title: The effect of Saccharomyces boulardii in patients eligible for liver transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Saccharomyces boulardii on the intestinal permeability, laboratory parameters and MELD and Child-Pugh severity scores in cirrhotic patients eligible for liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen patients followed in a Transplant Outpatient Clinic were evaluated immediately before the beginning of treatment, after a 30-day period of treatment period with probiotics and at the end of the second study month (after a thirty-day period without probiotics). Fifteen healthy controls also underwent the intestinal permeability test (lactulose/mannitol).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before the probiotic, the median lactulose/ mannitol ratio was greater in the cirrhotic patients (0.0209, range 0.0012-0.1984) compared to the healthy controls (0.0030, range 0.0020-0.0013) (p < 0.05). Eight of fifteen patients, half of whom had ascites, showed increased intestinal permeability above the higher value observed in the controls. No significant association was found between the severity scores for liver disease, age, presence of ascites and intestinal permeability immediately before the beginning of study. After treatment with S. boulardii, there was no improvement in intestinal permeability or significant differences in the laboratory parameters for the three evaluations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients eligible for liver transplants presented with increased intestinal permeability compared to healthy controls. A thirty-day treatment with S. boulardii did not improve this intestinal permeability or the severity scores, nor did it impact the laboratory parameters.
authors.affiliation: Food Science Postgraduate Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.. juliboredo@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Juliana Costa
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Liboredo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte.. lferrari@medicina.ufmg.br.
authors.forename: Maria de Lourdes Abreu
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte.. evilela@medicina.ufmg.br.
authors.forename: Eduardo Garcia
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.affiliation: Alfa Institute of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.. agnaldo@gold.com.br.
authors.forename: Agnaldo Soares
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Brazil.. isabel_correia@uol.com.br.
authors.forename: Maria Isabel Toulson Davisson
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Correia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010539:Permeability; D019936:Probiotics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012440:Saccharomyces