title: Effects of oral administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92 on the symptoms and serum markers of atopic dermatitis in children.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kami-iida Dai-ichi General Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinpei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.forename: Komei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Atsuo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Urisu
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.forename: Kazue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Futoshi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanzato
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nonaka
authors.forename: Misaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hatanaka
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D001438:Bacteroidaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007779:Lactobacillus acidophilus; D008297:Male; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers