microbiology*
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome / physiopathology*
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Methane / metabolism
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Microbial Consortia / physiology
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Probiotics / therapeutic use
Substances
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Anti-Bacterial Agents
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Anti-Inflammatory Agents
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Methane