Probiotics for maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic relapsing disease characterised by diffuse mucosal inflammation limited to the colon. Current maintenance treatments have multiple adverse events and an effective treatment with minimal adverse events is desired. Several studies have demonstrated the importance of intestinal flora in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. It has been suggested that modifying the bacterial flora with probiotics may attenuate the inflammatory process and prevent relapses in ulcerative colitis.