Probiotics and prebiotics in Crohn's disease therapies

Abstract

Therapeutic manipulation of gut microbiota has proven valuable in the management of ulcerative colitis and pouchitis. Despite some similarities among the various inflammatory bowel conditions, the probiotics investigated thus far seem to confer little benefit in Crohn's disease. In this review, we aim to bring together the evidence available on the clinical effect of probiotics and prebioltics in Crohn's disease patients, and to clarify the place of probiotic treatment in current Crohn's therapeutic regimens.

Keywords: Bifidobacterium; Crohn's disease; Inflammatory bowel disease; Lactobacillus; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Sacchromyces boullardi; Synbiotics; VSL#3.