Abstract
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) consist mainly of two forms, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). The occurrence rate of these two diseases in Japan is about 1/5-1/10 of that in the West, however the incidences of UC and CD have been increasing by about 10% per year in Japan. Previously, the pathogenesis of IBD was thought to be autoimmune disease, however, in recent years, intestinal bacteria are believed to be involved in the initiation and perpetuation of IBD. In IBD animal models such as the IL-10 KO mouse and of DSS colitis, probiotics such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria ameliorate or cure the inflammation and it is worth noting that probiotics are therapeutic agents for IBD. In fact, there is mounting evidence that probiotics are effective for UC patients but not for CD patients. This review examines the data of all fully published articles currently available on the role of probiotics in the treatment of IBD.
