title: Effects of consumption of a fermented dairy product containing the probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 on common respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in shift workers in a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The risk of infection may be increased in people under stress such as shift workers. This study examined the effect of a fermented dairy product containing the probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 (verum) on the incidence of respiratory and gastrointestinal common infectious diseases (CIDs) and on immune functions in healthy shift workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was single-center, randomized, double-blind, and controlled. Volunteers received 200 g/day of verum (n = 500) or control product (n = 500) for 3 months; 1-month follow-up was carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cumulated number of CIDs (primary outcome) was not significantly different between groups. Because the Poisson distribution of the primary parameter did not fully fit the observed data, a post hoc categorical analysis was applied and showed a significantly lower cumulated number of CIDs in the verum group during the product consumption phase (odds ratio [OR] = 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-0.95, p = 0.017). Verum also reduced the proportion of volunteers experiencing at least 1 CID (43% vs. 51%, p = 0.005), increased the time to the first occurrence of CID (p = 0.017) in the whole population, and reduced the cumulated number of CIDs in the subgroup of smokers (p = 0.033). In the course of CID, cumulated duration of fever was lower in the verum group (in the whole study phase) (p = 0.022), and an increase in leukocyte, neutrophil, and natural killer (NK) cell counts and activity (p = 0.047 to p < 0.001) was observed compared with control group. Verum was safe and well tolerated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that daily consumption of a fermented dairy product containing Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 could reduce the risk of common infections in stressed individuals such as shift workers.
authors.affiliation: Danone Research, Centre de Recherche Daniel Carasso, RD 128-91767 Palaiseau cedex, France. eric.guillemard@danone.com
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guillemard
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tanguy
authors.forename: Ann'Laure
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flavigny
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de la Motte
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schrezenmeir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D004032:Diet; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D005334:Fever / Q000517:prevention & control; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007780:Lacticaseibacillus casei; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012016:Reference Values; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012907:Smoking; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance; D055815:Young Adult