Probiotic supplementation in diabetic hemodialysis patients has beneficial metabolic effects
Authors: Ahmad Esmaillzadeh
Mohsen Taghizadeh
Zatollah Asemi
Malihe Zarrati Mojarrad
Mohammad Ramezani
Alireza Soleimani
Maryam Tajabadi-Ebrahimi
Fereshteh Bahmani
Parvaneh Jafari
Journal: Kidney International (2017)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: hemodialysis; metabolic status; probiotic supplementation.
Affiliations: Department of Internal Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran., Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, I.R. Iran., Faculty Member of Science Department, Science Faculty, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Central Branch, Tehran, Iran., Department of Microbiology, Science Faculty, Islamic Azad University, Arak Branch, Arak, Iran., Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, I.R. Iran. Electronic address: .

Abstract:  This study determined the effects of probiotic supplementation on glycemic control, lipid concentrations, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in 60 diabetic patients on hemodialysis in a parallel randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Participants were initially matched based on sex, duration of dialysis and diabetes, body mass index and age. Subsequently, they were randomly divided into two groups to take either a capsule containing the probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium bifidum or placebo for 12 weeks. Based on three-day dietary records throughout the trial, there was no significant change in dietary macro- and micro-nutrients or total dietary fiber to confound results. After the 12 weeks, analysis of patients who received probiotic supplements compared with the placebo showed they had significantly decreased fasting plasma glucose (-22.0 vs. +6.6 mg/dl), serum insulin (-6.4 vs. +2.3 μIU/ml), homeostasis model of assessment-estimated insulin resistance (-2.9 vs. +2.5), homeostasis model of assessment-estimated beta-cell function (-14.1 vs. +6.1) and HbA1c (-0.4 vs. -0.1%,), and improved quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (+0.03 vs. -0.02). Additionally, compared with the placebo, probiotic supplementation resulted in significant reductions in serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (-1933 vs. +252 ng/ml), plasma malondialdehyde (-0.3 vs. +1.0 μmol/l), subjective global assessment scores (-0.7 vs. +0.7) and total iron binding capacity (-230 vs. +33 μg/dl), and a significant increase in plasma total antioxidant capacity (+15 vs. -88 mmol/l). Thus, probiotic supplementation for 12 weeks among diabetic hemodialysis patients had beneficial effects on parameters of glucose homeostasis, and some biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 There are many concerns about the integrity of 172 publications by this research group, including this one. Some of the concerns are published 1. Anaesthesia 2020;75:1683u201392, see Supplementary data. This paper is A114 2. Account Res 2020;28:149-61. 3. J Clin Epidemiol 2021;131:22-29. Journals and publishers were notified of these concerns in July 2019. 23 publications have an expression of concern. To our knowledge there has been no public response about any of the concerns. We think these publications are unreliable ,