Precolectomy Flora Predict Pouchitis

Pouchitis is the most frequently occurring complication of ileal pouch–anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis and is commonly treated with antibiotics or probiotics.

In a prospective examination of 21 patients with ulcerative colitis, researchers characterized and compared presurgery fecal microbial profiles between patients who developed pouchitis within the first year after surgery (42%) and patients who did not.

Patients who developed pouchitis were more likely to have three bacterial species, Ruminococcus gnavus, Bacteroides vulgatus, and Clostridium perfringens, and less likely to have two Lachnospiraceae species compared with those who did not develop pouchitis. For example, patients with R. gnavus had a 1-year risk of 80% for pouchiti…