Journal Article

Effects of Oral Administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92 on the Symptoms and Serum Markers of Atopic Dermatitis in Children

Hatanaka, Misaki, Nonaka, Atsuko, Urisu, Atsuo, Terada, Akihiko, Torii, Shinpei, Torii, Akiko, Nakamura, Futoshi, Itoh, Komei, Fujisawa, Takao, Fujiwara, Shigeru, Suzuki, Hiromi, Yamada, Kazue, Kanzato, Hiroki, Sawada, Daisuke, Ishida, Yu

2011

Overview

Background: Few studies have investigated the complementary effects of long-term oral administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus on traditional medical therapy in the treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Methods: The Atopic Dermatitis Area and Severity Index was used to evaluate AD severity. Symptom severity was assessed using the symptom score. The effect of medical therapy was evaluated by adding the medication score, calculated as the sum of each product of the amount of steroid ointment used for therapy and its designated strength graded on a 4-point scale, to the symptom score. The complementary effect of long-term oral administration of L. acidophilus strain L-92 (L-92) as a probiotic or biogenic strain in patients with AD was evaluated using the symptom-medication score, which was calculated as the sum of the symptom score and medication score. Both a preliminary casuistic study and a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study were performed to evaluate the effects of L-92 on the symptoms of AD in children. Results: Orally administered L-92 significantly ameliorated the symptoms of AD in Japanese children. L-92 also affected the serum concentrations of thymus and activation-regulated chemokine in a time-dependent manner.Conclusions: The results of the preliminary trial and the double-blinded, placebo-controlled study revealed a complementary effect of oral L-92 on the standard medical therapy (topical application of a steroid ointment) in patients with AD that was mediated, at least in part, by alterations in the Th1/Th2 balance.

• Publisher: Karger,S. Karger AG
• Subject: Administration, Oral / Adolescent / Allergic diseases / Bacteroidaceae - isolation & purification / Biological and medical sciences / Biomarkers - blood / Child / Child, Preschool / Children & youth / Colony Count, Microbial / Dermatitis / Dermatitis, Atopic - physiopathology / Dermatitis, Atopic - therapy / Double-Blind Method / Female / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Fundamental immunology / Humans / Immunopathology / Infant / Intestines - microbiology / Lactobacillus - isolation & purification / Lactobacillus acidophilus / Male / Medical sciences / Original Paper / Probiotics / Probiotics - administration & dosage / Probiotics - therapeutic use / Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis / Severity of Illness Index / Skin allergic diseases. Stinging insect allergies / Treatment Outcome