Letters To The Editor
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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 14, 2013; 19(42): 7487-7488
Published online Nov 14, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i42.7487
Rifaximin and Crohn’s disease
Cosimo Prantera, Maria Lia Scribano
Cosimo Prantera, Maria Lia Scribano, Gastroenterology Operative Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera San Camillo-Forlanini, 00152 Rome, Italy
Author contributions: Prantera C and Scribano ML wrote this letter.
Correspondence to: Cosimo Prantera, MD, Gastroenterology Operative Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera San Camillo-Forlanini, Circonvallazione Gianicolense 87, 00152 Rome, Italy. prantera@tin.it
Telephone: +39-6-3202643 Fax: +39-6-3202643
Received: July 3, 2013
Revised: September 2, 2013
Accepted: September 15, 2013
Published online: November 14, 2013
Core Tip

Core tip: In this letter to the Editor we report some considerations concerning the article entitled “Microbial manipulation as primary therapy for Crohn’s disease” written by Longman and Swaminath. In the article the authors analyzed our paper on the use of rifaximin as primary therapy in active Crohn’s disease. The post-hoc analysis of our study showed that early-stage disease, colonic involvement and a C reactive protein level > 5 mg/L were associated with a significant higher efficacy of rifaximin. We also discuss the role of rifaximin against intestinal bacteria and the clinical situations to explore further in controlled studies with antibiotics.