TABLE 3.

Histological evaluation of gastric and intestinal biopsy specimens^a

Biopsy specimen	Day 0						Day 28
	Histology score	Mean score (SD) for:					Histology score	Mean score (SD) for:
		CD20	CD3	CD4	CD8	CD68		CD20	CD3	CD4	CD8	CD68
Corpus	0c	1.2 (0.4)	2.1 (0.3)	2.0 (0)	2.1 (0.3)	1.9 (0.3)	0c	1.1 (0.3)	2.0 (0)	2.0 (0)	2.0 (0)	1.4 (0.7)b
Antrum	0c	1.2 (0.6)	2.1 (0.3)	2.0 (0)	2.1 (0.6)	2.1 (0.3)	0c	1.4 (0.7)	2.0 (0)	2.1 (0.3)	2.1 (0.3)	1.7 (0.7)b
Duodenum	0	1.4 (0.5)	2.5 (0.7)	2.7 (0.5)	2.6 (0.5)	2.6 (0.5)	0	1.8 (0.4)b	2.6 (0.7)	3.0 (0)	2.5 (0.5)	2.6 (0.5)
Ileum	0	2.1 (0.6)	3.2 (0.4)	3.2 (0.4)	2.8 (0.4)	2.8 (0.4)	0	2.0 (0)	2.8 (0.4)	4.0 (0)b	3.0 (0)	2.8 (0.4)

^aBiopsy specimens were taken from subjects at baseline (day 0) and after the daily administration of L. reuteri ATCC 55730 at 4 × 10⁸ CFU/day for 28 days (day 28). Histological damage scoring was determined according to the method of Madsen et al. (8), and semiquantitative analysis of B lymphocytes (CD20 positive), T lymphocytes (CD3, CD4, or CD8 positive), and histiocytes (CD68 positive) was performed after specific staining of the sectioned biopsy samples. One biopsy specimen from each subject (n = 10 for corpus, antrum, and duodenum; n = 9 for ileum) was scored as follows: 1 = no cells detected, 2 = single cells detected, 3 = dispersed cells or aggregations of cells detected, and 4 = several adjoining groups of cells detected. Results are expressed as the means and standard deviations of the scores for each cell type and group.

^bP < 0.05 (Wilcoxon signed-rank test) compared to same cell type on day 0.

^cOne subject had a score of 2 related to an H. pylori infection.