(1999-Gionchetti)Review–Antibiotic treatment in inflammatory bowel disease rifaximin, a new possi.pdfVIP

European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences 1999; 3: 27-30 Review – Antibiotic treatment in inflammatory bowel disease: rifaximin, a new possible approach * ** P. GIONCHETTI, F. RIZZELLO, A. VENTURI, F. UGOLINI , M. ROSSI , ** *** * P. BRIGIDI , R. JOHANSSON, A. FERRIERI , G. POGGIOLI , M. CAMPIERI Clinica Medica I, Nuove Patologie, Bologna University (Italy) *Istituto di Clinica Chirurgica II, Bologna University (Italy) **Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Bologna University (Italy) ***Direzione Medica Alfa Wassermann, Bologna (Italy) Abstract. – The etiology of inflammatory ported the presence of a breakdown of toler- disease is still unknown, but a body of evidence ance to the normal commensal intestinal flora from clinical and experimental observation indi- in active IBD2-3 . Reduction of microflora by cates a role for intestinal microflora in the antibiotics, bowel rest and fecal diversion de- pathogenesis of this disease. Reduction of mi- croflora using antibiotics, bowel rest and fecal creases inflammatory activity in Crohn’s dis- diversion decreases activity in Crohn’s disease ease and to a lesser extent in ulcerative colitis and in ulcerative colitis. Several trials have been (UC). The pathogenetic role of intestinal mi- carried out on the use of antibiotic treatment in croflora is further suggested by the observa- patients with active ulcerative colitis with con- tion that experimental colitis, in germ-free or trasting results. A number of trials have been antibiotic treated animals, is less severe com- carried out using Rifaximin, a n