title: Probiotic administration in congenital heart disease: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of probiotic Bifidobacterium longum ssp. infantis on the fecal microbiota and plasma cytokines in neonates with congenital heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen infants with congenital heart disease were randomly assigned to receive either B. infantis (4.2 × 10(9) colony-forming units two times daily) or placebo for 8 weeks. Stool specimens from enrolled infants and from six term infants without heart disease were analyzed for microbial composition. Plasma cytokines were analyzed weekly in the infants with heart disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Healthy control infants had increased total bacteria, total Bacteroidetes and total bifidobacteria compared to the infants with heart disease, but there were no significant differences between the placebo and probiotic groups. Plasma interleukin (IL)10, interferon (IFN)γ and IL1β levels were transiently higher in the probiotic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Congenital heart disease in infants is associated with dysbiosis. Probiotic B. infantis did not significantly alter the fecal microbiota. Alterations in plasma cytokines were found to be inconsistent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95817, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Bokulich
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kalanetra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirmiran
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elumalai
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Haapanen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schegg
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rutledge
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raff
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Underwood
mesh_terms: D001644:Bifidobacterium; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines