Probiotics Could Benefit Quality of Life in Patients with Seasonal Allergies
Consumption of a combination probiotic could help to improve rhinoconjunctivitis-specific quality of life in individuals with seasonal allergies, although the association mechanism remains unclear, according to the results of a recent study.
While previous research has indicated a potential benefit to rhinoconjunctivitis-specific quality of life with probiotic use, the researchers involved in the current study noted that more high-quality evidence was required to confirm this association.
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Therefore, they conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel, randomized clinical trial involving 173 participants who self-identified as having seasonal allergies. The researchers used the Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (MRQLQ) to measure quality of life.
The participants were randomly assigned to receive either probiotics (2 capsules per day, 1.5 billion colony-forming units per capsule) or placebo. The strains of probiotics used for the capsules were Lactobacillus gasseri KS-13, Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1, and B. longum MM-2. Participants took either the probiotics or placebo for 8 weeks during spring allergy season, and MRQLQ scores were collected weekly. Fasting blood samples were also taken from subgroups of both the placebo group (n=37) and the probiotics group (n=35) at baseline and week 6 to determine serum immunoglobulin E concentrations and Treg percentages.
Overall, individuals in the probiotic group reported higher improvements in the MRQLQ score from baseline to week 6 (−0.68 ± 0.13) compared with the placebo group (−0.19 ± 0.14; P = 0.0092). Although both serum immunoglobulin E concentrations and Treg percentages increased from baseline to week 6, changes were not different between the groups.
“This combination probiotic improved rhinoconjunctivitis-specific quality of life during allergy season for healthy individuals with self-reported seasonal allergies; however, the associated mechanism is still unclear,” the researchers concluded.
“Future research should focus on the molecular mechanism by which probiotics modulate immune function. If elucidated, this information may lead to a more complete understanding of the role of commensal microorganisms in developing and maintaining immune balance.”
—Michael Potts
Reference:
Dennis-Wall JC, Culpepper T, Nieves C, et al. Probiotics (Lactobacillus gasseri KS-13, Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1, and Bifidobacterium longum MM-2) improve rhinoconjunctivitis-specific quality of life in individuals with seasonal allergies: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(3):758-767.