The Effect of a Probiotic Intervention in Healthy Subjects and Patients With Atopic Dermatitis

April 10, 2008 updated by: University of Jena

Intervention Study on the Effects of a Probiotic Yoghurt Drink on the Immune System and Further Physiological Parameters in Patients With Atopic Dermatitis and Healthy Persons

The study was performed to investigate the effects of a probiotic supplementation containing Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37, Lactobacillus acidophilus 74-2 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DGCC 420 (B. lactis 420) on clinical, immunological and faecal parameters in healthy volunteers and in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Recent studies suggest that oral bacteriotheraphy with probiotic bacteria might be useful to alleviate atopic dermatitis in infants. There are few indications about the effect of probiotics in the management of atopic dermatitis in adults.

As a precondition for participating in this study, the subjects were provided information in writing and verbally about the details of the study. Informed consent was obtained from all volunteers. Before the beginning of the study, all participants were subject to a medical examination in the Clinic for Dermatology and Dermatologic Allergology of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The AD was diagnosed according to the atopy-score of Diepgen. Severity of eczema was evaluated by using the SCORAD score. A skin prick test was performed for the exclusion of type 1 sensitivity to cow's milk.

The study was designed as a placebo-controlled and cross-over study. After a 3-week run-in period the 30 participants (15 healthy subjects and 15 patients with AD) were randomized to receive either 200 ml/d of a probiotic drink containing L. paracasei Lpc-37, L. acidophilus 74-2 and B. lactis 420 or 200 ml/d of a placebo drink for 8 weeks. After a 2-week washout period the intervention was crossed between the groups and the respective products were consumed for another 8 weeks followed by a 2-week washout period. Venous blood and fresh stool samples were collected before the beginning and at the end of each period. In AD patients the Scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) was assessed by the same physician every 4 weeks and 2 weeks after the wash-out period, respectively.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

30

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Germany
    • Thuringia
      • Jena, Thuringia, Germany, 07743
        • University of Jena, Institute of Nutrition, Department of Nutritional Physiology

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 40 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Healthy subjects:

  • No allergic asthma
  • No allergic rhinoconjunctivitis
  • No food allergies
  • Exclusion of atopic diathesis (< 7 points in Erlangen atopy score)

Patients with AD:

  • Clear diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (> 10 points in the Erlangen atopy score) or flexural eczema or pruritis for at least 12 months (recidivating or permanent)
  • SCORAD 5-30 (minor or medium AD)
  • Willingness to apply for the duration of the study exclusively the cosmetic products recommended by the accompanying doctor and to use the recommended class II corticosteroid (Advantan) as further therapy of AD (for example during an episode)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy, lactation
  • Immune suppressive or cytostatic therapy or systemic steroids < 1 month before the first intake
  • Phototherapy or systemic therapy of AD < 1 month before the first intake
  • Active infections of the skin
  • Relevant asthma disease, which must be treated with inhalative corticoids (FEV1 < 70 %)
  • Patients with an indigestibility of/allergy against the components of milk/lactose intolerance (previously known or detected in the allergy test)
  • Patients under long-term treatment with systemic steroids, depot steroids, long-acting antihistamines, tranquilizers, psychopharmaceuticals
  • Intake of antihistamines, psychopharmaceuticals with antihistaminic effect and application of steroid containing cream to the forearms within the past 7 days before prick testing resp. treatment of the patient with Astemizol (Hismanal) within 4 weeks before the test. Such patients must be excluded from the study because of the long half-life of the medicament.
  • Acute or chronic symptomatic heart disease or severe internistic diseases
  • Autoimmune diseases, immune deficiencies (including immune suppressive treatment)
  • Immune-complex-induced immunopathies or malignant tumors
  • Abuse of alcohol, drugs or medicaments

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Probiotic
intervention
Dietary supplement: probiotics
Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37, Lactobacillus acidophilus 74-2 Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DGCC 420

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
SCORAD change in patients with AD taken at baseline and after 4 and 8 weeks, respectively -change in phagocytic and oxidative burst activity of monocytes and granulocytes at baseline and after 8 weeks
Time Frame: 8 weeks
8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
cellular and humoral immunological parameters (CD's; Interleukins); detection of bacterial species in faecs, faecal short-chain fatty acids, blood lipids
Time Frame: 8 weeks
8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Jena

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Gerhard Jahreis, Prof. Dr., University of Jena, Dept. of Nutritional Physiology

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

December 1, 2004

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2005

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2005

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 25, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 25, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

October 29, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

April 15, 2008

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 10, 2008

Last Verified

April 1, 2008

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • LSEP H18-05

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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