PROBIOTC BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH.docVIP

MEDICINA?- Volumen 62 - No 2, 2002 MEDICINA (Buenos Aires) 2002; 62: 159-163 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? PROBIOTIC BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH ? EFFECT OF LACTOBACILLUS STRAINS (L. CASEI AND L. ACIDOPHILLUS STRAINS CERELA) ON BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH-RELATED CHRONIC DIARRHEA DAVID GAON1, 2, 3, CARMEN GARMENDIA2, NORBERTO O. MURRIELO3, ALFREDO DE CUCCO GAMES3, ANGEL CERCHIO3, RICARDO QUINTAS1, SILVIA N. GONZALEZ4, GUILLERMO OLIVER41Cátedra de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires; 2ELMA (Empresa Líneas Marítimas Argentinas), Buenos Aires; 3Hospital Espa?ol, Buenos Aires; 4CERELA (Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos), San Miguel de Tucumán Abstract Small bowel bacterial overgrowth and related diarrhea is a condition that frequently accompanies anatomic disorders, surgically created blind loops or strictures with partial small bowel obstruction and although it is often controlled with antimicrobial therapy, alternative treatment may be needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an oral probiotic preparation of 2 viable lyophilized strains of lactobacilli (1.5 g each) compared with placebo.Twenty two patients with proven overgrowth and chronic diarrhea are described. In random order and double-blind fashion, 2 groups of patients received identical capsules with both Lactobacillus casei and L. acidophillus strains CERELA (12 patients) (LC) and placebo (10 patients) (P) during three consecutive periods of 7 days each followed by a similar three periods of control after withdrawal. At the end of each period the mean daily number of stools, glucose breath H2 test, and symptoms were considered. Lactobacillus were investigated in feces in both groups at day 0 (baseline), on day 21 of treatment with LC and P and on day 21 after withdrawal. Compared with P a significant reduction in mean daily number of stools was achieved with LC (p 0.005) at 15 days, and (p 0.0005) at 21 days and the effect was sustained at 7 days and 15 days (p 0.005) a