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. 2008 May 7;14(17):2650–2661. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.2650

Table 1.

Description of 20 randomized, controlled trials of probiotics for IBS included in systematic review

Reference Probiotic Type of control Number of subjects randomized Number analyzed Dose (cfu/d) Duration of treatment (wk) % attrition
Maupas[45] Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii lyo Placebo capsules 34 34 9 × 109 4 0
Gade[46] Streptococcus faecium 40371 Placebo tablets 58 54 1 × 1012 4 7
Halpern[47] L. acidophilus (heat killed) “Lacteol Fort” Placebo capsules 29 18 2 × 1010 6 38
Nobaek[48] Lactobacillus plantarum DSM9843, in rose hip drink Placebo plain rose hip drink 60 52 5 × 107 4 13
O'Sullivan[49] Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Placebo tablets 24 19 1 × 1010 8 21
Niedzielin[50] Lactobacillus plantarum 299v, “ProViva” drink Placebo drink 40 40 2 × 1010 4 0
Kim[51] VSL#3 (mix of 8 strains) powder packet1 Placebo powder 25 25 9 × 1011 8 4
Bausserman[52] Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Placebo capsules 58 50 2 × 1010 6 22
Bittner[53] Prescript-assist® 29 soil strains and prebiotic “leonardite” Placebo capsules 27 25 2.6 × 108 2 7
Kajander[54] L. rhamnosus GG + L. rham. LC705 + Bifido. breve Bb99 +Prop. freudenreichii Placebo capsules 103 81 8-9 × 109 24 21
Kim[55] VSL#3 yogurt1 Placebo yogurt 48 48 8 × 109 4 0
Niv[56] Lactobacillus reuteri 55730 Placebo capsules 54 39 2 × 108 24 28
O’Mahony[17] L. salivaricus UCC4331 Placebo drink 54 51 1 × 1010 8 16
O’Mahony[17] Bifido. infantis 35624 Placebo drink 53 49 1 × 1010 8 16
Kim[57] B. subtilus + Strept. faecalis Placebo capsules 40 34 3 × 1010 4 15
Simren[58] L. plantarum 299v in rose hip drink plain rose hip drink 66 58 2 × 109 6 12
Whorwell[35] Bifido. infantis 35624 in 3 doses Placebo capsules 362 292 1 × 106 4 19
1 × 108
1 × 1010
Enck[59] E. coli + Strept faecalis drink Placebo drink 297 264 4.5 × 102 8 11
Gawronska[60] L. rhamnosus GG Placebo capsules 37 37 6 × 109 4 0
Marteau[61] Bifido. longum, Lact acidophilus, Lactococcus lactis, Strept. thermophilus Placebo capsules 106 100 1 × 1010 4 6
Simren[62] Lact. paracasei, Lact acidophilus, Bifido. lactis in yoghurt Control milk 74 67 2 × 1010 8 9

IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome; cfu/d: Colony forming units per day; Bifido.: Bifidobacterium; B.: Bacillus; E.: Escherichia; L.: Lactobacillus; Prop.: Propionibacterium.

1

VSL#3 is a mixture of 8 probiotic strains (Lactobacillus casei, L. plantarum, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, Bifido. longum, Bifido. breve, Bifido. infantis and Streptococcus thermophilus).