Lionetti E, Miniello VL, Castellaneta SP, Magista AM, De Canio a, Giovanni M, Ierardi E, Cavallo L, Francavilla R.(2006) Aliment Pharmacol Ther 24:1461-1468
ABSTRACT
A double blind, randomised and placebo-controlled study investigating the effect of Lactobacillus reuteri on gastrointestinal side-effects during and after anti-Helicobacter pylori treatment. Forty dyspeptic children, aged 3-18 years, with confirmed H.pylory infection werw enrolled. They werw treated with 10 day sequential antibiotic treatment and randomised to receive either L.reuteri (100 000 000 CFU/day, n=20) or placebo (n=20) for 20 days, starting from the first day of treatment. The severity of side effects was measured using a validated scoring system (GSRS score). At entry, children in both groups had similar GSRS scores (6.9 in the L.reuteri group and 7.1 in the placebo group) but during eradication therapy and follow-up, the L-reuteri-supplemented children significantly improved their gastrointestinal health compared to the placebo group: On day 10 the score was 4.1 in the L-reuteri group vs. 6.2 in the placebo group (p<0.01) and on day 20 the scores were 3.2 and 5.8 respectively, (p<0.009). The rates of H. pylori eradication were the same in the two groups. Conclusion: L. reuteri supplementation during and after H.pylori eradication therapy significantly reduced the frequency and intensity of antibiotic -associated side effects.