A new study published in the Journal of Gastroenterology aimed to determine the epidemiology and clinical impact of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) while assessing the efficacy of rifaximin in eradicating SIBO in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.

Here, 79 CF patients, in the age-range of 9.2-36.9 years, completed a symptoms questionnaire and Glucose Breath Test (GBT). Subjects with a positive GBT participated in a randomized controlled trial and received rifaximin 1200 mg for 14 days or no treatment. Questionnaire and GBT were repeated 1 month after the end of treatment or 45 days post the first negative GBT.

The findings revealed that 31.6% of the patients were affected by SIBO with a significant correlation with lower BMI, standard deviation score (SDS)-BMI and serum albumin levels, independently from pancreas insufficiency. A total of 23 patients were enrolled in the randomized trial - 13 patients in the rifaximin group and 10 in the control group. Eradication rate of SIBO was 90% in the rifaximin group and 33.3% in the control group. Additionally, in the rifaximin group, gastrointestinal symptom improvement was observed in 4 out of 5 patients aged 14 years or lesser and in 2 out of 6 patients in the control group.

Hence, it was inferred that CF patients show a high prevalence of SIBO, related to a poorer nutritional status. It was stated that rifaximin therapy is well tolerated and demonstrates promising results with respect to efficacy in eradicating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in CF.