Document Type : Research articles

Authors

• Touran Shahraki ^{1, 2}
• Mansour Shahraki ^{2, 3}
• Elham Shafighi Shahri ⁴
• Mehdi Mohammadi ⁵

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran

² Children and Adolescent Health Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran

³ Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran

⁴ Pediatrician, Imam Ali Hospital, Zahedan, IR Iran

⁵ Associate Professor, Biostatistics, Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, IR Iran

Abstract

Background: Lactobacillus reuteri is a probiotic that originated from humans and have been used for eradication of the Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection.
Objectives: This study was aimed to determine whether adding probiotics to a triple regimen against HP could improve the eradication rate.
Methods: In a double-blind randomized clinical trial in Iran between October 2012 and January 2014, all eligible patients (Fifty HP positive children, 5 - 14 years old, mean age: 8.5 + 2.5 years, Male/female: 17/33) were entered into the study based on the convenience sampling method and random selection. An endoscopy was performed on all patients and the subjects received antibiotics as well as proton pomp inhibitors with or without the probiotic (Lactobacillus reuteri) in two separate groups. Four weeks after the end of treatment (discontinuation of all medicine) a urea breath test was performed in both groups in order to evaluate eradication of the HP infection.
Results: Eradication rate in the group that received Lactobacillus reuteri was 88% compared to the group that was treated with standard Helicobacter pylori regimen (76%). This study showed the eradication rate of the probiotics group was 12% higher than the control group, although it was not significant (P = 0.46). Furthermore, results of this study showed a reduction of symptoms before and after treatment in both groups, although the difference between two groups was not significant.
Conclusions: There was no significant effect of Lactobacillus reuteri on the eradication of Helicobacter pylori compared to the standard group. More research in this regard is recommended.

Keywords

• Children
• Lactobacillus reuteri
• Helicobacter pylori