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The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Aug 2022Probiotics are live micro-organisms that may give a beneficial physiological effect when administered in adequate amounts. Some trials show that probiotic strains can... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Probiotics are live micro-organisms that may give a beneficial physiological effect when administered in adequate amounts. Some trials show that probiotic strains can prevent respiratory infections. Even though our previously published review showed the benefits of probiotics for acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), several new studies have been published. This is an update of a review first published in 2011 and updated in 2015.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effectiveness and safety of probiotics (any specified strain or dose), compared with placebo or no treatment, in the prevention of acute URTIs in people of all ages, at risk of acute URTIs.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL (2022, Issue 6), MEDLINE (1950 to May week 2, 2022), Embase (1974 to 10 May 2022), Web of Science (1900 to 10 May 2022), the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, which includes the China Biological Medicine Database (from 1978 to 10 May 2022), the Chinese Medicine Popular Science Literature Database (from 2000 to 10 May 2022), and the Master's Degree Dissertation of Beijing Union Medical College Database (from 1981 to 10 May 2022). We searched the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and ClinicalTrials.gov for completed and ongoing trials on 10 May 2022.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included individual randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster-RCTs comparing probiotics with placebo or no treatment to prevent acute URTIs. The participants were children, adults, or the elderly in the community, care facilities, schools, or hospitals. Our main outcomes were the number of participants diagnosed with URTIs (at least one event and at least three events), the incidence rate (number of cases/person year) of acute URTIs, and the mean duration of an episode of URTIs. Our secondary outcomes were the number of participants who were absent from childcare centre, school, or work due to acute URTIs; the number of participants who used prescribed antibiotics for acute URTIs; and the number of participants who experienced at least one adverse event from probiotics. We excluded studies if they did not specify acute respiratory infections as 'upper'; studies with more than 50% of participants vaccinated against influenza or other acute URTIs within the last 12 months; and studies with significantly different proportions of vaccinated participants between the probiotics arm and the placebo or no treatment arm.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently assessed the eligibility of trials and extracted data using standard Cochrane methodological procedures. We analysed both intention-to-treat and per-protocol data and used a random-effects model. We expressed results as risk ratios (RRs) for dichotomous outcomes and mean differences (MDs) for continuous outcomes, both with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach.
MAIN RESULTS
We included 23 individual RCTs and one cluster-RCT. As one of the individual RCTs did not report outcomes in a usable way, we could only meta-analyse data from 23 trials, involving a total of 6950 participants including children (aged from one month to 11 years old), adults (mean age 37.3), and older people (mean age 84.6 years). One trial reported 22.5% flu-vaccine participants within the last 12 months, and 25.4% flu-vaccine participants during the intervention. Probiotics were more likely to be given with milk-based food in children; administered in powder form in adults; and given with milk-based food or in capsules in the elderly. Most of the studies used one or two strains (e.g. Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL9, Lactobacillus paracasei (8700:2 or N1115)) and 10 or 10 colony-forming units (CFU)/day of probiotics for more than three months. We found that probiotics may reduce the number of participants diagnosed with URTIs (at least one event) (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.87; P < 0.001; 16 studies, 4798 participants; low-certainty evidence); likely reduce the number of participants diagnosed with URTIs (at least three events) (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.91; P = 0.02; 4 studies, 763 participants; moderate-certainty evidence); may reduce the incidence rate (number of cases/person year) of URTIs (rate ratio 0.82, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.92, P = 0.001; 12 studies, 4364 participants; low-certainty evidence); may reduce the mean duration of an episode of acute URTIs (MD -1.22 days, 95% CI -2.12 to -0.33; P = 0.007; 6 studies, 2406 participants; low-certainty evidence); likely reduce the number of participants who used prescribed antibiotics for acute URTIs (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.81; P = 0.001; 6 studies, 1548 participants; moderate-certainty evidence); and may not increase the number of participants who experienced at least one adverse event (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.15; P = 0.79; 8 studies, 2456 participants; low-certainty evidence). Evidence showing a decrease in the number of people absent from childcare centre, school, or work due to acute URTIs with probiotics is very uncertain (RR 0.14, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.59; 1 study, 80 participants; very low-certainty evidence). Adverse events from probiotics were minor, and most commonly gastrointestinal symptoms, such as vomiting, flatulence, diarrhoea, and bowel pain. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we found that probiotics were better than placebo or no treatment in preventing acute URTIs.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Child; Humans; Influenza Vaccines; Influenza, Human; Probiotics; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Respiratory Tract Infections
PubMed: 36001877
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006895.pub4 -
Gastroenterology and Hepatology From... 2023We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in patients with gastroparesis. (Review)
Review
AIM
We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in patients with gastroparesis.
BACKGROUND
Several studies have suggested an association between SIBO and gastroparesis, which is characterized by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction.
METHODS
A comprehensive search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) through January, 2022 for randomized controlled trials and observational studies reporting the prevalence of SIBO in gastroparesis. Pooled prevalence was estimated using a random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed by using the inconsistency index (I2).
RESULTS
Among the 976 articles identified, 43 studies were selected for full text review. Six studies, with 385 patients, were deemed eligible for inclusion, with a perfect agreement between investigators (kappa=1.0). Overall, 379 patients were diagnosed with gastroparesis by gastric emptying scintigraphy and six were diagnosed with a wireless motility capsule. The pooled prevalence of SIBO was 41% (95% confidence interval 0.23-0.58). SIBO was diagnosed using jejunal aspirate cultures (N=15, 8.4%), lactulose breath test (N=80, 44.7%), glucose breath test (N=30, 16.8%), D-xylose breath test (N=52, 29.1%), and hydrogen breath test (N=2, 1.1%). Heterogeneity was significant and noted to be high at 91%. Only one study reported SIBO diagnosis in controls, therefore no pooled odds ratio was calculated.
CONCLUSION
SIBO was present in almost half of the patients with gastroparesis. Future studies should examine and identify the association between SIBO and gastroparesis.
PubMed: 37070116
DOI: 10.22037/ghfbb.v16i1.2652 -
PloS One 2021While Campylobacter jejuni is a leading foodborne bacterial pathogen worldwide, it poses a particular risk to susceptible populations in low- and middle-income countries... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
INTRODUCTION
While Campylobacter jejuni is a leading foodborne bacterial pathogen worldwide, it poses a particular risk to susceptible populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A capsule-conjugate vaccine approach has been proposed as a potential solution, but little information exists on circulating C. jejuni capsule types in LMICs. The capsule is the major serodeterminant of the Penner typing scheme, which is based on serum recognition of Campylobacter heat-stable antigens. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the distribution of Penner serotypes associated with C. jejuni enteritis in LMICs. Vaccine coverage assessments for hypothetical regional and global C. jejuni vaccines were also estimated.
METHODS
A systematic review of the literature published from 1980 to 2019 was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Articles were assessed for eligibility and data were abstracted. Pooled C. jejuni serotype prevalence in LMICs was estimated by region and globally using random-effects models.
RESULTS
A total of 36 studies were included, capturing 4,434 isolates from LMICs. Fifteen serotypes were present in a sufficient number of studies to be included in analyses. Among these, HS4c was the most common serotype globally (12.6%), though leading capsule types varied among regions. HS2, HS3c, HS4c, HS5/31, HS8/17, and HS10 were all among the 10 most common region-specific serotypes.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this review suggest that an octavalent vaccine could provide up to 66.9% coverage of typable strains worldwide, and 56.8-69.0% regionally. This review also highlights the paucity of available data on capsules in LMICs; more testing is needed to inform vaccine development efforts.
Topics: Bacterial Typing Techniques; Campylobacter Infections; Campylobacter jejuni; Developing Countries; Humans; Prevalence; Serogroup; Serotyping
PubMed: 33951106
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251039 -
Biology Feb 2023Probiotics may have the potential to protect against breast cancer, partly through systemic immunomodulatory action and active impact upon intestinal microbiota. Given a... (Review)
Review
Probiotics may have the potential to protect against breast cancer, partly through systemic immunomodulatory action and active impact upon intestinal microbiota. Given a few clinical studies on their curative role, we conducted a systematic review of the potential effects of probiotics in breast cancer patients and survivors of breast cancer, aiming to support further clinical studies. A literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and the CENTRAL databases from inception through to March 2022. A total of eight randomized clinical trials were identified from thirteen articles published between 2004 and 2022. We evaluated quality-of-life measures, observed bacterial species and diversity indices, probiotic-related metabolites, inflammatory biomarkers, and other responses in breast cancer patients and survivors. Results were synthesized qualitatively and quantitatively using random-effects meta-analysis. Different probiotics supplements utilized included species alone (Lacto), with or without estriol; probiotic combinations of with (ProLB), with or without prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS); ProLB plus and FOS (ProLBS + FOS); and ProLB plus (ProLBE). We found that use of ProLBS with FOS in breast cancer patients and use of ProLBE in survivors of breast cancer show potential benefits in countering obesity and dyslipidemia. ProLBS with FOS use decreases pro-inflammatory TNF-α in breast cancer survivors and improves quality of life in those with breast-cancer-associated lymphedema. Supplementing probiotics capsules (10 CFU) with a prebiotic and using an intake duration of 10 weeks could provide a better approach than probiotics alone.
PubMed: 36829557
DOI: 10.3390/biology12020280 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2022() infection is one of the most common chronic bacterial infections worldwide. The resistance of to antibiotics may increase the risk of treatment failure....
() infection is one of the most common chronic bacterial infections worldwide. The resistance of to antibiotics may increase the risk of treatment failure. Complementary and alternative regimens are still needed. This study aimed to critically assess the efficacy and safety of Jinghua Weikang capsule (JWC) for eradication. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Digital Periodicals, and Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals database were searched from inception to April 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing a combination of JWC and conventional treatments with conventional treatments alone or combined with a placebo for eradication were considered for inclusion. The primary outcome was eradication rate. The meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) were conducted where possible. A total of 34 studies were included in the statistical analysis. A pooled result showed that JWC with the duration of 2 weeks combined with the triple/quadruple therapy could significantly increase the eradication rate compared with the triple/quadruple therapy alone (RR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.21, = 0.0008). However, the evidence of benefit was not confirmed by TSA. Another pooled result showed that JWC with the duration of 4 weeks combined with the triple/quadruple therapy could significantly increase the eradication rate compared with the triple/quadruple therapy alone (RR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.27, < 0.00001). The evidence of benefit was confirmed by TSA. There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups. The present study suggests that JWC with the duration of 4 weeks can significantly improve the eradication rate and should be considered as a complementary treatment to conventional regimens for eradication. However, more high-quality RCTs are still needed to confirm these findings.
PubMed: 36225593
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.959184 -
Vaccine Aug 2021Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most common bacterial pathogens of infants and young children. Antibody responses against the pneumococcal polysaccharide capsule... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most common bacterial pathogens of infants and young children. Antibody responses against the pneumococcal polysaccharide capsule are the basis of vaccine-mediated protection. We examined the relationship between the dose of polysaccharide in pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) and immunogenicity.
METHODS
A systematic search of English publications that evaluated the immunogenicity of varying doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines was performed in Medline and Embase (Ovid Sp) databases in August 2019. We included only articles that involved administration of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in humans and assessed the immunogenicity of more than one serotype-specific saccharide dose. Results were synthesised descriptively due to the heterogeneity of product valency, product content and vaccine schedule.
RESULTS
We identified 1691 articles after de-duplication; 9 studies met our inclusion criteria; 2 in adults, 6 in children and 1 in both. Doses of polysaccharide evaluated ranged from 0.44 mcg to 17.6 mcg. In infants, all doses tested elicited IgG geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) above the established correlate of protection (COP; 0.35 mcg/ml). A month after completion of the administered vaccine schedule, 95% confidence intervals of only three out of all the doses evaluated had GMCs that crossed below the COP. In the adult studies, all adults achieved GMCs that would be considered protective in children who have received 3 standard vaccine doses.
CONCLUSION
For some products, the mean antibody concentrations induced against some pneumococcal serotypes increased with increasing doses of the polysaccharide conjugate, but for other serotypes, there were no clear dose-response relationships or the dose response curves were negative. Fractional doses of polysaccharide which contain less than is included in currently distributed formulations may be useful in the development of higher valency vaccines, or dose-sparing delivery for paediatric use.
Topics: Adult; Antibodies, Bacterial; Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Infant; Pneumococcal Infections; Pneumococcal Vaccines; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Vaccines, Conjugate
PubMed: 34340858
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.07.033 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Feb 2017Endophthalmitis is a severe inflammation of the anterior or posterior (or both) chambers of the eye that may be sterile or associated with infection. It is a potentially... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Endophthalmitis is a severe inflammation of the anterior or posterior (or both) chambers of the eye that may be sterile or associated with infection. It is a potentially vision-threatening complication of cataract surgery. Prophylactic measures for endophthalmitis are targeted against various sources of infection.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the effects of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis for endophthalmitis following cataract surgery compared with no prophylaxis or other form of prophylaxis.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register) (2016, Issue 12), Ovid MEDLINE, Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily (January 1946 to December 2016), Embase (January 1980 to December 2016), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature Database (LILACS) (1982 to December 2016),the ISRCTN registry (www.isrctn.com/editAdvancedSearch), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov), and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We used no date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 6 December 2016. We also searched for additional studies that cited any included trials using the Science Citation Index.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomized controlled trials that enrolled adults undergoing cataract surgery (any method and incision type) for lens opacities due to any origin. We included trials that evaluated preoperative antibiotics, intraoperative (intracameral, subconjunctival or systemic), or postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis for acute endophthalmitis. We excluded studies that evaluated antiseptic preoperative preparations using agents such as povidone iodine or antibiotics for treating acute endophthalmitis after cataract surgery.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently reviewed abstracts and full-text articles for eligibility, assessed the risk of bias for each included study, and abstracted data.
MAIN RESULTS
Five studies met the inclusion criteria for this review, including 101,005 adults and 132 endophthalmitis cases. While the sample size was very large, the heterogeneity of the study designs and modes of antibiotic delivery made it impossible to conduct a formal meta-analysis. Interventions investigated included the utility of adding vancomycin and gentamycin to the irrigating solution compared with standard balanced saline solution irrigation alone, use of intracameral cefuroxime with or without topical levofloxacin perioperatively, periocular penicillin injections and topical chloramphenicol-sulfadimidine drops compared with topical antibiotics alone, and mode of antibiotic delivery (subconjunctival versus retrobulbar injections; fixed versus separate instillation of gatifloxacin and prednisolone). The risk of bias among studies was low to unclear due to information not being reported. We identified one ongoing study.Two studies compared any antibiotic with no antibiotic. One study, which compared irrigation with antibiotics in balanced salt solution (BSS) versus BSS alone, was not sufficiently powered to detect differences in endophthalmitis between groups (very low-certainty evidence). One study found reduced risk of endophthalmitis when combining intracameral cefuroxime and topical levofloxacin (risk ratio (RR) 0.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03 to 0.63; 8106 participants; high-certainty evidence) or using intracameral cefuroxime alone (RR 0.21, CI 0.06 to 0.74; 8110 participants; high-certainty evidence) compared with placebo, and an uncertain effect when using topical levofloxacin alone compared with placebo (RR 0.72, CI 0.32 to 1.61; 8103 participants; moderate-certainty evidence).Two studies found reduced risk of endophthalmitis when combining antibiotic injections during surgery and topical antibiotics compared with topical antibiotics alone (risk ratio (RR) 0.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12 to 0.92 (periocular penicillin and topical chloramphenicol-sulfadimidine; 6618 participants; moderate-certainty evidence); and RR 0.20, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.91 (intracameral cefuroxime and topical levofloxacin; 8101 participants; high-certainty evidence)).One study, which compared fixed versus separate instillation of gatifloxacin and prednisolone, was not sufficiently powered to detect differences in endophthalmitis between groups (very low-certainty evidence). Another study found no evidence of a difference in endophthalmitis when comparing subconjunctival versus retrobulbar antibiotic injections (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.32; 77,015 participants; moderate-certainty evidence).Two studies reported any visual acuity outcome; one study, which compared fixed versus separate instillation of gatifloxacin and prednisolone, reported only that mean visual acuity was the same for both groups at 20 days postoperation. In the other study, the difference in the proportion of eyes with final visual acuity greater than 20/40 following endophthalmitis between groups receiving intracameral cefuroxime with or without topical levofloxacin compared with no intracameral cefuroxime was uncertain (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.22 to 2.11; 29 participants; moderate-certainty evidence).Only one study reported adverse events (1 of 129 eyes had pupillary membrane in front of the intraocular lens and 8 eyes showed posterior capsule opacity). No study reported outcomes related to quality of life or economic outcomes.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Multiple measures for preventing endophthalmitis following cataract surgery have been studied. High-certainty evidence shows that injection with cefuroxime with or without topical levofloxacin lowers the chance of endophthalmitis after surgery, and there is moderate-certainty evidence to suggest that using antibiotic eye drops in addition to antibiotic injection probably lowers the chance of endophthalmitis compared with using injections or eye drops alone. Clinical trials with rare outcomes require very large sample sizes and are quite costly to conduct; thus, it is unlikely that many additional clinical trials will be conducted to evaluate currently available prophylaxis. Practitioners should rely on current evidence to make informed decisions regarding prophylaxis choices.
Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cataract Extraction; Endophthalmitis; Humans; Injections, Intraocular; Ophthalmic Solutions; Postoperative Complications; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Therapeutic Irrigation; Visual Acuity
PubMed: 28192644
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006364.pub3 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2019functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) are common conditions in children and adults, often associated with abnormalities of whole gut transit. Currently, transit... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) are common conditions in children and adults, often associated with abnormalities of whole gut transit. Currently, transit tests can be performed using several imaging methods, including tracking of radiopaque markers, gamma scintigraphy with the use of radioisotopes, magnetic tracking methods, tracking of movement of wireless motility capsules, and emerging magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approaches.
OBJECTIVES
to review recent literature on diagnostic imaging techniques used to investigate whole gut transit in FGIDs.
METHODS
a systematic review was carried out. The different techniques are described briefly, with particular emphasis on contemporary literature and new developments, particularly in the field of MRI.
CONCLUSIONS
emerging MRI capsule marker methods are promising new tools to study whole gut transit in FGIDs.
PubMed: 31847098
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics9040221 -
BMC Public Health 2013Two of the most prevalent causes of severe bacterial meningitis in children, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae, are preventable by... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Two of the most prevalent causes of severe bacterial meningitis in children, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae, are preventable by existing vaccines increasingly available in developing countries. Our objective was to estimate the dose-specific effect of Hib and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) on childhood meningitis mortality in low-income countries for use in the Lives Saved Tool (LiST).
METHODS
We systematically searched and reviewed published vaccine efficacy trials and observational studies reporting the effect of Hib or PCV vaccines on organism-specific meningitis, bacterial meningitis and all-cause meningitis incidence and mortality among children less than five years old in low- and middle-income countries. Data collection and quality assessments were performed using standardized guidelines. For outcomes available across multiple studies (≥ 2) and approximating meningitis mortality, we pooled estimates reporting dose-specific effects using random effects meta-analytic methods, then combined these with meningitis etiology data to determine the preventable fraction of childhood meningitis mortality for inclusion in LiST.
RESULTS
We identified 18 studies of Hib conjugate vaccines reporting relevant meningitis morbidity and mortality outcomes (2 randomized controlled trials [RCTs], 16 observational studies) but few provided dose-specific effects. A meta-analysis of four case-control studies examined the dose-specific effect of Hib conjugate vaccines on Hib meningitis morbidity (1 dose: RR=0.64, 95% CI 0.38-1.06; 2 doses: RR=0.09, 95% CI 0.03-0.27; 3 doses: RR=0.06, 95% CI 0.02-0.22), consistent with results from single RCTs. Pooled estimates of two RCTs provided evidence for the effect of three doses of PCV on vaccine-serotype meningitis morbidity (RR=0.16, 95% CI 0.02-1.20). We considered these outcomes of severe disease as proxy estimates for meningitis mortality and combined the estimates of protective effects with meningitis etiology data to provide an estimate of the preventable fraction of childhood meningitis mortality with three doses of Hib (38-43%) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (28-35%) for use in LiST.
CONCLUSIONS
Few RCTs or vaccine effectiveness studies evaluated the dose-specific impact of Hib and PCV vaccines on childhood meningitis mortality, necessitating use of proxy measures to estimate population impact in LiST. Our analysis indicates that approximately three-quarters of meningitis deaths are preventable with existing Hib and PCV vaccines.
Topics: Bacterial Capsules; Child; Child Welfare; Child, Preschool; Developing Countries; Haemophilus Vaccines; Haemophilus influenzae type b; Humans; Incidence; Meningitis, Bacterial; Meningitis, Haemophilus; Pneumococcal Vaccines; Vaccines, Conjugate
PubMed: 24564188
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-S3-S21 -
Nutrients Apr 2020There is a need to develop new hypothesis-driven treatment for both both major depression (MD) and schizophrenia in which the risk of depression is 5 times higher than...
BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE
There is a need to develop new hypothesis-driven treatment for both both major depression (MD) and schizophrenia in which the risk of depression is 5 times higher than the general population. Major depression has been also associated with poor illness outcomes including pain, metabolic disturbances, and less adherence. Conventional antidepressants are partly effective, and 44% of the subjects remain unremitted under treatment. Improving MD treatment efficacy is thus needed to improve the SZ prognosis. Microbiota-orientated treatments are currently one of the most promising tracks.
METHOD
This work is a systematic review synthetizing data of arguments to develop microbiota-orientated treatments (including fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT)) in major depression and schizophrenia.
RESULTS
The effectiveness of probiotic administration in MD constitutes a strong evidence for developing microbiota-orientated treatments. Probiotics have yielded medium-to-large significant effects on depressive symptoms, but it is still unclear if the effect is maintained following probiotic discontinuation. Several factors may limit MD improvement when using probiotics, including the small number of bacterial strains administered in probiotic complementary agents, as well as the presence of a disturbed gut microbiota that probably limits the probiotics' impact. FMT is a safe technique enabling to improve microbiota in several gut disorders. The benefit/risk ratio of FMT has been discussed and has been recently improved by capsule administration.
CONCLUSION
Cleaning up the gut microbiota by transplanting a totally new human gut microbiota in one shot, which is referred to as FMT, is likely to strongly improve the efficacy of microbiota-orientated treatments in MD and schizophrenia and maintain the effect over time. This hypothesis should be tested in future clinical trials.
Topics: Adult; Biological Therapy; Depressive Disorder, Major; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation; Female; Humans; Male; Microbiota; Middle Aged; Probiotics; Schizophrenia; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
PubMed: 32276499
DOI: 10.3390/nu12041024