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A multi-strain Synbiotic may reduce viral respiratory infections in asthmatic children: a randomized controlled trial
Hamid Ahanchian1, Seyed Ali Jafari2, Elham Ansari3
1MD, Children's Health and Environment Program, Queensland Children's Medical Research Center, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; MD. Allergist and Immunologist, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Insights
A new synbiotic supplement, Lactocare®, significantly reduced viral respiratory infections in children with asthma during the first month of treatment. This intervention also lowered salbutamol use, offering a potential new strategy for managing pediatric asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Microbiome Research
- Clinical Nutrition
Background:
- Asthma exacerbations are a significant global health concern, particularly in children.
- Viral respiratory infections are the primary trigger for pediatric asthma exacerbations, accounting for 80-85% of cases.
- Effective strategies are needed to reduce the frequency and severity of these exacerbations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a novel synbiotic, Lactocare®, in mitigating viral respiratory infections in children with mild persistent asthma.
- To assess the impact of synbiotic supplementation on asthma-related outcomes, including exacerbations and medication use.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial was conducted with 72 children aged 6-12 years with mild persistent asthma.
- Participants received either Lactocare® (a synbiotic blend) or a placebo daily for 60 days.
- Primary outcome: number of viral respiratory infections; Secondary outcomes: school absence, medication use (salbutamol, prednisolone), outpatient visits, and hospital admissions.
Main Results:
- The synbiotic group experienced significantly fewer viral respiratory infections during the first month compared to the placebo group (0.44 vs. 0.74 episodes, p < 0.007).
- Over the two-month study period, the synbiotic group showed a significant reduction in total infection episodes (0.69 vs. 0.92, p < 0.046).
- Synbiotic use led to significantly lower consumption of salbutamol, although no significant differences were observed in school absenteeism, prednisolone use, outpatient visits, or hospital admissions.
Conclusions:
- The synbiotic Lactocare®, comprising seven probiotic strains and fructooligosaccharide, demonstrated a potential to decrease viral infection episodes in asthmatic children.
- This synbiotic may serve as a valuable adjunct therapy for reducing the burden of viral infections in pediatric asthma management.
Background And Objective:
Asthma is a growing problem worldwide. Acute exacerbations impose considerable morbidity, mortality, and increased cost. Viral respiratory infections are the most common cause (80-85%) of pediatric asthma exacerbations and admissions to the hospital. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a new synbiotic Lactocare® on viral respiratory infections and asthma exacerbations in asthmatic children.
Methods:
In this double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial, 72 children with mild persistent asthma, aged between 6 and 12 years, were randomized to receive either Lactocare®, a Synbiotic containing 1 billion CFU/Capsule of Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium breve, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium infantis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Fructooligosacharide (Zist Takhmir, Tehran, Iran) or placebo daily for 60 days. The primary outcome was the number of viral respiratory infections, and secondary outcomes were school absence, salbutamol and prednisolone usage, outpatient visits, and hospital admission for asthma. The outcomes were compared among study groups using the SPSS 11.5 program and the Mann Whitney and Fisher exact tests.
Results:
Of the 72 children who were enrolled with mild persistent asthma, 36 were assigned randomly to be treated with synbiotic and 36 with placebo. The number of viral respiratory infections was significantly higher in placebo group than the synbiotic group during the first month of intervention (0.74 ± 0.12 vs. 0.44 ± 0.1, p < 0.007) but not during the second month (0.5 ± 0.8 vs. 0.5 ± 0.8, p < 0.641). Considering the total duration of the study (two months), infection episodes also were significantly lower in the synbiotic group (0.92 ± 0.15 vs. 0.69 ± 0.11, p < 0.046). Salbutamol consumption was significantly lower in the synbiotic group, but there were no significant differences in school absenteeism, oral prednisolone use, outpatient visits, or hospital admissions.
Conclusion:
This new synbiotic (a mixture of seven probiotic strains plus fructooligosacharide may reduce episodes of viral infection in asthmatic children.
Trial Registration:
This study is registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with registration number of IRCT201509234976N3.
Funding:
This research was supported financially by the Research Council of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (Grant Number: 911048).
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