Determination of Probiotics Prescription Indications in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Materials of the Expert Council and Literature Review)

Abstract

Aim. To review the main indications for probiotics prescription in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and to present the materials of an Expert Council, which was held on 18 March 2022 in Moscow.Key points. Gut microbiota disturbance is an integral part of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) pathogenesis. Changes of colonic microbiota composition are associated with its functional potential modification, which leads to an increasing of the pro-inflammatory immune response, as well as to an exacerbation of the disease symptoms and quality of life decreasing in patients with IBS. The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is an independent risk factor for both exacerbation and onset of IBS, which predispose to increase IBS incidence. Correction of gut microbiota composition with probiotics seems to be a promising therapeutic target for IBS treatment optimizing. The optimal probiotic should be effective, safe, strain-specific, and its dose and duration of administration should be confirmed by the results of clinical studies. Some of the probiotics with proven efficacy in IBS are Alflorex® and Enterol®.Conclusion. Prescription of certain probiotics in IBS is advisable to normalize the frequency and consistency of stools, relieve abdominal pain and bloating, as well as improve patients’ quality of life.

Keywords

• irritable bowel syndrome
• novel coronavirus infection
• covid-19
• probiotics
• bifidobacterium longum 35624
• alflorex®
• saccharomyces boulardii cncm i-745
• enterol®