Specific probiotics alleviate allergic rhinitis during the birch pollen season

Table 1 The clinical characteristics of the study subjects

	Probiotic	Placebo	P-value
N	24	23
Drop-outs	2	1	P > 0.99
Age (yr)	9.0 (4.2-11.9)	8.9 (6.1-12.9)	P = 0.845
Gender (M/F)	11 (13)	8 (15)	P = 0.24
Length (cm)	135.2 (107.3-156.5)	133.6 (113.8-152.5)	P = 0.50
Weight (kg)	31.0 (11.9-47.4)	32.4 (20.2-45.3)	P = 0.80

Data are expressed as mean (range).

Table 2 Number of subjects with nasal eosinophilia n (%)

Month	Placebo	Probiotic
March	14 (63.6)	17 (70.8)
April/May	19 (95.0)	12 (57.1)1
June	12 (60.0)	12 (60.0)

¹P = 0.013 compared to placebo group.

Table 3 Serum immune markers; before, during and after the birch pollen season, median

	March		April/May		June
	Placebo	Probiotic	Placebo	Probiotic	Placebo	Probiotic
Specific IgE birch pollen (kU/L)	26.0 (18.0-45.8)	25.5 (15.5-54.0)	-	-	150.00 (36.0-150.0)1	150.00 (150.0-150.0)1
Blood eosinophils (109/L)	0.30 (0.24-0.44)	0.18 (0.12-0.34)	-	-	0.40 (0.25-0.72)1	0.42 (0.28-069)1
IL-4 (pg/mL)	2.20 (1.5-2.8)	1.70 (0.0-2.2)	1.70 (0.8-2.2)	1.7 (1.3-2.1)	-	-
IL-5 (pg/mL)	19.6 (0.0-69.7)	9.10 (0.0-24.2)	14.70 (0.0-28.3)	18.4 (0.0-60.2)	-	-
IL-6 (pg/mL)	16.6 (5.7-38.3)	4.70 (3.0-11.4)3	4.20 (2.3-7.3)1	3.0 (2.0-3.9)1	-	-
IL-10 (pg/mL)	1.60 (1.4-1.9)	1.50 (0.0-2.1)	1.40 (0.0-1.8)2	0.0 (0.0-1.5)	-	-
TNF-α (pg/mL)	7.70 (3.9-13.5)	3.50 (2.5-5.2)3	2.90 (2.3-4.8)1	2.5 (2.1-3.2)1	-	-
TGF-β2 (pg/mL)	242 (0.0-342)	247 (0.0-369)	213.6 (0.0-314.3)	267.9 (0.0-445.9)	-	-
CD-14 (&mgr;g/mL)	1.20 (1.1-1.3)	1.20 (1.1-1.3)	-	-	1.20 (1.1-1.3)	1.10 (1.1-1.3)

¹Significantly different from previous time point; P < 0.01.

²Significantly different from previous time point; P < 0.05.

³Significantly different between groups; P < 0.05. -: No sample collected. Data are expressed as median (interquartile range).

Table 4 Fecal immune markers; before, during and after the birch pollen season

	Visit 1 (March)		Visit 2 (April/May)		Visit 3 (June)
	Placebo	Probiotic	Placebo	Probiotic	Placebo	Probiotic
Fecal IgA (&mgr;g/g)	157.0 (105.0-278.8)	157.0 (114.0-371.0)	233.0 (136.0-288.8)1	155.0 (44.5-336.5)1	203.0 (99.0-388.0)1	135.0 (63.4-325.3)1
Fecal calprotectin (&mgr;g/g)	21.6 (9.5-58.6)	14.3 (10.7-30.1)	21.1 (12.6-46.7)	16.2 (13.1-31.8)	22.1 (10.9-53.2)	15.5 (12.0-31.5)

¹Significantly different between groups; P < 0.05. Data are expressed as median (interquartile range).

Table 5 Alteration of the fecal microbiota composition during the birch pollen season

	March		April/May		June
	Placebo	Probiotic	Placebo	Probiotic	Placebo	Probiotic
Eubacterium4	2.7 × 109 (0.3 × 109)	2.5 × 109 (0.4 × 109)	1.8 × 109 (1.0 × 109)	1.6 × 109 (0.2 × 109)2	2.00 × 109 (0.2 × 109)	1.9 × 109 (0.3 × 109)
Bifidobacterium4	5.0 × 108 (5.0 × 108)	3.5 × 108 (3.3 × 108)	2.1 × 108 (0.4 × 108)2	1.6 × 108 (0.3 × 108)1	2.50 × 108 (0.4 × 108)	2.0 × 108 (0.2 × 108)
Bacteroides4	4.9 × 108 (3.5 × 108)	5.4 × 108 (3.2 × 108)	2.3 × 108 (0.4 × 108)2	1.7 × 108 (0.3 × 108)1	1.30 × 108 (0.2 × 108)	1.5 × 108 (0.4 × 108)
Clostridium4	1.4 × 108 (1.0 × 108)	1.5 × 108 (0.3 × 108)	0.7 × 108 (0.2 × 108)2	0.8 × 108 (0.2 × 108)1	1.30 × 108 (0.3 × 108)2	1.6 × 108 (0.2 × 108)1
Akkermansia4	1.3 × 108 (0.2 × 108)	1.3 × 108 (0.2 × 108)	1.2 × 108 (0.2 × 108)	1.1 × 108 (0.1 × 108)	0.90 × 108 (0.2 × 108)	1.1 × 108 (0.2 × 108)
B. lactis5	2.6 × 107 (1.7 × 107)	1.5 × 107 (1.3 × 107)	0.1 × 107 (0.1 × 107)	11.2 × 107 (4.2 × 107)13	0.01 × 107 (0.05 × 107)	2.6 × 107 (1.0 × 107)13
L. acidophilus NCFM5	1.0 × 106 (0.8 × 106)	0.7 × 106 (0.5 × 106)	0.2 × 106 (0.1 × 106)1	3.5 × 106 (1.3 × 106)3	0.02 × 106 (0.1 × 106)	4.2 × 106 (2.4 × 106)3

¹Significantly different from previous time point; P < 0.01.

²Significantly different from previous time point; P < 0.05.

³Significantly different from placebo; P < 0.01.

⁴Determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH).

⁵Determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Data are expressed as mean (SE), microbes/g feces.

Table 6 Concentrations of fecal organic acids (mmol/kg)

	March		April/May		June
	Placebo	Probiotic	Placebo	Probiotic	Placebo	Probiotic
Acetic acid	64.6 (6.0)	74.50 (7.2)	59.20 (5.6)	65.50 (5.8)	66.90 (5.1)	58.20 (4.5)
Propionic acid	15.5 (1.3)	17.10 (1.6)	15.20 (1.2)	16.10 (2.1)	16.20 (1.9)	14.60 (1.5)
Isobutyric acid	2.30 (0.3)	2.20 (0.2)	2.00 (0.2)	1.90 (0.1)	1.80 (0.2)	1.90 (0.2)
Butyric acid	11.9 (2.0)	13.40 (2.5)	12.50 (1.2)	11.70 (1.7)	14.00 (1.8)	11.50 (1.7)
2-methylbutyric acid	1.60 (0.2)	1.30 (0.2)	1.60 (0.2)	1.20 (0.1)	1.10 (0.1)1	1.20 (0.2)
Isovaleric acid	1.80 (0.2)	1.70 (0.1)	1.60 (0.2)	1.50 (0.1)	1.50 (0.2)	1.50 (0.2)
Lactic acid	0.14 (0.14)	0.83 (0.56)	0.00 (0.00)	0.14 (0.14)	0.36 (0.25)	0.50 (0.38)
Valeric acid	2.70 (0.3)	2.60 (0.3)	2.70 (0.2)	2.50 (0.2)	2.60 (0.3)	2.50 (0.3)
Capronic acid	0.06 (0.06)	0.31 (0.20)	0.17 (0.12)	0.27 (0.16)	0.03 (0.03)	0.22 (0.09)

¹Significantly different from previous time point; P = 0.05. Data are expressed as mean ± SE.