The Therapeutic Effect of a Multistrain Probiotic on Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Pilot Study

Abstract EN

Backgrounds.

Recent studies suggest that diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is associated with intestinal bacterial microflora, colonic inflammation, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a multistrain probiotic intake on these associated factors in patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS.

Methods.

The recruited volunteers were adults who were diagnosed with diarrhea-predominant IBS according to the Rome III criteria.

After 8 weeks of probiotic ingestion, changes in gastrointestinal symptoms, fecal microbiome, SIBO, and fecal calprotectin were determined.

Results.

There was an increase in beneficial bacteria (41.2 ± 16.8% vs.

53.7 ± 15.3%, P=0.018) and a decrease in harmful bacteria (13.0 ± 13.9% vs.

4.7 ± 4.0%, P=0.010) in the microbial stool analysis.

The SIBO prevalence also decreased at the end of treatment.

However, the average levels of fecal calprotectin showed a decreasing tendency, without reaching statistical significance (364.4 ± 729.1 mg/kg vs.

200.9 ± 347.6 mg/kg, P=0.375).

Conclusion.

Treatment with a multistrain probiotic for 8 weeks led to significant increases in beneficial bacteria in the gut as well as the improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms.

This study is registered at the Clinical Research Information Service (KCT0002906).