Conclusions The current evidence is not sufficiently strong to verify a preventive role of probiotics in AR , but probiotics may improve the overall quality of life and nasal symptom scores .
Background Allergic rhinitis ( AR ) is a disease of respiratory allergy , and probiotics can provide a potential strategy for its management .
The purpose of this study was to carry out a systematic review to investigate the role of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of AR .
Airway inflammation in probiotic-treated children at 5 years.
Early treatment of new-born high-risk children with certain probiotic strains has reduced the risk of atopic eczema . Whether probiotics reduce risk for airway inflammation in long term is not known . We aim ed at study ing the effect of probiotic treatment during the six first months of life on airway inflammation at age 5 yr . In a r and omized double-blind allergy prevention trial between 2000 and 2007 in Helsinki , Finl and , we gave a probiotic combination , plus pre-biotics , or placebo , to 1018 children during 6 months from birth . At age 5 , we measured exhaled nitric oxide ( FE(NO ) ) in a r and omized sub- population of 160 children . Allergic diseases and IgE-sensitization  were assessed in all infants .  FE(NO ) did not differ between probiotic and placebo groups , median ( interquartile range , IQR ) 5.45 ( 4.3 - 7.3 ) vs. 5.70 ( 3.9 - 6.8 ) ppb , p = 0.22 . FE(NO ) was elevated among those suffering from asthma during the first 5 yr than in healthy non-sensitized children ( p = 0.009 ) . FE(NO ) correlated positively with serum total and allergen-specific IgE concentrations . Early intervention with probiotics and pre-biotics does not affect airway inflammation later in childhood
Conclusions The current evidence is not sufficiently strong to verify a preventive role of probiotics in AR , but probiotics may improve the overall quality of life and nasal symptom scores .
Background Allergic rhinitis ( AR ) is a disease of respiratory allergy , and probiotics can provide a potential strategy for its management .
The purpose of this study was to carry out a systematic review to investigate the role of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of AR .