ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the changes of intestinal flora in diarrhea type irritable bowel syndrome with Pi-wei dampness-heat syndrome (IBS-PDS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The seven kinds of common intestinal bacteria in feces, including enteri bacillus, enterococci, saccharomycete, bifid bacteria, lactobacillus, bacteroides and peptococcus were studied in 21 patients suffered from IBS-PDS, and compared with those in 22 patients with IBS with deficiency of Pi syndrome (DPS) and 25 healthy subjects as control.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared with the healthy subjects, the levels of enteri bacillus and enterococci were significantly increased (P<0.01), the levels of bifid bacteria, Lactobacillus and Peptococcus were significantly decreased (P < 0.01), and saccharomycete and Bacteroides were insignificantly different in patients with PDS. As compared with patients with DPS, the levels of enteri bacillus, enterococci, bifid bacteria, Lactobacillus, Peptococcus and Bacteroidaceae were significantly increased except the level of saccharomycete.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There may be alteration of intestinal flora in patients with IBS-PDS.</p>