Glucose breath test and Crohn's disease: Diagnosis of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and evaluation of therapeutic response.

AbstractObjective. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of bacterial species in the small bowel. It has been shown that patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) have a higher risk of SIBO development. The aim of the present study was to investigate SIBO prevalence in CD patients, possible clinical predictors of SIBO development and response to antibiotic therapy. Material and methods. Sixty-eight patients (42 male, 26 female; mean age 49.3 ± 12.8 years) with CD reporting abdominal complaints were prospectively evaluated for SIBO with H2/CH4 glucose breath test (GBT). Results. Of the 68 patients enrolled, 18 (26.5%) tested positive for SIBO. Patients with SIBO exhibited increased stool frequency and significant reduction of stool solidity (p = 0.014), were older than patients tested negative to GBT (54.3 ± 13.0 years vs. 47.5 ± 12.3 years, p = 0.049), reported a longer history of CD (21.2 ± 10.3 years vs. 15.7 ± 10.2 years, p = 0.031) and showed a significant...