Table 1.
Comparison of baseline clinical characteristics between the probiotics and control groups
| Characteristic | Probiotics group | Control group | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of patients | 52 | 165 | |
| Age (yr) | 34.5±15.7 | 38.5±13.1 | 0.069 |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 33 (63.5) | 108 (65.5) | 0.793 |
| Female | 19 (36.5) | 57 (34.5) | |
| Disease duration (yr) | 22.3±40.3 | 8.7±13.5 | 0.020 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 22.2±3.9 | 22.6±3.6 | 0.492 |
| Duration of probiotics prescription (day) | 180.2±127.3 | ||
| Type of probiotics | |||
| Lacidofil | 21 (40.4) | ||
| Medilac | 15 (28.8) | ||
| Bioflor | 13 (25.0) | ||
| Ramnos | 3 (5.8) | ||
| Type of IBD | |||
| Crohn disease | 33 (63.5) | 54 (32.7) | <0.001 |
| Ulcerative colitis | 19 (36.5) | 111 (67.3) | |
| Physician global assessment | |||
| Remission or mild | 46 (88.5) | 153 (92.7) | 0.331 |
| Moderate or severe | 6 (11.5) | 12 (7.3) | |
| Stool frequency (/day) | 2.93±2.15 | 2.13±1.48 | 0.014 |
| Stool consistency | |||
| Normal | 31 (59.6) | 117 (70.9) | 0.127 |
| Loose stool or diarrhea | 21 (40.4) | 48 (29.1) | |
| Abdominal pain | |||
| Absence or mild | 38 (73.1) | 157 (95.2) | <0.001 |
| Moderate or severe | 14 (26.9) | 8 (4.8) | |
| Hematocheziaa) | |||
| Absence | 43 (84.3) | 127 (77.0) | 0.263 |
| Presence | 8 (15.7) | 38 (23.0) | |
| History of IBD-related surgeries | |||
| Presence | 18 (34.6) | 25 (15.2) | 0.002 |
| Absence | 34 (65.4) | 140 (84.8) | |
| Drug complianceb) | |||
| Good | 45 (90.0) | 146 (89.0) | 0.845 |
| Poor | 5 (10.0) | 18 (11.0) | |
| C-reactive protein (mg/L) | 10.5±17.31 | 4.17±12.3 | 0.027 |
| ESR (mm/hr) | 18.7±22.4 | 15.8±16.7 | 0.451 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 13.7±2.3 | 13.8±1.6 | 0.788 |
| Total protein (g/dL) | 7.2±0.6 | 11.6±55.5 | 0.599 |
Values are presented as number only, mean±standard deviation, or number (%).
IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
Lacidofil: Pharmbio Korea Co., Seoul, Korea; Medilac: Hanmi Pharma Co., Seoul, Korea; Bioflor: Kuhnil Pharma Co., Seoul, Korea; Ramnos, Hanwha Pharma Co., Seoul, Korea.
a)
One case was not reported in probiotics group.
b)
Two cases and one case were not reported in probiotics group and control group, respectively.