ABSTRACT
Clinical trials of probiotics in infl ammatory bowel disease (IBD) provide the proof of concept that modulating the gut microbiota can impact on intestinal infl ammation to variable degrees. There are few clinical trials that demonstrate major clinical benefi ts of probiotics in the setting of active intestinal infl ammation. Benefi ts are however demonstrated in the setting of maintaining remission, once active infl ammation has settled with other treatment modalities, or preventing onset of infl ammation in the case of patients with ileo-anal pouches. New mechanisms by which probiotics exert
1 Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, NganShing Street, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
