Autism Studies and Related Medical Conditions, January 2009 - TACA

207. Fedorak RN, Madsen KL. Probiotics and the management of inflammatory bowel
disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2004 May;10(3):286-99. PMID: 15290926
"The demonstration that immune and epithelial cells can discriminate between different
microbial species has extended our understanding of the actions of probiotics beyond
simple barrier and antimicrobial concepts. Several probiotic mechanisms of action,
relative to inflammatory bowel disease, have been elucidated: (1) competitive
exclusion, whereby probiotics compete with microbial pathogens for a limited number of
receptors present on the surface epithelium; (2) immunomodulation and/or stimulation
of an immune response of gut-associated lymphoid and epithelial cells; (3) antimicrobial
activity and suppression of pathogen growth; (4) enhancement of barrier function; and
(5) induction of T cell apoptosis in the mucosal immune compartment. The unraveling
of these mechanisms of action has led to new support for the use of probiotics in the
management of clinical inflammatory bowel disease. Though level 1 evidence now
supports the therapeutic use of probiotics in the treatment of postoperative pouchitis,
only levels 2 and 3 evidence is currently available in support of the use of probiotics in
the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Nevertheless, one significant and
consistent finding has emerged during the course of research in the past year: not all
probiotic bacteria have similar therapeutic effects. Rigorously designed, controlled
clinical trials are vital to investigate the unresolved issues related to efficacy, dose,
duration of use, single or multi-strain formulation, and the concomitant use of
prebiotics, synbiotics, or antibiotics."
208. Nardone G, Rocco A. Probiotics: a potential target for the prevention and
treatment of steatohepatitis. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2004 Jul;38(6 Suppl):S121-2. PMID:
15220676
"The accumulation of fat in hepatocytes with a necroinflammatory componentsteatohepatitis-that
may or may not have associated fibrosis is becoming a frequent
lesion. Although steatohepatitis is currently recognized to be a leading cause of
cryptogenic cirrhosis, the pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated. Among the
various factors implicated, intestinal bacterial overgrowth may play a role. Indeed,
various rat models of intestinal bacterial overgrowth have been associated with liver
lesions similar to NASH, and bacterial overgrowth has been observed significantly more
often in patients with NASH compared with control subjects. The authors discuss the
relationship among intestinal bacterial overgrowth, steatohepatitis development, and
probiotic treatment."
209. Saggioro A. Probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. J Clin
Gastroenterol. 2004 Jul;38(6 Suppl):S104-6. PMID: 15220671
"Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) may be diagnosed on the presence of symptoms,
according to Rome II criteria and some studies have shown that abnormal colonic
fermentation may be an important factor in the development of symptoms in some
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