The Role of Microbiota in Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Functional Disorders.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis can be modified by various treatments; these changes may be understood as a trigger for FGIDs, or they may be the goal of the treatment, impacting symptoms. Initially, the pathogenic component of gut microbiota was shown to be associated with FGIDs, with up to 10% of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients having gastrointestinal infections followed by gut microbiota dysbiosis, resulting in the occurrence of IBS (postinfectious IBS) [[12]]. Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), also known as disorders of gut-brain interaction, are a group of disorders characterized by chronic gastrointestinal symptoms in the absence of demonstrable pathology on conventional testing. Changes in gut microbiota in the small bowel and colon have been extensively studied in patients with FGIDs [[3], [12]], as they can affect gut motility, intestinal gas profile, gut immune and intestinal barrier function, visceral sensation, neuro-immuno-endocrine interface and, finally, gut-brain axis [[3], [16]]. [Extracted from the article]