Possible role of Escherichia coli in propagation and perpetuation of chronic inflammation in ulcerative colitis

BMC Gastroenterology

Table 2 Numbers of bacteria isolated from inflammatory and unchanged colonic mucosa in patients with UC

Bacteria	Average bacterial no. [c.f.u/g] isolated from patients in active phase of UC, n=30		Control group, (sample C, n=16)
Bacteria	Inflammatorily changed site biopsy (sample A, n=30)	Unchanged mucosal biopsy (sample B, n=30)	Control group, (sample C, n=16)
Sume of cultured bacteria	3.1·10⁷±1.6·10⁷	6.4·10⁷±4.8·10⁷	7.6·10⁷±6.1·10⁷
Enterobacteriaceaae	5.0·10⁶±1.8·10⁶	2.1·10⁷±1.1·10⁷	1.5·10⁷±8.1·10⁶
Escherichia coli ***	3.3·10⁶±3.1·10⁶	1.3·10⁶±1.1·10⁶	1.6·10⁶±1.2·10⁶
Enterococcus	8.9·10⁶±6.3·10⁶	9.5·10⁶±4.5·10⁶	4.5·10⁶±3.4·10⁶
Streptococcus	3.2·10⁶±2.0·10⁶	9.1·10⁶±6.8·10⁶	7.1·10⁶±5.9·10⁶
Lactobacillus	5.2·10⁶ ±3.0·10⁶*	8.5·10⁶±5.0·10⁶ **	7.6·10⁵±4.4·10⁵
Bifidobacterium	5.1·10⁶±3.5·10⁶	2.1·10⁶±1.1·10⁶	2.7·10⁵±1.2·10⁵

Results based on culture methods.
* Numbers significantly different from the control group (*P = 0.044; **P = 0.041).
*** E. coli was found in only 18 patients with active-phase UC and 12 patients from the control group.

ISSN: 1471-230X