Bifidobacterium longum with fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) treatment in minimal hepatic encephalopathy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) describes patients with chronic liver disease or cirrhosis who have no clinical symptoms of brain dysfunction but perform worse on psychometric tests compared with healthy subjects. The pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy is controversial although ammonia has been found to induce cerebral dysfunction. Increased intestinal ammonia production is due to bacterial urease activity and the production of other toxin methabolities, such as mercaptans, thioles. This study assesses the clinical efficacy of Bifidobacterium longum plus fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) in the treatment of MHE. A total of 60 cirrhotic patients were randomly and equally divided into two groups receiving Bifidobacterium+FOS (17 males, 13 females; mean age, 46+/-11 years) or placebo (16 males, 14 females; mean age, 45+/-12 years), respectively. All patients underwent clinical and laboratory assessment psychometric tests and automated EEG analysis: neurophysiological assessment, liver function assessment, amd neuropsychological assessment. After 90 days of treatment, fasting NH(4) serum levels were significantly decreased (P=0.003), performance on Trail Making Test-A was significantly decreased (P=0.000), performance on Trail Making Test-B was significantly decreased (P=0.000), performance on the symbol digit modalities test was significantly improved (P<0.05), performance on block design was significantly improved (P=0.000), and performance on the MMSE test was significantly improved (P=0.000). We conclude that the improvement in biochemical and neuropsychological tests of the group treated with Bifidobacterium longum+FOS are interesting and merit further, close examination.
Malaguarnera
Mariano
M
Department of Senescence, Urological and Neurological Sciences, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 69, 95126, Catania, Italy. malaguar@unict.it
Greco
Filippo
F
Barone
Gloria
G
Gargante
Maria Pia
MP
Malaguarnera
Michele
M
Toscano
Maria Antonietta
MA
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000641:Ammonia / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001644:Bifidobacterium; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D009844:Oligosaccharides; C116580:fructooligosaccharide; D000641:Ammonia; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase