title: Effects of probiotics on allergic rhinitis induced by Japanese cedar pollen: randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) has been found to exert antiallergic effects in animal experiments, but there is little information about its clinical effects in human patients with allergy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study to investigate the effects of LcS in patients with allergic rhinitis triggered by Japanese cedar pollen (JCP). Participants were asked to drink fermented milk containing LcS (LcS group) or placebo (control group) for 8 weeks. Clinical symptoms and immunological parameters were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Symptom-medication scores (SMS) worsened in accordance with the increase in the amount of scattered JCP. In terms of the nasal and ocular SMS, there was no significant difference between the LcS group and the placebo group during the ingestion period. In the subgroup of patients with moderate-to-severe nasal symptom scores before starting the ingestion of test samples, supplementation with LcS tended to reduce nasal SMS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that fermented milk containing LcS does not prevent allergic symptoms in patients sensitive to JCP, but may delay the occurrence of allergic symptoms in patients with moderate-to-severe nasal symptom scores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Sensory Organ Surgery, Osaka University School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. mtamua@ent.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shikina
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morihana
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayama
authors.forename: Osami
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kajimoto
authors.forename: Akane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kajimoto
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nonaka
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shida
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nanno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D028203:Cedrus / Q000276:immunology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology