A randomized double-blind trial on perioperative administration of probiotics in colorectal cancer patients

Table 1 Patient characteristics (mean ± SD)

	Placebo (n = 10)	Low dose (n = 11)	High dose (n = 10)	P
Age (yr)	63.3 ± 10.2	64.7 ± 4.8	62.7 ± 7.8	0.49
Male/female	7/3	8/3	7/3	0.86
BMI (kg/m2)	25.6 ± 2.6	26.5 ± 4.1	24.4 ± 3.7	0.24
Hemoglobin (g/L)	121 ± 21	131 ± 21	128 ± 17	0.30
Leukocytes (cells/mm3)	6.5 ± 1.9	7.5 ± 1.5	7.9 ± 2.3	0.15
Blood glucose (mg/dL)	109.2 ± 48.3	100.7 ± 19.5	103.4 ± 30.1	0.63
Creatinine (mg/dL)	0.8 ± 0.1	0.9 ± 0.1	0.7 ± 0.1	0.12
Total protein (g/dL)	7.1 ± 0.7	7.3 ± 0.7	7.6 ± 0.5	0.13
Bilirubin (mg/dL)	0.5 ± 0.4	0.7 ± 0.2	0.7 ± 0.3	0.17
ALT (IU/L)	18.7 ± 5.5	26.3 ± 12.2	16.7 ± 5.7	0.08
Type of operation
Left colectomy	4	6	5
Right colectomy	3	2	2	0.72
Rectal resection	3	3	3

BMI: Body mass index; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase

Table 2 Variation of microbiota at day 0 (mean ± SD) n (%)

	Placebo (n = 10)	Low dose (n = 11)	High dose (n = 10)
Patients colonized with La1	0	3 (27.2)	6 (60)a
Patients colonized with BB536	0	0	0
Lactobacillus count in stools, Log10	3.1 ± 1.1	4.2 ± 0.4	5.3 ± 0.9b
Enterobacteriaceae count in stools, Log10	4.5 ± 0.2	4.6 ± 0.6	2.4 ± 0.3c
Enterococci count in stools, Log10	4.3 ± 0.5	4.1 ± 0.4	3.4 ± 0.7
Rate of enterobacteriaceae adherence to colonic mucosa	7 (70)	9 (81.8)	3 (30)d
Rate of enterococci adherence to colonic mucosa	6 (60)	5 (45.5)	3 (30)

^aP = 0.02 vs placebo;

^bP = 0.04 vs placebo;

^cP = 0.07 vs placebo;

^dP = 0.03 vs low dose.

Table 3 Percent of patients with variation of enterococci and enterobacteriaceae colonization of feces (day 0 vs day -4) n (%)

	Patients colonized with La1 (n = 9)	Patients not colonized with La1 (n = 22)
Enterobacteriaceae
Unchanged/increased	2 (22.2)	9 (40.9)
Decreased	7 (77.8)	13 (59.1)
Enterococci
Unchanged/increased	1 (11.1)	11 (50)
Decreased	8 (88.9)a	11 (50)

^aP = 0.004 vs unchanged/increased.