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

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