Probiotics as adjunctive treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if oral probiotics as adjunctive treatment are more effective than placebo in improving quality of life in patients with chronic inflammatory rhinosinusitis.


METHODS
Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.


METHODS
A total of 77 patients with chronic inflammatory rhinosinusitis were randomly assigned to receive oral probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 strain (500 million active cells/tablet twice daily) (n = 39) or oral placebo treatment (n = 38) for 4 weeks.


RESULTS
In the probiotic group, the mean change from baseline in the SNOT-20 scores was significant at 4 weeks (P = 0.002) but not at 8 weeks (P = 0.37). Rhinological domain improved by 9.3 percent (P = 0.004) in probiotics group but returned to baseline level at 8 weeks. No significant differences were found between the probiotic and placebo groups in mean changes from baseline to 4 weeks (P = 0.79) or from baseline to 8 weeks (P = 0.23). No changes in symptom frequency were noted, either within each group or between treatment groups at 4 and 8 weeks. There was no difference in medication use or side effects between the two study groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral use of the probiotic strain L rhamnosus R0011 did not improve sinonasal quality-of-life scores in patients with chronic inflammatory rhinosinusitis compared with placebo.
Mukerji
Shraddha S
SS
Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Pynnonen
Melissa A
MA
Kim
Hyungjin Myra
HM
Singer
Andrew
A
Tabor
Mark
M
Terrell
Jeffrey E
JE
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D052201:Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019936:Probiotics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome