Probiotic Supplement Reduces Atopic Dermatitis in Preschool Children Role of short-term use of L. acidophilus DDS-1 and B. lactis UABLA-12 in acute respiratory infections in children: a randomized controlled trial Predominant genera of fecal microbiota in children with atopic dermatitis are not altered by intake of probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bi-07. Evaluation of a Diet Containing Probiotics and Zinc for the Treatment of Mild Diarrheal Illness in Children Younger Than One Year of Age Efficacy of Probiotic Therapy on Atopic Dermatitis in Children: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial Perinatal probiotic supplementation in the prevention of allergy related disease: 6 year follow up of a randomised controlled trial Effect of probiotic mix (Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus) in the primary prevention of eczema: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Probiotic capsules do not lower plasma lipids in young women and men Prebiotic and Probiotic Fortified Milk in Prevention of Morbidities among Children: Community-Based, Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial
Abstract Background : The role of probiotics in the treatment of atopic dermatitis ( AD ) remains controversial . A recent systematic review of the available evidence called for further clinical trials with new probiotic formulations . Objective : To assess the clinical efficacy and impact of Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 , Bifidobacterium lactis UABLA-12 with fructo-oligosaccharide on peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in preschool children with moderate-to-severe AD . Method : R and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , prospect i ve trial of 90 children aged 1–3 years with moderate-to-severe AD who were treated with a mixture of L. acidophilus DDS-1 , B. lactis UABLA-12 with fructo-oligosaccharide at a dosage of 5 billion colony-forming units twice daily for 8 weeks versus placebo . The primary outcome measure was the percentage change in Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis ( SCORAD ) value . Other outcome measures were changes in Infant Dermatitis Quality Of Life ( IDQOL ) and Dermatitis Family Impact ( DFI ) scores , frequency and amount of topical corticosteroid used , and lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood measured by laser flow cytometry . Results : At the final visit , the percentage decrease in SCORAD was 33.7 % in the probiotic group compared with 19.4 % in the placebo group ( p = 0.001 ) . Children receiving probiotic showed a greater decrease in the mean [ SD ] SCORAD score than did children from the placebo group at week 8 ( −14.2 [ 9.9 ] vs −7.8 [ 7.7 ] , respectively ; p = 0.001 ) . IDQOL and DFI scores decreased significantly from baseline by 33.0 % and 35.2 % in the probiotic group and by 19.0 % and 23.8 % in the placebo group , respectively ( p = 0.013 , p = 0.010 ) . Use of topical corticosteroids during the 8-week trial period averaged 7.7 g less in probiotic patients ( p = 0.006 ) . CD3 , CD16 , and CD22 lymphocyte subsets remained unchanged , whereas the percentage of CD4 , and the percentage and absolute count of CD25 decreased , and the percentage and absolute count of CD8 increased in the probiotic group at week 8 ( p < 0.007 vs placebo ) . There was a significant correlation between CD4 percentage , CD25 percentage , CD25 absolute count , and SCORAD values ( r = 0.642 , r = 0.746 , r = 0.733 , respectively ; p < 0.05 ) in the probiotic group at week 8 . Conclusion : The administration of a probiotic mixture containing L. acidophilus DDS-1 , B. lactis UABLA- 12 , and fructo-oligosaccharide was associated with significant clinical improvement in children with AD , with corresponding lymphocyte subset changes in peripheral blood . The efficacy of probiotic therapy in adults with AD requires further investigation Background / Objectives : Evidence suggests that the long-term consumption of probiotics may help in reducing the incidence of or modifying  acute respiratory infection ( ARI ) . We assessed the role of the short-term use of probiotics in ARI in children . Subjects/ Methods : This was a r and omized , double-blind , controlled study that enrolled 315 children with 90 dropouts . On the first day of appearance of a sick household member , otherwise healthy children of both sexes aged 3–12 years were allocated to receive Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 and Bifidobacterium lactis UABLA-12 ( Up4-Junior ) in a dose of 5 billion colony-forming units daily with 50 mg of fructooligosaccharide ( the probiotic group ) or rice maltodexrin ( the control group ) . Test supplementation and follow-up lasted for 2 weeks or until the end of the secondary ARI in a child . The primary outcome measure was the incidence of ARI . Time to resolution and the severity of ARI served the secondary outcome measures . Results : In all , 64 of 113 children in the probiotic group ( 57 % ) and 73 of 112 children in the control group ( 65 % ) developed ARI ( P=0.261 ) . Time to resolution of the secondary ARI was shorter in the probiotic group ( 5.0 ( interquartile range ( IQR ) : 4.0–6.0 ) vs 7.0 ( IQR : 6.0–8.0 ) days , P<0.001 ) . The median severity of ARI was 240 ( IQR : 163–350 ) score-days in the probiotic vs 525 ( IQR : 364–736 ) score-days in the control group ( P<0.001 ) . Conclusions : The short-term use of probiotics does not reduce the incidence , but shortens ARI in preschool and elementary school children The effect of probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 on the composition of the Lactobacillus group , Bifidobacterium and the total bacterial population in feces from young children with atopic dermatitis was investigated . The study included 50 children r and omized to intake of one of the probiotic strain or placebo .  Microbial composition was characterized by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis , quantitative PCR and , in a subset of subjects , by pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene . The core population of the Lactobacillus group was identified as Lactobacillus gasseri , Lactobacillus fermentum , Lactobacillus oris , Leuconostoc mesenteroides , while the bifidobacterial community included Bifidobacterium adolescentis , Bifidobacterium bifidum , Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium catenulatum . The fecal numbers of L. acidophilus and B. lactis increased significantly after intervention , indicating survival of the ingested bacteria . The levels of Bifidobacterium correlated positively ( P=0.03 ) , while the levels of the Lactobacillus group negatively ( P=0.01 ) with improvement of atopic eczema evaluated by the Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis index . This correlation was observed across the whole study cohort and not attributed to the probiotic intake . The main conclusion of the study is that administration of L. acidophilus NCFM and B. lactis Bi-07 does not affect the composition and diversity of the main bacterial population s in feces Objectives : Supplementation of probiotics and supplementation of zinc during acute gastroenteritis in children have been shown to exert positive effects on diarrhea duration and severity . Our aim was to evaluate a new diet enriched with zinc and probiotic bacteria in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis in young children . Methods : In a double blind prospect i ve study , 65 children aged 6–12 months were r and omized to receive 6 × 109 colony forming units of Streptococcus thermophilus , Bifidobacterium lactis , Lactobacillus acidophilus ( 2 × 109 of each strain ) , 10 mg of zinc/day , and 0.3 grams of fructo-oligosaccharides in the supplemented group ( n = 33 ) or placebo ( n = 32 ) , given in a soy protein based rice cereal . For each child , age , sex , weight , degree of dehydration , the presence of fever or vomiting , stool frequency and consistency were recorded daily until diarrhea resolution . Results : Diarrhea resolution occurred after 1.43 ± 0.71 days in the supplemented group vs. 1.96 ± 1.24 in the control group ( p = 0.017 ) . In the subset of children who presented with vomiting , time to vomiting resolution was 0.27 ± 0.59 vs. 0.81 ± 0.91 days in the supplemented and control groups , respectively ( p = 0.06 ) . On day 3 , there was only 1 child with watery stools in the supplemented group versus 10 children in the control group ( p = 0.02 ) . Conclusions : In our series , the feeding of a cereal containing Streptococcus thermophilus , Bifidobacterium lactis , Lactobacillus acidophilus and zinc , reduced the severity and duration of acute gastroenteritis in young children . However , whether this combination is better than either the addition of probiotics or zinc alone is yet to be determined Purpose To evaluate a therapeutic efficacy of probiotics mixture ( probiotics ) in the treatment of children with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis ( AD ) . Methods R and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , parallel trial with a washout period of 2 weeks and an intervention period for 6 weeks , conducted from November 2010 to October 2011 . One hundred children with mild to moderate AD ( 2 - 9 years old ) were r and omly allocated to the probiotics ( Lactobacilluss casei , Lactobacillus rhamnosus , Lactobacillus plantarum , and Bifidobacterium lactis ) or placebo groups . The assessment of efficacy was based on the change in eczema area severity index ( EASI ) , visual analogue scale for pruritus ( VASP ) , fecal cell counts of each strains ( log10[cell counts/g stool ] ) , and serum cytokine levels ( Interleukin-4 [ IL-4 ] ; IL-10 ; Tumor necrosis factor alpha , [ TNF-α ] ) in weeks 0 and 6 . Results Demographics and baseline characteristics at the week 0 were not significantly different between the 2 groups . The significant increments in fecal-cell counts were observed in the probiotcs group at week 6 ( P=0.00 ) , while the cytokine levels between the 2 groups were not significantly different in week 6 ( IL-4 , P=0.50 ; IL-10 , P=0.58 ; TNF-α , P=0.82 ) . The probiotics significantly improved clinical severity after 6 weeks ' intervention of probiotics ; however , the placebo group also showed significant improvement ( EASI ; P=0.00 , VASP ; P=0.00 ) . Conclusions Our findings showed that probiotics successfully colonized in the intestine after 6 weeks ' intervention ; nevertheless , we could not find an additional therapeutic or immunomodulatory effects on the treatment of AD . Further long-term studies will be necessary to clarify the therapeutic efficacy of probiotics Background Perinatal probiotics supplementation has been shown to be effective in the primary prevention of  atopic dermatitis ( AD ) in early childhood , although the long term effects of probiotics on AD and other allergic diseases is less certain . We have previously reported a significant reduction in the cumulative incidence of AD at 2 years after maternal probiotic supplementation . In this study we present the effects of perinatal probiotics given to women from a general population on allergy related diseases in their offspring at 6 years . Methods Four hundred and fifteen pregnant women were r and omised to receive  probiotic or placebo milk  in a double-blinded trial from 36 week gestation until 3 months postpartum . Probiotic milk contained Lactobacillus rhamnosos GG , L. acidophilus La-5 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp . lactis Bb-12 . At 6 years , children were re-assessed for AD , atopic sensitisation , asthma and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis ( ARC ) . Results At 6 years , 81 and 82 children were assessed for AD in the probiotic and placebo groups , respectively . In a multiple imputation analysis , there was as trend towards a lower cumulative incidence of AD in the probiotic group compared to the placebo group ( OR 0.64 , 95 % CI 0.39 - 1.07 , p = 0.086 ; NNT = 10 ) . This finding was statistically significantly in the complete case analysis ( OR 0.48 , 95 % CI 0.25 - 0.92 , p = 0.027 , NNT = 6 ) . The prevalence of asthma and atopic sensitisation , and the cumulative incidence of ARC were not significantly affected by the probiotic regime at 6 years of age . Conclusions Maternal probiotic ingestion alone may be sufficient for long term reduction in the cumulative incidence of AD , but not other allergy related diseases . Trial registration Clinical Trials.gov identifier : Controversy exists regarding the preventive effect of probiotics on the development of  eczema or atopic dermatitis .  We investigated whether supplementation of probiotics prevents the development of  eczema in infants at high risk . In a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial , 112 pregnant women with a family history of allergic diseases received a once-daily supplement , either a mixture of Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4 , B. lactis AD011 , and Lactobacillus acidophilus AD031 , or placebo , starting at 4 - 8 wks before delivery and continuing until 6 months after delivery . Infants were exclusively breast-fed during the first 3 months , and were subsequently fed with breastmilk or cow 's milk formula from 4 to 6 months of age . Clinical symptoms of the infants were monitored until 1 yr of age , when the total and specific IgE against common food allergens were measured . A total of 68 infants completed the study . The prevalence of eczema at 1 yr in the probiotic group was significantly lower than in the placebo group ( 18.2 % vs. 40.0 % , p=0.048 ) . The cumulative incidence of eczema during the first 12 months was reduced significantly in probiotic group ( 36.4 % vs. 62.9 % , p=0.029 ) ; however , there was no difference in serum total IgE level or the sensitization against food allergens between the two groups . Prenatal and postnatal supplementation with a mixture of B. bifidum BGN4 , B. lactis AD011 , and L. acidophilus AD031 is an effective approach in preventing the development of eczema in infants at high risk of allergy during the first year of life Objective : To investigate the effect of probiotic capsules on plasma lipids . Design : A r and omized , single-blinded , placebo-controlled , parallel-arm trial . Subjects : Fifty-five normocholesterolemic subjects ages 18–36 ( 33 premenopausal women and 22 men).Intervention : Each subject consumed either three probiotic capsules each containing a total of 109 colony-forming units Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum and 10–15 mg fructo-oligosaccharide or three placebo capsules daily for 2 months ( men ) or two menstrual cycles ( women ) . Plasma lipids were measured before and following the intervention ( during the early follicular phase for women ) . Results : Plasma concentrations of total cholesterol , high-density lipoprotein cholesterol , low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride were not altered by consumption of probiotic or placebo capsules and were not different between treatment groups following the intervention . Conclusions : These results do not support a beneficial effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain DDS-1 and Bifidobacterium longum strain UABL-14 on plasma lipids in normocholesterolemic young women and men . Sponsorship : Supported by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station and UAS Laboratories Background Recent review s suggest common infectious diseases continue to be a major cause of death among preschool children in developing countries . Identification of feasible strategies to combat this disease burden is an important public health need . We evaluated the efficacy of adding prebiotic oligosaccharide and probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 to milk , in preventing diarrhea , respiratory infections and severe illnesses , in children aged 1–4 years as part of a four group study design , running two studies simultaneously . Methods and Findings In a community based double-masked , r and omized controlled trial , children 1–3 years of age , willing to participate , were r and omly allocated to receive either control milk ( Co ; n = 312 ) or the same milk fortified with 2.4 g/day of prebiotic oligosaccharide and 1.9 × 107 colony forming unit (c.f.u)/day of probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 ( PP ; n = 312 ) . Children were followed up for 1 year providing data for 1–4 years . Biweekly household surveillance was conducted to gather information on compliance and morbidity . Both study groups were comparable at baseline ; compliance to intervention was similar . Overall , there was no effect of prebiotic and probiotic on diarrhea ( 6 % reduction , 95 % Confidence Interval [ CI ] : −1 to 12 % ; p = 0.08 ) . Incidence of dysentery episodes was reduced by 21 % ( 95 % CI : 0 to 38 % ; p = 0.05 ) . Incidence of pneumonia was reduced by 24 % ( 95 % CI : 0 to 42 % ; p = 0.05 ) and severe acute lower respiratory infection ( ALRI ) by 35 % ( 95 % CI : 0 to 58 % ; p = 0.05 ) . Compared to children in Co group , children in PP group had 16 % ( 95 % CI : 5 to 26 % , p = 0.004 ) and 5 % ( 95 % CI : 0 to 10 % ; p = 0.05 ) reduction in days with severe illness and high fever respectively . Conclusions / Significance Milk can be a good medium for delivery of prebiotic and probiotic and result ed in significant reduction of dysentery , respiratory morbidity and febrile illness . Overall , impact of diarrhea was not significant . These findings need confirmation in other setting s. Trial Registration Clinical Trials.gov
Conclusion : The administration of a probiotic mixture containing L. acidophilus DDS-1 , B. lactis UABLA- 12 , and fructo-oligosaccharide was associated with significant clinical improvement in children with AD , with corresponding lymphocyte subset changes in peripheral blood .
Abstract Background : The role of probiotics in the treatment of atopic dermatitis ( AD ) remains controversial .
A recent systematic review of the available evidence called for further clinical trials with new probiotic formulations .
Objective : To assess the clinical efficacy and impact of Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS-1 , Bifidobacterium lactis UABLA-12 with fructo-oligosaccharide on peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in preschool children with moderate-to-severe AD .