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©2008 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 7, 2008; 14(13): 2029-2036
Published online Apr 7, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.2029
Probiotic intervention has strain-specific anti-inflammatory effects in healthy adults
Riina A Kekkonen, Netta Lummela, Heli Karjalainen, Sinikka Latvala, Soile Tynkkynen, Salme Järvenpää, Hannu Kautiainen, Ilkka Julkunen, Heikki Vapaatalo, Riitta Korpela
Riina A Kekkonen, Riitta Korpela, University of Helsinki, Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, PO Box 63, 00014 Helsinki, Finland and Valio Ltd, Research Centre, Meijeritie 4, Helsinki 00370, Finland
Netta Lummela, Heli Karjalainen, Soile Tynkkynen, Valio Ltd, Research Centre, Meijeritie 4, Helsinki 00370, Finland
Sinikka Latvala, Ilkka Julkunen, National Public Health Institute, Department of Viral Diseases and Immunology, Mannerheimintie 166, Helsinki 00300, Finland
Salme Järvenpää, Hannu Kautiainen, Medcare Foundation, Äänekoski, Finland
Heikki Vapaatalo, University of Helsinki, Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, PO Box 63, Helsinki 00014, Finland
Author contributions: Kekkonen RA designed and coordinated the study, did the PBMC analysis participated in the interpretation of the results and wrote the paper; Lummela N participated in planning the study, was responsible for the study visits and created the database; Latvala S helped in the PBMC analysis; Karjalainen H and Tynkkynen S were responsible for the microbiological analysis; Kautiainen H and Järvenpää S participated in planning the study, carried out the statistical analysis, participated in the interpretation of the results and revised the manuscript; Julkunen I offered expertise in immunology and revised the manuscript; Vapaatalo H participated in planning the study and in the interpretation of the results, supervised the study and revised the manuscript; Korpela R initiated the study, participated in planning the study and the interpretation of the results, was responsible for the management of the study, and revised the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Riitta Korpela, PhD, Assistant Professor, Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, PO Box 63, 00014 Univ-ersity of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland. riitta.korpela@valio.fi
Telephone: +35-810-3813026
Fax: +35-810-3813019
Received: December 11, 2007
Revised: February 21, 2008
Published online: April 7, 2008
AIM: To evaluate the effects of three potentially anti-inflammatory probiotic bacteria from three different genera on immune variables in healthy adults in a clinical setting based on previous in vitro characterization of cytokine responses.
METHODS: A total of 62 volunteers participated in this randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled parallel group intervention study. The volunteers were randomized to receive a milk-based drink containing either Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Bb12 (Bb12), or Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS (PJS) or a placebo drink for 3 wk. Venous blood and saliva samples were taken at baseline and on d 1, 7 and 21. Fecal samples were collected at baseline and at the end of intervention.
RESULTS: The serum hsCRP expressed as the median AUC0-21 (minus baseline) was 0.018 mg/L in the placebo group, -0.240 mg/L in the LGG group, 0.090 mg/L in the Bb12 group and -0.085 mg/L in the PJS group (P = 0.014). In vitro production of TNF-α from in vitro cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was significantly lower in subjects receiving LGG vs placebo. IL-2 production from PBMC in the Bb12 group was significantly lower compared with the other groups.
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, probiotic bacteria have strain-specific anti-inflammatory effects in healthy adults.
