Role of the intestinal microbiota in IBS
- Several studies have suggested that some differences exist in the intestinal microflora of IBS patients compared with healthy individuals.
- Using conventional microbiologic techniques, fecal microfloras of IBS patients have been shown to have higher numbers of facultative organisms, such as Klebsiella species and enterococci, and lower numbers of Enterobacteriaceae, lactobacilli, and bifidobacteria .
- Using more sophisticated DNA techniques, investigators have shown significant differences between IBS patients and controls for several bacterial genera, including Coprococcus, Collinsella, and Coprobacillus .
- In addition, IBS-D and IBS-C also appear to have distinct microbial populations.