Probiotics to adolescents with obesity:  effects on inflammation and metabolic syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
The connections between gut microbiota, energy homeostasis, and inflammation and its role in the pathogenesis of obesity-related disorders are increasingly recognized. We aimed to investigate the effect of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus salivarius Ls-33 on a series of biomarkers related to inflammation and the metabolic syndrome (MS) in adolescents with obesity.


METHODS
The study was a double-blind placebo-controlled trial including 50 adolescents with obesity randomized to Ls-33 (10 CFU) or placebo daily for 12 weeks.


RESULTS
The average body mass index-for-age z-score was 2.6 ± 0.5. There were no differences in biomarkers of inflammation and parameters related to the MS at baseline between the probiotic and placebo groups. Furthermore, there were no differences in changes from baseline to 12-week intervention with regard to any anthropometric measures, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), fasting glucose and insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, C-peptide, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acids, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, or fecal calprotectin, despite the increased values of biomarkers of inflammation and of several parameters related to the MS at baseline when compared with normal-weight adolescents. The levels of L salivarius in fecal samples from the probiotic group in the present study were comparable with the levels reported for the other probiotic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria using quantitative polymerase chain reaction.


CONCLUSIONS
It was not possible to detect any beneficial effect of the probiotic intervention with Ls-33 on inflammatory markers or parameters related to the MS in adolescents with obesity being in a state of low-grade systemic inflammation.
Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Rikke Juul
RJ
Gøbel
Nadja
N
Larsen
Mogens
M
Jakobsen
Christian
C
Mølgaard
Kim Fleischer
KF
Michaelsen
D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D007778:Lactobacillus; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use
D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators