Biomedical Letters

Efficacy of Probiotics in the Treatment of IBD

Bharat KC 1, Ritesh Kumar Giri 2, Muna Maharjan 2, Niresh Thapa 2, Yu Hong Gang 1*

1 Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University School of Medicine, Wuhan-430071, Hubei Province, China

2 Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University School of Medicine, Wuhan- 430071, Hubei Province, China

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is caused by deregulated immune responses to host intestinal bacterial flora and are characterized by the chronic inflammation at various sites of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Certain probiotic bacteria have shown that they can produce chemicals (e.g. neurotransmitters and neuromodulators) that can have an effect on gastrointestinal functions like sensation or motility. These mechanisms suggest potential roles for probiotics in the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and IBD. The main purpose of this meta-analysis is to assess the evidence for the role and clinical efficacy of probiotics in IBD. The meta-analysis was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines (PRISMA guidelines) recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration. 13 papers including 960 patients with IBD were selected for the meta-analysis, which fulfilled the inclusion, and exclusion criteria set for the meta-analysis. Our results showed that probiotics group have better improvement in overall disease symptoms response (abdominal pain p <0.1, MD 0.12; bloating p=0.03, MD 0.16; quality of life p=0.35, MD 0.19; diarrhea p=0.56, RR=1.07; constipation p=0.36, RR=0.86 with CI 95%). The probiotic treatment had an overall positive efficacy than the placebo group in the treatment of IBD’s symptoms and that single strains of probiotic bacteria with lower doses and shorter treatment time appear to be more effective in improving the quality of life and the overall disease symptom response. The use of probiotics is safe.

Keywords: Intestinal bacterial flora, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), gastrointestinal tract, probiotics.

Received February 04, 2017 Revised March 19, 2017 Accepted March 26, 2017

*Correspondence: Yu Hong Gang Email: yuhonggang@yahoo.com Contact: +8613871281899