Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 27, 2025
Investigating the Alleviating Effects of Bacillus cereus Administration on Colitis through Gut Microbiota Modulation
Published on: July 27, 2022
Probiotics improve symptoms of patients with COVID-19 through gut-lung axis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Yong Tian1,2, Hongmei Ran2, Xudong Wen2
1Clinical Medical College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Background:
Multi system symptoms such as gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract exist in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. There is a lack of reliable evidence to prove that probiotics are effective in improving these symptoms. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of probiotics in meta-analysis.
Methods:
We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library up to February 15, 2023. Randomized controlled trials or high quality retrospective studies comparing the efficacy of probiotics as supplementation with non-probiotics in improving symptoms for patients with COVID-19 were included. This meta-analysis assessed endpoints using Review Manager 5.3.
Result:
Ten citations comprising 1198 patients with COVID-19 were included. The results showed that probiotics could increase the number of people with overall symptom improvement (RR = 1.62, 95% CI [1.10, 2.38], P = 0.01) and shorten the duration (days) of overall symptoms (MD = -1.26, 95% CI [-2.36, -0.16], P = 0.02). For the duration (days) of specific symptoms, probiotics could improve diarrhea (MD = -2.12, 95% CI [-2.41, -1.83], P < 0.00001), cough (MD = -2.21, 95% CI [-4.56, 0.13], P = 0.06) and shortness of breath (MD = -1.37, 95% CI [-2.22, -0.53], P = 0.001). Probiotics had no obvious effect on fever, headache and weakness. For inflammation, probiotics could effectively reduce C-reactive Protein (CRP) serum level (mg/L) (MD = -4.03, 95% CI [-5.12, -2.93], P < 0.00001). Regarding hospital stay (days), probiotics group was shorter than non-probiotics group (MD = -0.98, 95% CI [-1.95, -0.01], P = 0.05).
Conclusion:
To some extent probiotics could improve the overall symptoms, inflammatory reaction and shorten hospital stay of patients with COVID-19. Probiotics may improve gastrointestinal symptoms (such as improving intestinal flora and reducing the duration of diarrhea) and further improve respiratory symptoms through the gut-lung axis.
Systematic Review Registration:
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=398309, identifier: CRD42023398309.
More Related Videos
06:07Evaluating Cell Death Using Cell-Free Supernatant of Probiotics in Three-Dimensional Spheroid Cultures of Colorectal Cancer Cells
Published on: June 13, 2020
07:15An In Vitro Batch-culture Model to Estimate the Effects of Interventional Regimens on Human Fecal Microbiota
Published on: July 31, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:17Irritable Bowel Syndrome I: Introduction
IBS is a chronic condition that can persist over a long period or recur frequently.
The pathogenesis of IBS involves a complex interplay of the following factors:
Altered...
01:29Microorganisms in Medicine and Therapeutics
01:20COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
01:05Physiology of Enteric Nervous System and Gut Health
01:23Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis
CF is primarily caused by a genetic mutation in a chromosome 7 gene coding for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The most common gene mutation leading to CF is the ΔF508 mutation,...
01:50What is Monogastric Digestion?