Table 2.
Methods applied to assess the intestinal barrier function and the efficacy of probiotics.
| Methods | Number | Studies | Participants | Mean difference (95% CI) |
P - value | Heterogeneity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L/M | 8 | 18, 22, 26, 28, 29, 33, 35, 36 | 517 | -0.02 [-0.03, 0.00] | P = 0.06 | I2 = 87% |
| Fecal Zonulin | 5 | 22, 23, 25, 38, 42 | 190 | -1.63 [-14.06, 10.81] | P = 0.80 | I2 = 50% |
| Serum Zonulin | 5 | 22, 27, 29, 40, 42 | 385 | -1.58 [-2.49, -0.66] | P = 0.0007 | I2 = 92% |
| ET | 4 | 27, 38, 44, 45 | 219 | -3.20 [-5.41, -0.98] | P = 0.005 | I2 = 97% |
| DAO | 5 | 23, 26, 38, 41, 45 | 268 | -0.31 [-1.03, 0.40] | P = 0.39 | I2 = 86% |
| L/R | 4 | 30, 31, 34, 42 | 143 | -0.04 [-0.13, 0.04] | P = 0.33 | I2 = 97% |
| TER | 3 | 21, 28, 29 | 170 | 5.27 [3.82, 6.72] | P < 0.00001 | I2 = 0% |
| LPS | 3 | 34, 39, 41 | 113 | -0.47 [-0.85, -0.09] | P = 0.02 | I2 = 48% |
| D-LA | 2 | 44, 45 | 150 | -1.95 [-4.57, 0.68] | P = 0.15 | I2 = 98% |
| I-FABP | 2 | 19, 28 | 187 | 67.93 [3.43, 132.43] | P = 0.04 | I2 = 72% |
| Fecal calprotectin | 2 | 23, 38 | 89 | 31.78 [-138.88, 202.45] | P = 0.72 | I2 = 65% |
| LBP | 2 | 23, 38 | 89 | 0.10 [-0.31, 0.52] | P = 0.63 | I2 = 0% |
| HRP | 2 | 28, 29 | 250 | -0.54 [-0.60, -0.49] | P < 0.00001 | I2 = 0% |
| S/E | 1 | 42 | 25 | 0.01 [0.00, 0.02] | P = 0.01 | Not applicable |
| Mannitol permeability | 1 | 21 | 60 | -0.74 [-0.87, -0.61] | P < 0.00001 | Not applicable |
| PEGs | 1 | 19 | 67 | 0.11 [-0.95, 1.17] | P = 0.84 | Not applicable |
| Saccharose recovery | 1 | 26 | 28 | -0.30 [-0.56, -0.04] | P = 0.03 | Not applicable |
| ZO-1 | 1 | 39 | 36 | -0.29 [-0.75, 0.17] | P = 0.22 | Not applicable |
| NO | 1 | 19 | 94 | 214.06 [56.03, 372.09] | P = 0.008 | Not applicable |
L/M, lactulose/mannitol; L/R, lactulose/rhamnose; S/E, sucralose/erythritol; PEGs, polyethylene glycols; D-LA, D-lactic acid; TER, transepithelial electrical resistance; ZO-1, zonula occluden-1; I-FABP, intestinal fatty acid binding protein; NO, nitric oxide; ET, endotoxin; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; LBP, lipopolysaccharide binding protein; HRP, horseradish peroxidase; DAO, diamine oxidase.