Table 5.
Global Improvement in IBS Symptoms in 14 probiotic/placebo treatment arms
| Reference | Probiotic |
Global improvement in IBS symptoms |
Definition of primary outcome1 | |
| Probiotic n/n (%) | Placebo n/n (%) | |||
| Maupas[45] | Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii lyo | 13/16 (81) | 13/18 (72) | Improvement of symptoms |
| Gade[46] | Strept faecalis | 26/32 (81) | 9/22 (41) | Improvement of symptoms based on physician assessment |
| Halpern[47] | L. acidophilus | 17/18 (94) | 13/18 (72) | Absence of symptoms |
| Nobaek[48] | L. plantarum | 11/25 (44) | 7/27 (26) | Decrease ≥ 1.5 on VAS symptom scale |
| Niedzielin[50] | L. plantarum | 9/20 (45) | 3/20 (15) | Absence of symptoms |
| Kim[51] | VSL#32 | 4/12 (34) | 5/13 (38) | Satisfactory relief of IBS symptoms |
| Kajander[54] | L. rhamnosus GG + L. rham. LC705 + Bifid. breve Bb99 + Prop. freudenreichii | 31/41 (76) | 17/40 (43) | Symptoms alleviated based on significant reduction of symptom scores |
| Simren[58] | L. plantarum | 10/29 (35) | 11/29 (38) | Reduction ≥ 50% of total symptom score |
| Whorwell[35] | Bifido. infantis (dose, 106 cfu/mL) | 33/74 (44) | 32/76 (42) | Adequate relief of symptoms |
| Whorwell[35] | Bifido. infantis (dose, 108 cfu/mL) | 45/72 (62) | 32/76 (42) | Adequate relief of symptoms |
| Whorwell[35] | Bifido. infantis (dose, 1010 cfu/mL) | 26/71 (37) | 32/76 (42) | Adequate relief of symptoms |
| Enck[59] | E. coli + Strept faecalis | 102/149 (68) | 56/148 (38) | Reduction of ≥ 50% in total symptom score |
| Marteau[61] | Bifido. longum, L. acidophilus, Lactococcus lactis, Strept thermophilus | 20/47 (42.6) | 22/52 (42.3) | Relief of discomfort |
| Simren[62] | L. paracasei, L. acidophilus, Bifido. lactis in yoghurt | 14/33 (42) | 17/34 (50) | Reduction of ≥ 50% in total symptom score |
1
Unless otherwise stated, all primary outcomes are defined based on patient report.
2
VSL#3 is a mixture of 8 probiotic strains (Lactobacillus casei, L. plantarum, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium infantis and Streptococcus thermophilus).