Effect of a specific Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 strain on minimal/mild hepatic encephalopathy treatment

Table 1 Baseline clinical parameters in examined patients (mean ± SE or %)

	Lactulose group	Rifaximin group	EcN group	P value1
Age, yr	48.92 ± 1.64	49.07 ± 1.76	48.85 ± 1.93	0.996
Male, % (n)	78.6 (11)	78.6 (11)	71.4 (10)	0.877
Etiology of cirrhosis
HCV, % (n)	57.1 (8)	42.9 (6)	50.0 (7)	0.940
Alcoholism, % (n)	21.4 (3)	35.7 (5)	28.6 (4)
Mixed, % (n)	21.4 (3)	21.4 (3)	21.4 (3)
Cirrhosis duration, years	8.14 ± 0.61	8.00 ± 0.61	8.07 ± 0.60	0.986
Time to progression from hepatitis to cirrhosis, years	4.00 ± 0.41	3.42 ± 0.38	3.56 ± 0.32	0.468
Child-pugh score
A, % (n)	35.7 (5)	42.9 (6)	28.6 (4)	0.733
B, % (n)	64.3 (9)	57.1 (8)	71.4 (10)
HE grade
MHE, % (n)	42.9 (6)	35.7 (5)	42.9 (6)	0.979
Grade 1, % (n)	35.7 (5)	35.7 (5)	28.6 (4)
Grade 2, % (n)	21.4 (3)	28.6 (4)	28.6 (4)

¹The difference between all study groups calculated using one-way ANOVA or χ² test for categorical data. HE: Hepatic encephalopathy; MHE: Minimal HE; EcN: Escherichia coli Nissle.

Table 2 The percentage of patients with hepatic encephalopathy and concomitant changes in the microflora under treatment with lactulose, rifaximin and EcN (n = 14 in each group)

Group of microflora	Percentage of patients with dysbiotic disorders, %
	Lactulose group		Rifaximin group		EcN group
	Before treatment	After treatment	Before treatment	After treatment	Before treatment	After treatment
Bifidobacteria	78.6	57.1a	71.4	42.9a	85.7	28.6a,b
Lactobacilli	64.3	42.9a	57.1	35.7a	57.1	21.4a,b
E.coli with normal properties	28.6	28.6	35.7	28.6	35.7	7.1a,b
E.coli with altered properties	28.6	21.4	28.6	14.3a	28.6	0.0a,b
Pathogenic enterobacteria	35.7	28.6	35.7	21.4a	35.7	0.0a,b
Candida	42.9	35.7	50.0	28.6a	50.0	7.1a,b
A change in at least one group of microorganisms was revealed	85.7	71.4a	92.9	64.3a	92.9	28.6a,b

^aP < 0.05 as compared to pre-treatment levels.

^bP < 0.05 as compared to the lactulose treatment.