Microbiota and Probiotic Therapy in Ulcerative Colitis Patients

Evaluation of Microbiota and Probiotic Therapy in Ulcerative Colitis Patients

This study aimed to evaluate the role of microbiota and probiotics in Egyptian patients with ulcerative colitis.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic diseases that significantly affects patients' quality of life and is mainly represented by Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

The microbiome is a key contributor to various fundamental aspects of human health, including host metabolism, infection, and the immune response.

Changes in microbiome composition have been linked to complex multifactorial diseases, e.g., type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver syndrome, as well as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients more than 18 years.
• Patients with ulcerative colitis in remission as assessed by the clinical activity index (CAI) ≤ 4, endoscopic index (EI) ≤ 4, and no signs of acute inflammation on histological examination.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Active ulcerative colitis.
• Cardiac, hepatic, or renal disease.
• Pregnancy.
• History of major colonic surgery.
• Patients with any malignancy.
• Previously taking other probiotics.
• Use of steroids within the last 4 weeks before study entry.
• Use of antibiotics within the last 2 weeks before study entry