Inflammation and microflora.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common gastrointestinal condition, affecting 10% to 20% of adults in developed countries. Over the last few years, growing evidence has supported a new hypothesis for IBS based on alterations in intestinal bacterial composition. This article reviews the evidence for a bacterial concept in IBS and begins to formulate a hypothesis of how these bacterial systems could integrate in a new pathophysiologic mechanism in the development of IBS. Data suggesting an interaction between this gut flora and inflammation in the context of IBS is also presented.