Effects of oral administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92 on the symptoms and serum markers of atopic dermatitis in children.
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.
Torii
Shinpei
S
Department of Pediatrics, Kami-iida Dai-ichi General Hospital, Aichi, Japan.
Torii
Akiko
A
Itoh
Komei
K
Urisu
Atsuo
A
Terada
Akihiko
A
Fujisawa
Takao
T
Yamada
Kazue
K
Suzuki
Hiromi
H
Ishida
Yu
Y
Nakamura
Futoshi
F
Kanzato
Hiroki
H
Sawada
Daisuke
D
Nonaka
Atsuko
A
Hatanaka
Misaki
M
Fujiwara
Shigeru
S
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
D015415:Biomarkers