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World J Gastroenterol. Jul 21, 2014; 20(27): 8821-8836
Published online Jul 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i27.8821
Published online Jul 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i27.8821
Methodological issues in the study of intestinal microbiota in irritable bowel syndrome
Valentina Taverniti, Simone Guglielmetti, Division of Food Microbiology and Bioprocessing, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
Author contributions: Taverniti V and Guglielmetti S performed the literature search and drafted the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Simone Guglielmetti, PhD, Division of Food Microbiology and Bioprocessing, Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy. simone.guglielmetti@unimi.it
Telephone: +39-2-50319136 Fax: +39-2-50319292
Received: October 31, 2013
Revised: April 10, 2014
Accepted: June 2, 2014
Published online: July 21, 2014
Processing time: 263 Days and 14.5 Hours
Revised: April 10, 2014
Accepted: June 2, 2014
Published online: July 21, 2014
Processing time: 263 Days and 14.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the intestinal functional disorder with the highest prevalence in the industrialized world. The intestinal microbiota (IM) plays a role in its pathogenesis. Since the methodological aspects of the research on IM in IBS have never been considered in detail before, we carried out a revision of 29 original research articles. We reviewed the scientific microbiological message in light of the experimental method adopted. The analytical revision of the studies referenced in our review leaded to the identification of microbial groups whose relative abundance resulted significantly altered in IBS. Such microbial groups are potential IM signatures of IBS.