The Effect of Probiotics on Treatments in Patients Affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review

Background: Gut dysbiosis has been associated with development and progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Over the last two decades, many publications have focused on the role of probiotics in IBD. However, studies regarding the treatment of IBD with probiotics have not yielded consistent results. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of probiotics in IBD therapy. Results: : A total of seven studies met the criteria and were included in the meta-analysis, which included 879 participants. We finally selected five endpoints to evaluate the efficacy of probiotics, 3 indicators showed the statistical difference, including C-reactive protein (CRP)(OR: -2.45, 95% CI: -3.16, -1.73, P< 0.01), the number of fecal Bifidobacterium (OR: 3.37, 95%CI: 3.28, 3.47, P< 0.01) and Lactobacillus(OR: 2.00, 95%CI: 1.91, 2.09, P< 0.01) . The other two indicators including the disease activity of Crohn’s Disease (CD) (OR: -0.17, 95%CI: -1.46, 1.12, P=0.80) and ulcerative colitis(UC) (OR: -0.31, 95%CI: -1.36, 0.74, P=0.56) showed no statistical difference, while the OR reflected the beneficial relationship between probiotics and IBD. Conclusion: Supplementation of probiotics can improve clinical symptoms in IBD patients, reduce the serological inflammation level, and regulate the intestinal microenvironment, but more RCTs are needed.