title: Probiotics and respiratory and gastrointestinal tract infections in Finnish military conscripts - a randomised placebo-controlled double-blinded study.
abstract: Military conscripts are susceptible to respiratory and gastrointestinal tract infections. In previous studies probiotics have shown potency to reduce upper respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. The aim was to study whether probiotic intervention has an impact on seasonal occurrence of upper respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in two different conscript groups. In a randomised, double-blinded, placebo controlled study (https://clinicaltrials.gov NCT01651195), a total of 983 healthy adults were enrolled from two intakes of conscripts. Conscripts were randomised to receive either a probiotic combination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB12 (BB12) or a control chewing tablet twice daily for 150 days (recruits) or for 90 days (reserve officer candidates). Clinical examinations were carried out and daily symptom diaries were collected. Outcome measures were the number of days with respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms and symptom incidence, number and duration of infection episodes, number of antibiotic treatments received and number of days out of service because of the infection. Statistically no significant differences were found between the intervention groups either in the risk of symptom incidence or duration. However, probiotic intervention was associated with reduction of specific respiratory infection symptoms in military recruits, but not in reserve officer candidates. Probiotics did not significantly reduce overall respiratory and gastrointestinal infection morbidity.
authors.affiliation: 1 Centre for Military Medicine, Research and Development Department, Finnish Defence Forces, Tukholmankatu 8A, P.O. Box 50, 00301 Helsinki, Finland.|2 Faculty of Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology, University of Helsinki and University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 4, P.O. Box 220, 00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kalima
authors.affiliation: 3 Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacology, Medical Nutrition Physiology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, P.O. Box 63, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lehtoranta
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Mannerheimintie 172, P.O. Box 41, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Mannerheimintie 172, P.O. Box 41, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.|5 Finnish Cancer Registry, Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer Research, Unioninkatu 22, 00130 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pitkäniemi
authors.affiliation: 6 Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, P.O. Box 63, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lundell
authors.affiliation: 7 Virology Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, 00271 Helsinki, Finland.|8 Department of Virology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 13, 20520 Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Julkunen
authors.affiliation: 7 Virology Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, 00271 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roivainen
authors.affiliation: 9 Mehiläinen Ltd., Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 17 C, 00260 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Närkiö
authors.affiliation: 10 Skin and Allergy Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Meilahdentie 2, P.O. Box 160, 00029 HUS Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
authors.affiliation: 1 Centre for Military Medicine, Research and Development Department, Finnish Defence Forces, Tukholmankatu 8A, P.O. Box 50, 00301 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siitonen
authors.affiliation: 3 Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacology, Medical Nutrition Physiology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, P.O. Box 63, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Korpela
authors.affiliation: 2 Faculty of Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology, University of Helsinki and University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 4, P.O. Box 220, 00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland.|6 Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, P.O. Box 63, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pitkäranta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy; D000069982:Bifidobacterium animalis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005387:Finland; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D052201:Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bifidobacterium; Lactobacillus; military medicine