Photo Credit: AntonioGuillem
The following is a summary of “Efficacy of probiotics as adjuvant therapy in bronchial asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis” published in the November 2024 issue of Allergy and Immunology by Balan et al.
Asthma is a chronic condition with airway inflammation and frequent exacerbations. Probiotics may help manage asthma by modulating immune responses and inflammation.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the role of probiotics in asthma management.
They performed a systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA guidelines and registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023480098). They searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase up to March 2024, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on probiotics in asthma. Statistical analysis was done using RevMan 5.3, calculating odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI and assessing heterogeneity with I2 statistics.
The results showed that 12 RCTs with 1,401 participants met the inclusion criteria. Probiotics, including Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species, improved asthma control test scores (OR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.18–3.64, P = 0.0001). Probiotics also improved fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in 1 study, but pooled FeNO and eosinophil data were not significant (P = 0.46 and P = 0.29). Fewer asthma exacerbations were found in 1 study, the probiotic group (24/212), compared to placebo (67/210), with no difference in exacerbation duration.
Investigators concluded that probiotic supplementation improved asthma symptom control but did not significantly affect lung function or eosinophil levels. Probiotics were identified as a potential adjunctive therapy for asthma management, particularly in symptom control.
Source: aacijournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13223-024-00922-7
