Probiotics in gastroenterology.

Recent evidence has suggested the potential therapeutic role for probiotics in the prevention or treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Several studies have shown that probiotics are of benefit in gastrointestinal infections, including viral diarrhea, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, traveler's diarrhea, and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Recent data support the potential beneficial therapeutic effect in inflammatory bowel disease as well. Other possible indications for probiotic treatment include Helicobacter pylori infection, irritable bowel syndrome, and radiotherapy-associated diarrhea. It is important to select well-characterized preparations; in fact, the viability and survival of many available preparations are unproven. More precise information on the mechanisms by which probiotic strains exert their beneficial effects in vivo is needed. This may provide the scientific rationale for the selection of the best probiotic strains to use in the performance of large, double-blind, controlled clinical trials.