Probiotics in IBD

Editor,—We read with interest the recent clinical @lert commentary by Rutgreerts ( (2001) Gut 48:452–53; [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] ) analysing the recently published study by Lochs and colleagues.1 Lochs et al concluded that compared with placebo, 18 months of treatment with high dose Pentasa (mesalazine 4 g/day) made no difference to postoperative recurrence rates in patients with Crohn's disease involving the small intestine and colon or colon alone (26.3% v 25.6% for mesalazine and placebo, respectively). We feel that the study raises many new questions with regards to the role of 5-aminosalicylate (5-ASA) formulations in the prevention of postoperative Crohn's relapse. Furthermore, … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DGastroenterology%26rft.stitle%253DGastroenterology%26rft.aulast%253DLOCHS%26rft.auinit1%253DH.%26rft.volume%253D118%26rft.issue%253D2%26rft.spage%253D264%26rft.epage%253D273%26rft.atitle%253DProphylaxis%2Bof%2BPostoperative%2BRelapse%2Bin%2BCrohn%2527s%2BDisease%2BWith%2BMesalamine%253A%2BEuropean%2BCooperative%2BCrohn%2527s%2BDisease%2BStudy%2BVI%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252FS0016-5085%252800%252970208-3%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F10648454%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/S0016-5085(00)70208-3&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10648454&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fgutjnl%2F49%2F6%2F873.1.atom