en Microbiology Microbiology Original Article Original Article <span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height:14pt"><b><i><span style="color:blue">Background</span></i></b><i><span style="color:blue">:</span></i> Probiotic <i>Lactobacillus spp.</i> modulate immune response via interactions of their binding proteins with epithelial cells. We studied the presence of attachment protein-encoding genes (<i>mub1</i>, <i>mub2,</i> and <i>mapA</i>) in <i>Lactobacillus</i> strains with probiotic features isolated from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and their attachment strength relative to healthy individuals.<span style="font-size:9.0pt"></span></span><br> <span style="line-height:14pt"><b><i><span style="color:blue">Methods:</span></i></b> Bacterial strains have been isolated from stool samples of 35 healthy and 23 IBD volunteers. <i>Lactobacillus spp.</i> were identified using PCR. Strains with probiotic features were determined by testing resistance against acid and bile. Isolates were assigned as non-adhesive, adhesive, and strongly adhesive strains based on the number of attached bacteria to epithelial cells. Finally, PCR was used to detect the presence of <i>mub1</i>, <i>mub2,</i> and <i>mapA</i> genes.</span><br> <span style="line-height:14pt"><b><i><span style="color:blue">Results:</span></i></b> Probiotic lactobacilli were isolated from 35/35 and 9/23 of healthy and IBD individuals and yielded a total of 87 and 28 strains, respectively. The <i>Mub1</i> gene was detected in 95.4% and 100% (p>0.05), <i>mub2</i> in 95.4% and 89.3% (p>0.05), and <i>mapA</i> in 94.3% and 78.6% (p<0.05) of healthy and IBD isolates, respectively. The numbers of bacteria attached to epithelial cells in healthy and IBD isolates were respectively 33.68&plusmn;6.00 and 12.23&plusmn;3.87 in non-adhesive, 71.3&plusmn;10.83 and 42.17&plusmn;1.33 in adhesive, 124.40&plusmn;8.59 and 104.67&plusmn;5.50 in the strongly adhesive group (p< 0.05).<b><i><span style="color:blue"></span></i></b></span><br> <span style="line-height:14pt"><b><i><span style="color:blue">Conclusion</span></i></b><i><span style="color:blue">:</span></i> Less <i>Lactobacillus</i> <i>spp.</i> with weaker attachments to epithelial cells colonize the gut in IBD than healthy individuals. These findings suggest the beneficial role of probiotics in the management of IBD.<b><i><span style="color:#0033cc"></span></i></b></span></span></span> Attachment protein-encoding genes, inflammatory bowel diseases, Lactobacillus 713 720 http://caspjim.com/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2283-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Saeideh Najafi saeideh.njf@gmail.com 100319475328460039842 100319475328460039842 No Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Fattah Sotoodehnejadnematalahi 1397gcbm@gmail.com 100319475328460039843 100319475328460039843 No Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Mehdi Amiri amiri.mm@gmai.com 100319475328460039844 100319475328460039844 No Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Reza Pourshafie pour@pasteur.ac.ir 100319475328460039845 100319475328460039845 No Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Mahdi Rohani m_rohani@pasteur.ac.ir 100319475328460039846 100319475328460039846 Yes Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran