Table 1.
Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials on the Treatment of Eczema With Probiotics
| Study | No. Patients | Age | Eczema in Baseline | Sensitized in Baseline | Intervention and Amount of Probiotics (cfu). Duration of Intervention (Weeks) | Clinical Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Majamaa and Isolauri (1997)[30] | A1 = 13 | 2 to 16 months | Moderate to severe, suspected cow's milk allergy | ~30% | A1: LGG 5 × 108/g of hydrolyzed formula (HF) | Reduced SCORAD [31] |
| C: HF | ||||||
| C = 14 | Duration: 4 weeks | |||||
| Isolauri et al (2000)[32] | A1 = 9 | 4 to 6 months | Eczema during exclusive breast-feeding | Not given | Infants weaned to: | Reduced SCORAD |
| A1: LGG 5 × 108/g in HF | ||||||
| A2 = 9 | A2: B. lactis in HF | |||||
| C = 9 | C: HF | |||||
| Rosenfeldt et al (2003)[33] | 43 | 1 to 13 years | SCORAD > 15 | 63% | Double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study: | Reduced subjective symptoms; reduced SCORAD in sensitized children during active period |
| A: L. rhamnosus 10 × 1010 and L. reuteri 1 × 1010 twice daily | ||||||
| P: skimmed milk powder Duration: 6 weeks |
||||||
| Viljanen et al (2005)[35] | A1 = 80 | 1 to 12 months | Moderate to severe, referred to hospital for suspected cow's milk allergy | 59% | A1: LGG 5 × 109 and HF | In A1 reduced SCORAD in sensitized infants |
| A2 = 76 | A2: LGG, L. rhamnosus LC705, Bifidobacterium breve, Propionibacterium freudenreichii total 1 × 109 and HF | |||||
| C = 74 | C: HF Duration: 4 weeks |
|||||
| Weston et al (2005)[34] | A = 28 | 6 to 18 months | Moderate to severe | 71% | L. fermentum VRI-003 2 × 109 daily | Reduced SCORAD at the end of intervention and 16 weeks after intervention |
| C = 28 | SCORAD ≥ 25 | Duration: 8 weeks | ||||
| Brouwer et al (2006)[36] | A1 = 16 | < 5 months | Eczema and suspected cow's milk allergy | 38% | A1: HF with LGG 5 × 109 cfu/100 mL of formula | No effect |
| A2 = 13 | A2: HF with L. rhamnosus 5 × 109/100 mL of formula | |||||
| C = 13 | Placebo: HF Duration: 12 weeks |
|||||
| Sistek et al (2006)[39] | A = 29 | 1 to 10 years | All atopic (sensitized) | 100% | L. rhamnosus and B. lactis 2 × 1010 daily | Reduced SCORAD in food-sensitized infants |
| C = 30 | SCORAD ≥ 10 | (food, A = 66%, P = 80%) | Duration: 12 weeks | |||
| Fölster-Holst et al (2006)[38] | A = 26 | 1 to 55 months | Moderate to severe | 38% | LGG 10 × 109 daily | No effect |
| C = 27 | Duration: 8 weeks | |||||
| Grüber et al (2007)[37] | A = 54 | 3 to 12 months | Mild to moderate | 55% | LGG capsules > 5 × 109 twice daily | No effect |
| C = 48 | SCORAD 15 to 40 | (A = 62%, P = 47%) | Duration: 12 weeks |
A, active treatment group; C, placebo group.