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Category: Clinical Microbiology
Escherichia coli, Page 1 of 2
< Previous page | Next page > /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555815462/9781555814038_Chap07-1.gif /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555815462/9781555814038_Chap07-2.gifAbstract:
This chapter on probiotic Escherichia coli focuses on the properties, underlying mechanisms, and clinical uses of Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 as this is the most widely used and studied strain. However, it also refers to important work that has been done using other E. coli strains. The enterobacterium E. coli can be extraintestinally pathogenic (e.g., uropathogenic), intestinally pathogenic (e.g., enteropathogenic or enterohemorrhagic), and nonpathogenic or commensal (e.g., probiotic). The probiotic E. coli strain Nissle 1917 was isolated in 1917 from a soldier who appeared to be protected from gastrointestinal infections causing severe diarrhea in many of his comrades. Since that time, EcN has been studied intensively, not only with a focus on its apparent clinical use but also with a view to understanding how it counteracts the pathogenic mechanisms underlying a number of diseases. Its uniqueness, not only among other E. coli strains but also among other probiotic microorganisms, is evident. While being the subject of research for many other indications, this strain seems to be particularly relevant as an alternative to mesalazine in the maintenance of remission of ulcerative colitis (UC) and has potential for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
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Scanning electron microscopic image (magnification, 20, × 000) of E. coli Nissle 1917 , kindly provided by H. J. Jacob, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.
Fecal sample from a mouse following oral administration of green fluorescent protein expressing E. coli Nissle 1917 cultured on MacConkey agar plates and photographed under UV light. In this black and white image, colonies of fluorescent E. coli Nissle 1917 appear white in contrast to the gray colonies of the other organisms.
Clinical trials and observations with E. coli Nissle 1917
Clinical trials and observations with other probiotic E. coli preparations