Randomized Clinical Trial
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World J Gastroenterol. Jul 14, 2014; 20(26): 8709-8716
Published online Jul 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i26.8709
I.31, a new combination of probiotics, improves irritable bowel syndrome-related quality of life
Vicente Lorenzo-Zúñiga, Elba Llop, Cristina Suárez, Beatriz Álvarez, Luis Abreu, Jordi Espadaler, Jordi Serra
Vicente Lorenzo-Zúñiga, Jordi Serra, Gastroenterology, Motility and Functional Gut Disorders Unit, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol/CIBERehd, 08916 Badalona, Spain
Elba Llop, Cristina Suárez, Beatriz Álvarez, Luis Abreu, Gastroenterology, Hospital Puerta de Hierro, 28222 Madrid, Spain
Jordi Espadaler, AB-Biotics, 08916 Badalona, Spain
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to this paper.
Supported by Spanish Ministry of Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (in part), No. PI10/02135
Correspondence to: Jordi Serra, MD, PhD, Gastroenterology, Motility and Functional Gut Disorders Unit, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol/CIBERehd, Carretera del Canyet s/n, 08916 Badalona, Spain. jserrap.germanstrias@gencat.cat
Telephone: +34-93-4978866  Fax: +34-93-4978866
Received: November 6, 2013
Revised: February 5, 2014
Accepted: March 19, 2014
Published online: July 14, 2014
Core Tip

Core tip: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a benign functional gut disorder, and its severity is closely related to the impact of the disorder on quality of life. Probiotic bacteria have been shown to have a modest beneficial effect on abdominal symptoms in patients with IBS, but the effect of probiotics on IBS-related quality of life (IBS-QoL) is unclear. The present study was designed to specifically address the effect of a probiotic combination (I.31) on IBS-QoL, and demonstrates that I.31 is superior to placebo in improving IBS-QoL. These data suggest that I.31 may be beneficial for the global management of this complex disorder.