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 .
Effect of probiotic Bifidobacterium longum BB536 [corrected] in relieving clinical symptoms and modulating plasma cytokine levels of Japanese cedar pollinosis during the pollen season. A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Probiotic microorganisms have been shown to be effective in the treatment of allergic inflammation and food allergy , but their efficacy remains controversial . This study tested the effect of a yogurt supplemented with a probiotic strain Bifidobacterium longum BB536 in the treatment of Japanese cedar pollinosis ( JCPsis ) . Forty subjects with a clinical history of JCPsis were given yoghurt either containing BB536 ( BB536 yoghurt ) or without BB536 ( placebo yoghurt ) at 2 X 100 g per day for 14 weeks , in a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial . Subjective symptoms and self-care measures were recorded daily and blood sample s were taken before and during the intervention ( at weeks 4 , 9 , and 14 ) to measure the blood parameter levels related to JCPsis . Yoghurt supplemented with BB536 significantly alleviated eye symptoms compared with placebo yoghurt ( odds ratio 0.31 ; 95 % confidence interval 0.10 - 0.97 ; p = 0.044 ) . Although no statistically significant differences were detected , nasal symptoms such as itching , rhinorrhea , and blockage , as well as throat symptoms tended to be relieved with the BB536 yoghurt . BB536 tended to suppress the decreasing blood levels of interferon-gamma ( IFN-y ) and the increasing blood eosinophil rates ; a significantly higher IFN-gamma level was observed for the difference from baseline at week 4 . A decreased trend in the difference from baseline levels of JCP-specific IgE levels was also observed at week 4 in the BB536 group compared with the placebo group . In conclusion , these results suggest that intake of BB536-supplemented yoghurt may relieve JCPsis symptoms , probably through a modulating effect on Th balance
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 .