Safety of Probiotics Used to Reduce Risk and Prevent or Treat Disease

Susanne Hempel

Objectives: To catalog what is known about the safety of interventions containing Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and/or Bacillus strains used as probiotic agents in research to reduce the risk of, prevent, or treat disease. Data Sources: We searched 12 electronic databases, references of included studies, and pertinent reviews for studies addressing the safety of probiotics from database inception to August 2010 without language restriction. Review Methods: We identified intervention studies on probiotics that reported the presence or absence of adverse health outcomes in human participants, without restriction by study design, participant type, or clinical field. We investigated the quantity, quality, and nature of adverse events. Results: The search identified 11,977 publications, of which 622 studies were included in the review. In 235 studies, only nonspecific safety statements were made ("well tolerated"); the remaining 387 studies reported the presence or absence of specific adverse events. Interventions and adverse events were poorly documented. A number of case studies described fungemia and some bacteremia potentially associated with administered probiotic organisms. Controlled trials did not monitor routinely for such infections and primarily reported on gastrointestinal adverse events. Based on reported adverse events, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed no statistically significantly increased relative risk (RR) of the overall number of experienced adverse events (RR 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93, 1.07, p=0.999); gastrointestinal; infections; or other adverse events, including serious adverse events (RR 1.06; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.16; p=0.201), associated with short-term probiotic use compared to control group participants; long-term effects are largely unknown. Existing studies primarily examined Lactobacillus alone or in combination with other genera, often Bifidobacterium. Few studies directly compared the safety among different intervention or participant characteristics. Indirect comparisons indicated that effects of delivery vehicles (e.g., yogurt, dairy) should be investigated further. Case studies suggested that participants with compromised health are most likely to experience adverse events associated with probiotics. However, RCTs in medium-risk and critically ill participants did not report a statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events compared to control group participants. Conclusions: There is a lack of assessment and systematic reporting of adverse events in probiotic intervention studies, and interventions are poorly documented. The available evidence in RCTs does not indicate an increased risk; however, rare adverse events are difficult to assess, and despite the substantial number of publications, the current literature is not well equipped to answer questions on the safety of probiotic interventions with confidence.

Evidence Report/Technology Assessment Number 200 Safety of Probiotics to Reduce Risk and Prevent or Treat Disease Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Advancing Excellence in Health Care • www.ahrq.gov EvidenceBased Practice Evidence Report/Technology Assessment Number 200 Safety of Probiotics to Reduce Risk and Prevent or Treat Disease Prepared for: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850 www.ahrq.gov Contract No. HHSA 290-2007-10062-I Prepared by: Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center, Santa Monica, CA Investigators: Susanne Hempel, Ph.D. Sydne Newberry, Ph.D. Alicia Ruelaz, M.D. Zhen Wang, M.S. Jeremy N. V. Miles, Ph.D. Marika J. Suttorp, M.S. Breanne Johnsen, B.S. Roberta Shanman, M.L.S. Wendelin Slusser, M.D., M.P.H. Ning Fu, M.P.P. Alex Smith, M.P.H. Beth Roth, M.A. Joanna Polak, B.S. Aneesa Motala, B.A. Tanja Perry, B.H.M. Paul G. Shekelle, M.D., Ph.D. AHRQ Publication No. 11-E007 April 2011 This report is based on research conducted by the Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD (Contract No. HHSA 290-2007-10062-I). The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the author(s), who are responsible for its content, and do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ. No statement in this report should be construed as an official position of AHRQ or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The information in this report is intended to help clinicians, employers, policymakers, and others make informed decisions about the provision of health care services. This report is intended as a reference and not as a substitute for clinical judgment. This report may be used, in whole or in part, as the basis for the development of clinical practice guidelines and other quality enhancement tools, or as a basis for reimbursement and coverage policies. AHRQ or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorsement of such derivative products may not be stated or implied. This document is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without permission except those copyrighted materials noted for which further reproduction is prohibited without the specific permission of copyright holders. No investigators have any affiliations or financial involvement (e.g., employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties) that conflict with material presented in this report. Service as a Technical Expert Panel member or peer reviewer should not be construed as agreeing with or endorsing the content of the report. Suggested citation: Hempel S, Newberry S, Ruelaz A, Wang Z, Miles JNV, Suttorp MJ, Johnsen B, Shanman R, Slusser W, Fu N, Smith A, Roth E, Polak J, Motala A, Perry T, Shekelle PG. Safety of Probiotics to Reduce Risk and Prevent or Treat Disease. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 200. (Prepared by the Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-2007-10062-I.) AHRQ Publication No. 11-E007. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. April 2011. Available at: www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/probiotictp.htm. ii Preface The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), through its Evidence-Based Practice Centers (EPCs), sponsors the development of evidence reports and technology assessments to assist public- and private-sector organizations in their efforts to improve the quality of health care in the United States. This review was jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). The reports and assessments provide organizations with comprehensive, science-based information on common, costly medical conditions and new health care technologies. The EPCs systematically review the relevant scientific literature on topics assigned to them by AHRQ and conduct additional analyses when appropriate prior to developing their reports and assessments. To bring the broadest range of experts into the development of evidence reports and health technology assessments, AHRQ encourages the EPCs to form partnerships and enter into collaborations with other medical and research organizations. The EPCs work with these partner organizations to ensure that the evidence reports and technology assessments they produce will become building blocks for health care quality improvement projects throughout the Nation. The reports undergo peer review prior to their release. AHRQ expects that the EPC evidence reports and technology assessments will inform individual health plans, providers, and purchasers as well as the health care system as a whole by providing important information to help improve health care quality. We welcome comments on this evidence report. They may be sent by mail to the Task Order Officer named below at: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850, or by e-mail to epc@ahrq.gov. Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. Director Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Jean Slutsky, P.A., M.S.P.H. Director, Center for Outcomes and Evidence Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Paul Coates, Ph.D. Director Office of Dietary Supplements National Institutes of Health Stephanie Chang, M.D., M.P.H. Director, EPC Program Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Josephine P. Briggs, M.D. Director National Center for Complementary Margaret Coopey, R.N., M.G.A., M.P.S. EPC Program Task Order Officer Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and Alternative Medicine National Institutes of Health Carmen Kelly, Pharm.D. EPC Program Task Order Officer Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Marguerite Klein, M.S. Health Science Administrator Office of Dietary Supplements National Institutes of Health iii Linda Duffy, Ph.D. Health Science Administrator/Program Officer National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine National Institutes of Health Dan D. Levy, Ph.D. Microbiologist and Project Officer Office of Nutrition, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Food and Drug Administration iv Acknowledgments We wish to thank Marguerite Klein, M.S. (National Institutes of Health [NIH] Office of Dietary Supplements [ODS]); Linda Duffy, Ph.D. (NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine); Dan D. Levy, Ph.D. (Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition); and Anne Thurn, Ph.D. (ODS) for their guidance and support. We wish to thank the members of the Technical Expert Panel: Michael Cabana, M.D., M.P.H.; Cara Fiore, Ph.D.; Barry Goldin, Ph.D.; Patricia L. Hibberd, M.D., Ph.D.; David Mills, Ph.D.; Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D.; Maija-Liisa Saxelin, Ph.D.; Alain L Servin, Ph.D.; and Jon A. Vanderhoof, M.D., for their helpful suggestions and recommendations. We also would like to thank Louis M.A. Akkermans, Ph.D.; Marc Besselink, M.D.; Daniel Buijs, M.Sc., and Ger Rijkers, Ph.D., who provided peer reviews of the draft report. v Safety of Probiotics to Reduce Risk and Prevent or Treat Disease Structured Abstract Objectives. To catalog what is known about the safety of interventions containing Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and/or Bacillus strains used as probiotic agents in research to reduce the risk of, prevent, or treat disease. Data Sources. We searched 12 electronic databases, references of included studies, and pertinent reviews for studies addressing the safety of probiotics from database inception to August 2010 without language restriction. Review Methods. We identified intervention studies on probiotics that reported the presence or absence of adverse health outcomes in human participants, without restriction by study design, participant type, or clinical field. We investigated the quantity, quality, and nature of adverse events. Results. The search identified 11,977 publications, of which 622 studies were included in the review. In 235 studies, only nonspecific safety statements were made (“well tolerated”); the remaining 387 studies reported the presence or absence of specific adverse events. Interventions and adverse events were poorly documented. A number of case studies described fungemia and some bacteremia potentially associated with administered probiotic organisms. Controlled trials did not monitor routinely for such infections and primarily reported on gastrointestinal adverse events. Based on reported adverse events, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed no statistically significantly increased relative risk (RR) of the overall number of experienced adverse events (RR 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93, 1.07, p=0.999); gastrointestinal; infections; or other adverse events, including serious adverse events (RR 1.06; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.16; p=0.201), associated with short-term probiotic use compared to control group participants; long-term effects are largely unknown. Existing studies primarily examined Lactobacillus alone or in combination with other genera, often Bifidobacterium. Few studies directly compared the safety among different intervention or participant characteristics. Indirect comparisons indicated that effects of delivery vehicles (e.g., yogurt, dairy) should be investigated further. Case studies suggested that participants with compromised health are most likely to experience adverse events associated with probiotics. However, RCTs in medium-risk and critically ill participants did not report a statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events compared to control group participants. Conclusions. There is a lack of assessment and systematic reporting of adverse events in probiotic intervention studies, and interventions are poorly documented. The available evidence in RCTs does not indicate an increased risk; however, rare adverse events are difficult to assess, and despite the substantial number of publications, the current literature is not well equipped to answer questions on the safety of probiotic interventions with confidence. vi Contents Executive Summary...................................................................................................................ES-1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................1 Background ..........................................................................................................................1 Project Purpose ....................................................................................................................3 Scope....................................................................................................................................4 Analytic Framework ............................................................................................................6 Methods............................................................................................................................................8 Electronic Search for Literature Review..............................................................................8 Inclusion Screening..............................................................................................................9 Data Abstraction and Quality Assessment.........................................................................11 Analysis..............................................................................................................................13 Rating the Strength of the Evidence ..................................................................................15 Results............................................................................................................................................16 Potentially Relevant Studies Not Addressing Safety.........................................................18 Included Studies With Nonspecific Safety Statements......................................................18 Included Studies Addressing Specific Harms....................................................................20 Discussion ....................................................................................................................................102 Results Summary .............................................................................................................102 Scope and Limitations......................................................................................................103 Key Questions..................................................................................................................107 Future Research ...........................................................................................................................115 Conclusions..................................................................................................................................117 References....................................................................................................................................118 Included Studies...........................................................................................................................138 Acronyms and Abbreviations ......................................................................................................182 Figures Figure 1. Included Studies ...............................................................................................................7 Figure 2. PubMed Search Strategy ..................................................................................................9 Figure 3. Literature Volume ..........................................................................................................16 Figure 4. Literature Flow ...............................................................................................................17 Figure 5. Included Strains by Genus in Studies With Nonspecific Safety Statements..................19 Figure 6. Number of Participants in Included Studies...................................................................21 Figure 7. Included Strains by Genus..............................................................................................23 Figure 8. Intervention Duration in Months ....................................................................................24 Figure 9. Quality of the Reporting and Risk of Bias in Included Studies .....................................26 Figure 10. Adverse Events per CTCAE Category for Participants Using Probiotics and Control Participants (up to 3 Probiotics Intervention Groups, 1 Control Group).......................................47 Figure 11. Graphical Representation of the RR of the Number of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Across RCTs ..................................................................................................................................49 Figure 12. Graphical Representation of the RR of the Number of Infection and Infestation Adverse Events Across RCTs........................................................................................................51 Figure 13. Graphical Representation of the RR of the Number of Other Adverse Events Across RCTs ..................................................................................................................................53 Figure 14. RR Number of Participants With Adverse Events Lactobacillus RCTs ......................60 vii Figure 15. RR Number of Participants With Adverse Events Bifidobacterium RCTs..................61 Figure 16. RR Number of Participants With Adverse Events Saccharomyces RCTs ...................62 Figure 17. RR Number of Participants With Adverse Events Streptococcus RCTs .....................63 Figure 18. RR Number of Participants With Adverse Events Enterococcus RCTs ......................64 Figure 19. RR Number of Participants With Adverse Events Bacillus RCTs...............................65 Figure 20. Comparison of Adverse Events Across Genera (RR Log Scale) .................................66 Figure 21. RR Number of Participants With Adverse Events in Long-Term use RCTs ...............76 Figure 22. RR Number of Children With Adverse Events ............................................................82 Figure 23. RR Number of Adults With Adverse Events ...............................................................83 Figure 24. RR Number of Elderly Participants With Adverse Events ..........................................85 Figure 25. RR Number of Critically Ill or High-Risk Participants With Adverse Events.............88 Figure 26. Number of Participants With Serious Adverse Events.................................................94 Appendixes Appendix A. Exact Search Strings and List of Manufacturers Appendix B. Sample Data Abstraction Forms Appendix C. Evidence Tables Appendix D. Excluded Studies Appendix E. Technical Expert Panel and Peer Reviewers viii Executive Summary Introduction The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) commissioned the Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center based at RAND to carry out a systematic review on the safety of probiotics used in research to reduce the risk of, prevent, or treat disease. The evidence report was jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements, the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Probiotics (literally, “for life”) are bacteria or yeasts considered to confer a health benefit on the host organism. The review objective was to catalog what is known about the safety of interventions containing organisms from six different genera used as probiotic agents (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus), alone or in combination, used to reduce the risk of, prevent, or treat disease in research studies. This evidence report has a broad scope and was not restricted to specific interventions, specific patient groups, or specific clinical outcomes. The large number of included studies allowed unique analyses to explore adverse events reported to date in research on probiotics. Methods We searched 12 electronic databases (DARE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CENTRAL, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, AMED, MANTIS, TOXLINE, ToxFile, NTIS, and AGRICOLA) and scanned the references of included studies and pertinent reviews for studies addressing the safety of interventions using products containing microorganisms purported to have probiotic properties (henceforth called “probiotics”) from database inception to August 2010 without language restriction. We systematically identified studies monitoring the presence or absence of participants’ adverse health outcomes, without restriction due to study design, participant, or clinical field. Any studies that assessed the effect of microorganisms used as probiotic agents and reported on an adverse health outcome (its presence or absence) were included. Two reviewers independently screened studies for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed their quality. We differentiated studies that addressed a specific adverse event from those with nonspecific safety statements. We investigated the quantity of adverse events (number of participants with adverse events per treatment group, number of adverse event incidences per treatment group), the quality of the adverse events (all adverse events, serious adverse events), and the nature of adverse events (e.g., gastrointestinal events, infections). The review aims to answer a large number of questions pertaining to product and participant factors. Studies reporting direct comparisons (e.g., between two different probiotic organisms) were primarily sought; in addition, indirect evidence was analyzed in stratified analyses and meta-regressions. Results The review demonstrates that there is a large volume of literature on probiotics. However, the literature provided only limited evidence to address the questions the review set out to answer. ES-1 The literature search identified 11,981 publications, of which 2,189 were ordered as full-text publications after title and abstract screening and 622 studies were included in the review. Of these, 235 studies made only nonspecific safety statements (e.g., “the intervention was well tolerated”) without indicating what kind of adverse events were monitored. The remaining 387 studies reported the presence or absence of one or more specific adverse events; these studies were abstracted in detail and used to answer the Key Questions. Across all included studies and treatment arms, 24,615 participants used a probiotic product. The review considered reports without study design restrictions and included a large number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs); however, the majority were not designed to address safety. The quality of included studies varied greatly within study design categories. Adverse events were poorly documented, and the parameters that were monitored were often not stated. Interventions were poorly documented, lacking detail, for example, on the specific probiotic strain administered. Very few of the identified studies investigated Saccharomyces or Streptococcus, and even fewer Enterococcus or Bacillus; the majority of identified studies used Lactobacillus, alone or in combination with other genera, most often Bifidobacterium. To estimate the proportion of existing studies of probiotic organisms found in the literature that are included in this safety review, we noted all RCTs of probiotics that were found in our searches that reported on patient outcomes. Of this pool of potentially relevant RCTs, 58 percent met inclusion criteria for the review (i.e., made a nonspecific safety statement or reported the presence or absence of a specific adverse event). The remaining RCTs did not address the safety of probiotics as defined in this evidence review. Key Questions Key Question 1. What is the evidence that the active and lyophilized forms of probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus) as single ingredients or in combination with other probiotics or prebiotics in all delivery vehicles (and formulations) when used to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent a disease or reduce disease risk are safe in the short term? In the long term? Case studies indicated that fungemia, bacteremia, sepsis, and other infections may be associated with administered probiotic organisms; the ability to reliably determine whether administered strains match the clinical isolate is now possible through DNA-based methods. None of the identified case series, controlled clinical trials, or parallel and crossover RCTs reported an infection caused by the administered probiotic organisms. However, studies seldom reported that they monitored for infections of the types identified in case reports. In fact, most did not state what adverse events were monitored and did not systematically address the safety of the probiotic products. Across parallel RCTs there was no indication that the quantity of reported adverse events was increased in short-term probiotic intervention arms compared to control groups, based on the relative risk (RR) of the number of participants with adverse events (RR 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93, 1.04, p=0.537; 121 RCTs) as well as the number of adverse-event incidences reported in each treatment group (RR 1.00; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.07, p=0.999; 208 RCTs). The current available evidence does not suggest a widespread risk of adverse events associated with ES-2 probiotics, but future studies that explicitly monitor for the issues of concern are needed to quantify the actual risk of specific adverse events in intervention studies. Key Question 2. What are characteristics and associations of the reported harms in Question 1? Across all included studies, the most commonly reported adverse events were gastrointestinal in nature. This was followed by reported infections and infestations. The third most common category was the “other” category for symptoms that could not be assigned to a specific organ system or type of adverse event. Across identified RCTs, there was no indication that participants using probiotic organisms experienced statistically significantly more gastrointestinal (RR 1.03; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.18, p=0.693; 126 RCTs), infections (RR 1.00; 95% CI: 0.87, 1.16, p=0.967; 65 RCTs), or other adverse events (RR 1.01; 95% CI: 0.91 1.12, p=0.923, 131 RCTs) compared to control group participants. Studies rarely reported efforts to monitor adverse events specific to probiotic products. Hence, safety evaluations may change with future, more targeted assessment of adverse events in intervention studies. Key Question 3. What is the evidence that harms of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus differ by product and delivery characteristics? The lack of detail in the description of administered probiotic organisms in most studies hindered evaluations of the safety. Many studies did not specify which probiotic strains were investigated, nor was there indication that intervention preparations were tested for identity of the included organisms, quantity, viability, or contaminants. Stratified analyses by probiotic genus showed no increased risk of adverse events among the probiotic group compared to a control group in RCTs using interventions reported to contain exclusively Lactobacillus (RR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.87, 1.11; p=0.785), Bifidobacterium (RR 0.92; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.03; p=0.141), Saccharomyces (RR 1.00; 95% CI: 0.46, 2.18; p=0.993), Streptococcus (0.99; 95% CI: 0.78, 1.25; p=0.907), Enterococcus (RR 0.85; 95% CI: 0.47, 1.54; p=0.588), or Bacillus (0.99; 95% CI: 0.44, 2.22; p=0.973) strains. A meta-regression comparing the relative risk ratio associated with the genera indicated a statistically significantly higher risk for Streptococcus strains compared with the other genera; however, this indirect comparison is based on a small number of studies that investigated Streptococcus, Enterococcus, or Bacillus interventions. Direct (head-to-head) comparisons of genera, species, strains, or delivery vehicles are largely absent in the literature. There was some indication across studies that safety findings may differ by delivery vehicle. Intervention participants in studies in which yogurt or other dairy products were administered were more likely to experience adverse events compared with control group participants (RR 1.37; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.79; p=0.022) based on the number of adverse event incidences reported across groups in a subgroup analysis. However, studies directly comparing delivery vehicles are missing. We did not find conclusive evidence in the existing literature that interventions with a mixture of different organisms reported more adverse events than studies using one probiotic strain only or evidence that synbiotics (mixtures of prebiotics and probiotics) differ from probiotics; however, there is a lack of direct comparisons. ES-3 Key Question 4. How do the harms of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus vary based on (a) dose; (b) timing; (c) mode of administration; (d) age, gender, ethnicity, disease or immunologic status; (e) relationship to efficacy? Very few studies overall explored the effect of intervention or participant characteristics on safety. To summarize, in the few studies that reported on the time of onset of gastrointestinal effects, most effects were observed in the first 3 days of treatment. The onset of infections tended to occur 1 week to several weeks after initiation of probiotics use; however, this information is primarily derived from case studies and was not systematically reported. In indirect comparisons across studies, we found no evidence that a particular mechanism or route of administration of probiotic organisms was associated with an increased risk of an adverse event in intervention participants relative to control group participants. Stratified analyses and meta-regressions showed no increased risk of adverse events for children (RR 0.96; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.04; p=0.296, 35 RCTs), adults (RR 0.97; 95% CI: 0.79, 1.19; p=0.745, 40 RCTs), or elderly (RR 0.94; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.08; p=0.367, 4 RCTs) participants compared with adverse events observed in corresponding control groups; however, it has to be noted that only very few studies were identified that reported on elderly participants. There was some indication that health status is associated with the experience of an adverse event when using probiotics. Case studies reporting serious adverse events described healthcompromised, not generally healthy participants who contracted (most often) a serious infection potentially caused by probiotic organisms. However, subgroup analyses of RCTs in medium health-compromised participants (RR 1.03; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.13; p=0.491) and critically ill patients (RR 0.79; 95% CI: 0.51, 1.22; p=0.286) did not show a statistically significantly increased risk of experiencing adverse events for intervention participants compared with control group participants with similar patient characteristics. Key Question 5. How often does harm associated with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus lead to hospital admission or lengthened hospitalization? While several case studies reported hospitalizations associated with the consumption of a product including Saccharomyces, Lactobacillus, or Bacillus strains, none of the case series or controlled trials reported that a probiotics intervention led to a hospitalization in the intervention participants. However, the number of hospitalizations due to adverse events was only explicitly reported on in a few of the included studies, and older publications may not have associated a hospitalization with probiotics intake. RCTs reporting on the presence or absence of serious adverse events showed that differences across probiotic and control group participants were not statistically significant (RR 1.06; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.16; p=0.201, 66 RCTs). However, this result is primarily based on Lactobacillus interventions, and a few studies investigating Saccharomyces and Bifidobacterium; there was a lack of studies reporting on the presence or absence of serious adverse events for other genera. ES-4 Key Question 6. How does harm associated with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus relate to use of concomitant antibiotics, confounding diet therapies, corticosteroid use, immune suppressants, or other potential confounders? We did not identify studies that addressed possible interactions or confounders of probiotics interventions. Although the risk of adverse events in general might be higher in individuals taking multiple medications, subgroup analyses of studies in which the intervention participants as well as the control group participants received antibiotics (RR 1.07; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.23; p=0.271) or corticosteroids (RR 1.04; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.22; p=0.650) found no statistically significant increased risk of adverse effects among intervention participants. There were too few studies to explore interactions with concomitant diet therapies, and studies in participants using immune suppressants were also largely absent from the existing literature. Future Research Future studies need to characterize the intervention preparations in more detail. As identification methods progress, the reporting should include verification with DNA-based methods to identify the individual strains included in preparation, their potency and viability, and any potential confounders. The majority of existing studies report on Lactobacillus, alone or in combination with other genera, most commonly Bifidobacterium strains, and more studies are needed to explore potential adverse events associated with interventions that include the genera Enterococcus and Bacillus, in addition to studies on Streptococcus species selected for their probiotic properties, as well as studies on the use of Saccharomyces in some patient groups. Studies should describe which adverse events were monitored to allow a clearer understanding of the presence and absence of adverse events in probiotics intervention studies. The reporting of adverse events should follow reporting guidelines such as the extension of the CONSORT statement for harms. In addition, there are comprehensive systems for cataloging adverse events, such as the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events system. Monitored harms should include infections with probiotics organisms as well as treatment failures in order to be able to quantify the risk for participants in intervention studies. Critical outcomes, such as all-cause mortality, should be assessed and reported in primary studies, and reviews should consider all studies measuring the outcome regardless of whether the study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention or the occurrence of adverse events. Long-term effects of probiotic interventions are largely unknown, and there is a need to evaluate long-term interventions. In addition, large cohort studies following self-selected use of probiotic organisms are needed to fully understand the efficacy and safety of probiotics among representative populations. Currently, few studies address complex questions about probiotic safety, such as interactions of participant or intervention characteristics with the use of probiotic products. The effect of product, intervention, or participant characteristics should be addressed with appropriate multivariate analyses. There is also indication that participants with compromised health should be monitored closely for potential adverse events associated with the use of probiotic products. Studies evaluating effects on elderly participants are largely absent from the literature, and the effects of delivery vehicles should be investigated systematically. ES-5 Conclusions There is a lack of assessment and systematic reporting of adverse events in probiotic intervention studies, and interventions are poorly documented. RCTs and case studies diverge in the outcomes they report. The available evidence in RCTs does not indicate an increased risk; however, rare adverse events are difficult to assess, and despite the substantial number of publications, the current literature is not well equipped to answer specific questions on the safety of probiotic interventions with confidence. ES-6 Introduction The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has commissioned the Southern California Evidence-based Practice Center based at RAND to carry out a systematic review on the safety of products containing microorganisms believed to have probiotic properties (henceforth called probiotics or products containing probiotics). This review was jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements, the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Background Probiotics (literally, “for life”) are microorganisms purported to have a health benefit on the host organism. The definition of what is a probiotic has evolved as the sciences of microbiology, medicine, and the manufacturing industries have matured. According to one definition offered by an expert committee convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, probiotic organisms are live microorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host (FAO/WHO, 2001). This definition explicitly restricts what can be considered a probiotic to live organisms. Other definitions do not emphasize the viability of the microorganisms and would include heat-killed preparations (e.g., Salminen, Ouwehand, Benno, & Lee, 1999). Defining probiotics is challenging because of the limits in our understanding of how organisms benefit the human host, the apparent variation in what may constitute a beneficial balance for digestion and other physiological processes, the effects of probiotic organisms on the normal gut environment, and our limited understanding of the gut ecosystem (Schmid, 2006). The genera of bacteria and fungi that have been employed for their probiotic properties are most commonly species of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium; other bacterial genera, such as Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus, and species of the yeast genus Saccharomyces have also been studied. Probiotic properties of genera, species, and strains may vary according to the indication. Related to probiotic organisms, prebiotics are food products defined as nondigestible food ingredients that benefit the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon and thus improve host health. Synbiotics are preparations in which probiotic organisms and prebiotics are combined, presumably to form a synergistic relationship. The intentional use of microorganisms in the preparation of foods as well as the belief in their health-promoting properties has a long history. Species of the lactic acid bacterium genus Lactobacillus have been used for thousands of years to preserve dairy products by converting milk to yogurt; likewise, the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has long been used for leavening bread and for fermenting grains and fruits to make spirits. Various other fungi (molds) have long been known for their use in cheesemaking. Bacillus subtilis, a soil bacterium, has long been used to ferment soy beans to make the Japanese staple food natto. Mixtures of microorganisms have been used to treat infections topically and systemically since ancient times. The use of probiotics to prevent and treat gastrointestinal disorders in particular has been proposed, for example, by Metchnikoff in the 1890s, using Lactobacillus strains to restore normal gastrointestinal microbial balance. The use of Lactobacillus strains to treat urogenital infections is often attributed to Newman, who published a paper in 1915 on this topic (McGroarty, 1993). More recently, the use 1 of the commensal bacterium, Bifidobacterium, has been advocated to promote immune and gastrointestinal function in infants. Probiotic strains of Streptococcus have been used in an attempt to prevent and treat dental disease and gastrointestinal disorders. Probiotic strains of Enterococcus have also been used to treat gastrointestinal infections. Bacillus subtilis has fungicidal properties and, for example, was used as a treatment for gastrointestinal complaints prior to the introduction of sulfur-based antibiotics. Regarding these last two examples, particular concerns have been raised about the safety of the genera Enterococcus and Bacillus, both of which include pathogenic species. Depending on the form and the country in which they are administered or used, probiotic products are classified as any one of several different entities: dietary supplements, foods, food components, or pharmaceuticals. Each of these categories is subject to entirely different regulations and burdens of proof regarding the demonstration of a health benefit as well as safety, and these regulations and guidelines differ by country (Sanders, 2010; Venugopalan, 2010). Further complicating the current picture is that very little is known about the quantities required for the various genera, species, and strains to show probiotic properties. The scientific and popular literature includes numerous reviews on the efficacy or effectiveness of probiotic organisms for treating or preventing a variety of conditions. However, despite their popularity, questions remain about the efficacy and effectiveness of probiotics; published reports for specific conditions often provide conflicting results, and the efficacy and effectiveness of probiotics is quite likely to be strain and indication specific. In 2010, the European Food Safety Authority denied the merit of multiple health claims filed on behalf of probiotic products, citing lack of scientific basis (EFSA, 2010). Regardless of the evidence base for the efficacy and effectiveness of products containing probiotics, the widespread availability and popularity of products promoted as containing probiotic organisms indicate that their safety warrants further investigation. Probiotic organisms added to foods (i.e., yogurt and some infant formulas) have been described by some authors as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). Food ingredients considered GRAS are those affirmed or apparently affirmed by their manufacturers as meeting the requirements for the GRAS exemption from the requirement for regulation as a food additive. This term, defined in sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, applies to any substance that is intentionally added to food and has been exempted from premarket approval because it is “generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use.” Authors often cite the fact that lactic acid bacteria have been used for preservation of food by fermentation for thousands of years as evidence of their safety (World Gastroenterology Organisation, 2008). However, the GRAS designation can be applied only to specified uses of a specific ingredient. Other uses, particularly if they are based on higher exposure or exposure to an ingredient with very different properties, may not be included in the original GRAS designation. Advances in microbiology and molecular biology, along with the adoption of organisms not previously used as probiotics, have contributed to a growing concern about the potential safety of these microorganisms. Specific concerns include the isolation of administered probiotic organisms from infection sites, and the possibility of gene transfer between probiotic organisms and bacteria or fungi dwelling in the digestive tract and antibiotic resistance shown in in vitro studies. A number of cases of infection have been documented that resemble closely the strains given as probiotic agents to the infected individuals or persons in their vicinity. Such concerns suggest that the pathogenicity, infectivity, toxicity, and intrinsic properties of the organisms may 2 require closer study (Ishibashi, 2001). Liong (2008) concluded from a review of the literature that translocation and infection reports associated with use of probiotics deserve further investigation and should become a part of safety assessments so that the negative effects of probiotics do not outweigh the benefits. Recent trials and reviews that failed to show the efficacy of probiotics and in some cases report an increased risk of undesirable effects associated with probiotic interventions (Besselink, 2008; Whelan, 2010) also point to a closer look into the safety of probiotics, in particular for patients with compromised health. In order to make informed decisions about the use of probiotic organisms, it would thus appear helpful at this point to assess the evidence for their safety across clinical areas. To date, no comprehensive systematic review has synthesized the available evidence of adverse symptomatic health outcomes in human participants. Project Purpose The review set out to answer a number of research questions posed by the sponsors of the evidence review. Key Questions 1. What is the evidence that the active (e.g., live or viable) and lyophilized forms of probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus) as single ingredients or in combination with other probiotics or prebiotics in all delivery vehicles (and formulations) when used to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent a disease or reduce disease risk are safe in the short term? Long term? a. What safety parameters are collected in clinical studies (Phases I-IV)? b. What harms are reported in clinical studies (Phases I-IV)? c. What harms are reported in case reports? d. What safety parameters are collected in population surveillance studies and other observational studies, and do these include only standard clinical safety parameters (e.g., standard blood chemistry profiles) or also expanded laboratory or clinical testing unique to the use of probiotics? e. What harms are reported in population surveillance studies and other observational studies? f. What harms are reported in human mechanistic studies? g. Do the studies describe an antibiotic therapy designed to treat unintended pathology caused by the administered organism? h. Do the studies describe methods for recovery of the administered organism from either the gastrointestinal tract or serum? 2. What are characteristics and associations of the reported harms in Question 1? a. What interactions between probiotics and medications are reported? b. What harms related to acquired antibiotic resistance and/or transferability are reported? c. What is the nature of harms (e.g., toxicogenic, immunologic, hematologic, deleterious physiologic or metabolic activity, allergic, blood infections, hematocytometric values, liver and renal function enterotoxin, production, proteases, or opportunistic infection, etc.), and do these include only standard harms or also harms that might be uniquely applicable to the use of a probiotic? 3 3. What is the evidence that harms of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus differ by product and delivery characteristics? a. What is the scientific evidence that harms differ by delivery vehicle including excipients or novel delivery vehicles? b. What is the scientific evidence that harms differ by genus, species, and strain (including intraspecies strain variations)? c. What is the scientific evidence that harms differ between active and lyophilized forms of probiotics? d. Does harm differ by products containing a single probiotic versus a mixture of probiotics? e. Does harm differ by products containing only probiotics and those containing a mixture of probiotics and prebiotics? 4. How do the harms of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus vary based on (a) dose (cfu); (b) timing; (c) mode of administration (e.g., catheter); (d) age (all ages, including infants), gender, ethnicity, disease or immunologic status of the patient; (e) relationship to efficacy? a. Is there a threshold or dose-response relationship between probiotics and harm? Does the duration of intervention relate to harm? b. Is there a relationship between time of onset of harm and time of probiotic administration (e.g., prior to onset of disease under study, after disease onset)? How does time of exposure affect harm? Is harm sustained after the intervention or exposure stops? c. Does the route of administration (e.g., orally, jejunostomy tube, central venous catheter) relate to harm? d. How does harm relate to subpopulations, including different age groups (specifically including neonates and infants under age 24 months), men and women, ethnic/race subgroups, or health status (healthy to high risk) individuals? e. Do randomized controlled studies that report harm show efficacy or no efficacy? 5. How often does harm associated with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus lead to hospital admission or lengthened hospitalization? 6. How does harm associated with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus relate to use of concomitant antibiotics, confounding diet therapies, corticosteroid use, immune suppressants, or other potential confounders? Scope This review on the safety of probiotics is explicitly exploratory in nature. Therefore, a number of clarifications are warranted regarding what the review set out to achieve and what questions may have to be addressed in future research. First, because little evidence currently suggests the kinds of potential harms that should be investigated in a review on the safety of probiotics, the safety outcomes considered for this review were explicitly not specified a priori; instead, all reported adverse events were included in the review. Theoretically, a selection of particular kinds of harms could be guided by the nature of the intervention—for example, the exposure to bacteria and yeasts suggests monitoring infections—and as a general research approach, serious adverse events should have priority. But given the lack of any prior synthesis on the specific risks of probiotic organisms for human 4 participants, a broad, unrestricted overview of what has been assessed in the literature and what has been reported appeared most informative. Thus, the review aimed to identify the adverse events reported in the literature, without restriction to specific outcomes of interest, as further outlined in the inclusion criteria, with one limitation: The focus was on health outcomes, that is, symptomatic outcomes and/or clinically relevant outcomes, rather than on intermediate outcomes or in vitro results. In this review we explore the quantity, the quality, and the nature of the adverse events as outlined in the methods section. This report is not an efficacy or effectiveness review investigating the usefulness of probiotic organisms for preventing adverse events caused by other treatments such as antibiotic treatment. That is, studies in which efficacy outcomes were identical with adverse events (e.g., prevention of antibiotic-induced diarrhea) were not considered for this review, as further outlined in the inclusion criteria. This restriction required careful review of individual studies, but has also been imposed in other safety reviews (e.g., Pitrou, Boutron, Ahmad & Ravand, 2009), and an overview of the efficacy and effectiveness of probiotic organisms for the prevention of adverse events from other treatments was outside the resources and scope of this project. We considered failed effectiveness outcomes only in those cases where this was explicitly highlighted by the study authors as one of the main results of the study. Throughout this report we use the term “harm” and “adverse event” interchangeably. We explicitly avoid the term “adverse effects,” as it implies a causal relationship between harm and intervention. In most included studies, there are multiple alternative explanations for the encountered adverse events; hence we only list the encountered events per treatment group. This review focuses on published literature. A substantial number of peer-reviewed articles reporting on studies of probiotics have been published in scientific journals. Although the pursuit of unpublished data (for example through approaching manufacturers of probiotic products) might be desirable, the approach taken for this exploratory review was to summarize the existing literature in the public domain to develop a clear picture of the readily available body of evidence. The data sources are outlined in the search strategy, and the implications of the search strategy are further addressed in the discussion section. Furthermore, the review aimed to capture the safety of organisms—Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus—when used as probiotic agents, rather than the safety of any exposure to any member of these genera of microbiological organisms. The search strategy primarily aimed to identify studies of probiotics, rather than aiming to identify every study that investigated the effects of the above bacterial or fungal organisms, such as exposure to Streptococcus bacteria strains. Studies were included in the review if they were described as probiotic studies, without further restriction to particular dose; demonstrated health benefits; genera, species, or strains of known quality; rather, all studies investigating the effect of purposeful intake of probiotic organisms of the genera of interest were considered. However, a reported intervention was part of the inclusion criteria for this review as outlined in detail in the inclusion criteria section. Publications reporting incidences of infections, such as documented cases of Lactobacillus infections, were included in the review only if an intervention prior to the infection was reported, e.g., the probiotic organisms were purposefully consumed or administered. Studies were not restricted to investigator-controlled studies; observational studies of participants using probiotic organisms were also eligible for inclusion. We also did not restrict the review to products that would be classified as dietary supplements, foods, food ingredients, or pharmaceuticals. 5 Finally, the review summarizes the existing evidence from studies in human participants only; animal studies and in vitro studies were outside the scope of the review. As outlined, the focus was on adverse events encountered in research studies that used probiotics to reduce the risk, prevent, or treat disease in human participants. In summary, the review aimed to document what is currently known about the safety of probiotics in the existing published research literature on interventions, assuming an inclusive definition of safety and inclusive definition of probiotics. The purpose of the project was to catalog what is known about the safety of probiotics, in particular Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus organisms, used in research to reduce the risk of, prevent, or treat disease. The literature review also assessed the quality and completeness of the available information and our confidence in interpreting this information. The overview aimed to provide information relevant to practitioners, researchers, and regulators for assessing the safety of probiotic administration as well as to identify priorities or needs for future research. Analytic Framework Figure 1 shows the universe of studies from which the studies included in this review stem were drawn. Only studies in human participants; studies that used the genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and/or Bacillus as probiotic agents to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent a disease or reduce the risk of a disease; and studies that addressed health outcomes were sought. Within these studies, we included those studies that addressed the safety of probiotics. All studies that contained vague safety statements as well as those that addressed specific harms, adverse events, adverse effects, side effects, or unintended effects were considered. 6 Figure 1. Included studies Genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and/or Bacillus as probiotic agents Given to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent a disease or reduce disease risk Addressing health outcomes Addressing safety Human participants All Key Questions were answered with studies within the above outlined universe of studies 7 Methods Electronic Search for Literature Review A pilot literature search undertaken at the outset of the project revealed that whereas safety aspects are not a research priority in the existing probiotics literature, many studies undertake a limited safety analysis as part of assessing efficacy. However, the inclusion of safety results in a publication was rarely indicated in the title or abstract of the publication or referred to in the keywords assigned by the individual electronic database (a finding that is not unique to the research field of probiotics). Although search filters exist for effectiveness studies in some clinical areas, filters to address adverse events tend not to be successful in reliably identifying relevant studies. And because the volume of literature on the efficacy of probiotics, both original research and reviews, was vast, it was necessary to conduct a careful review of the full text of a large number of publications to identify the relevant body of research results on the safety of probiotics. The chosen search strategy was very inclusive in order not to miss potentially relevant publications. The truncated term “probiotic” and the term “synbiotic” were used to adequately reflect the scope of this project (see Appendix A). The term “prebiotic” also appeared initially useful and was added to the search strategy. The electronic search was not restricted to the genera specified in the key questions in order not to miss articles that did not mention the genus in the title, abstract, or keywords of the publication. The genera alone (without reference to their use as probiotics) were not useful search terms, as their inclusion added a very large number of irrelevant publications (e.g., all studies on Bacillus infections). Given the large number of probiotic and synbiotic products marketed as dietary supplements, foods, food ingredients, or drugs, the search also did not rely on product names. Many studies used mixtures that were not commercially obtained or available. Thus, an incomplete list of commercial product names might have introduced bias into the selection of studies for review. The identified manufacturers of probiotic products are listed in Appendix A. The searches were performed without restriction by publication year or language, taking into consideration that a substantial proportion of research is published in Asian language publications. While uncertainty exists regarding whether the strains investigated in these studies are similar to those common in the U.S. market, these studies need to be assessed. The review also was not restricted with regard to study design; hence, no methodological search filter was applied. The review was restricted to studies in human participants. Rather than searching for studies that were indexed as studies in human participants, the electronic search was designed to exclude only publications that were indexed by the individual databases as studies in animals (where possible). The intent was to avoid missing studies that were not yet indexed accordingly or were misclassified. Databases The following databases were searched as sources for safety data on probiotics: • DARE (Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects) • Cochrane library of systematic reviews • CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) 8 • • • • • • • • • PubMed (National Library of Medicine, includes MEDLINE) (Figure 2 depicts the PubMed search strategy) Embase (Biomedical and pharmacological bibliographic database) CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine) MANTIS (Manual, Alternative and Natural Therapy Index System) TOXLINE (biochemical, pharmacological, physiological, and toxicological effects of drugs and other chemicals) ToxFile (biochemical, pharmacological, physiological, and toxicological effects of drugs and other chemicals) NTIS (National Technical Information Service) AGRICOLA (agricultural journals) Figure 2. PubMed search strategy PubMed – 1966-2010 probiotic* OR prebiotic* OR synbiotic* NOT animals NOT humans Other Sources The electronic search was complemented by screening the references of included studies and the references of relevant reviews. In addition, we hand searched the International Journal of Probiotics and Prebiotics. Clinicaltrials.gov was searched during the update searches. The database lists a number of registered probiotic trials. Personal files from Evidence-based Practice Center projects on related topics were also scanned to identify additional relevant studies. The safety data from MedWatch; the Web pages of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition CFSAN and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Reasearch; and the CFSAN Adverse Event Reporting System database were also explored but did not contribute studies eligible for inclusion in the review. Inclusion Screening This section describes the inclusion criteria for the review. Inclusion Criteria • • • Participants: o Studies in human participants were eligible for inclusion in the review; animal and in vitro studies were excluded Intervention: o Studies using probiotics or synbiotics to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent a disease or reduce disease risk (including probiotic drinks or supplements “to boost immunity” or similar) were eligible for inclusion in the review. The organisms had to be taken purposefully, and documented cases of infections were included only if use of a probiotic or synbiotic intervention was reported Comparator and Study Design: 9 • • o Original research studies were considered without study design restriction, but uncontrolled studies were included only when they explicitly addressed the effect of probiotic or synbiotic intake. Studies primarily testing the effects of a combination of a probiotic and another medication that could also result in adverse events were included only if the study also reported on a group receiving that medication without probiotics or the study explicitly addressed the safety of probiotic intake:  Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), clinical controlled trials, and cohort studies with at least two arms comparing the use of probiotics or synbiotics to placebo, other treatment, or other types of probiotics or synbiotics  Before–after studies and time series with measurements before and after introducing probiotics or synbiotics  Case series (no comparator) that address the effects of probiotics or synbiotics  Case reports that explicitly address the effects of probiotics or synbiotics  Mechanistic probiotics or synbiotics studies of all designs addressing patient health outcomes  Case-control studies that focus on probiotics or synbiotics as predictors of an adverse event in participants Outcomes: o Studies that addressed adverse patient health outcomes, particularly symptomatic outcomes, were included in the review. Studies that reported only intermediate outcomes such as gene transfer or gastric colonization without reference to participants’ negative health status were not eligible for inclusion in the review. Dislike or the taste of the product was not considered eligible adverse events. Studies where efficacy outcomes were identical to adverse events (e.g., efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of diarrhea; efficacy of probiotics in the prevention or reduction of negative health outcomes caused by antibiotic treatment) were excluded unless the safety of the probiotics was also explicitly addressed in the publication. As no effectiveness review was undertaken in conjunction with the safety review exacerbations of primary outcomes, such as exacerbation instead of improvement in allergy symptoms in some participants, compared to baseline or in comparison to a control group (treatment failures), were also not included in the review unless these results were one of the main findings of the publication and highlighted in the abstract of the publication Genus: o Studies investigating Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and/or Bacillus as probiotic agents alone or in combination with other ingredients were eligible for inclusion in the review. Studies were excluded if the genera used could not be verified. Studies administering yogurt or milk products containing only Lactobacillus and/or Streptococcus organisms as starter cultures were not included unless an additional probiotic strain was added to the product. We included studies regardless of whether authors stated that viable organisms were used but interventions of explicitly heat-killed or inactivated organisms were excluded, as the criterion of viability is part of the established definitions of probiotics and interventions using heat-killed forms rarely labeled these preparations “probiotics.” 10 Title and Abstract Inclusion Screening The initial relevance screening was performed using the reference manager software Endnote. Endnote allows the import of titles, abstracts, and keywords for each reference identified through electronic searches. All identified records were screened independently by two reviewers in order not to miss potentially relevant studies. Records deemed by at least one reviewer to potentially report safety information were ordered as full text copies for further scrutiny. Identifying safety data is challenging since most publications focus on the clinical efficacy of the intervention in question with either no, sparse, or incomplete and nonsystematic reporting of safety aspects. The review team followed inclusive decision rules for ordering full paper copies of publications in order not to miss studies that might report on adverse events in the full publication but did not indicate so in the title, abstract, or keywords of the publication. In summary, we ordered all publications that targeted the safety of probiotics as full-text articles. In addition, all empirical studies on probiotics in humans that addressed health outcomes were ordered to check the full text publication for data on the safety of probiotics. Publications that clearly addressed animal studies or in vitro studies, comments, opinion pieces without data, unsystematic reviews not specific to safety, and publications that did not address health topics were excluded. Full Text Inclusion Screening Two reviewers independently screened the selected full text publications using a standardized form outlining the inclusion criteria. Any disagreement was resolved through discussion, through consultation with the review team, or with other input such as the local content expert or the technical expert panel (TEP). Studies identified through reference mining were included in the review if they met all the above mentioned inclusion criteria. The inclusion screening process also identified all RCTs reporting patient health outcomes in human participants using probiotics or synbiotics of the genus Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, or Bacillus to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent a disease or reduce disease risk compared to placebo, another probiotic, prebiotic or synbiotic, other, or no intervention. The number of such relevant RCTs was determined as a denominator for assessing the proportion of those that addressed safety. Data Abstraction and Quality Assessment This report considered two different kinds of publications. Our primary interest was in identifying publications that addressed specific adverse events. However, a number of publications were found that addressed the safety of probiotics but did not report the presence or absence of specific adverse events. For papers that did not address specific adverse events but instead provided only general statements such as “well tolerated,” “no adverse events,” or “two participants dropped out due to adverse events” without specifying which adverse events were assessed, the data abstraction was minimal. These studies were included for reasons of completeness but their informational value for this evidence review is minimal due to the lack of outcome determination. For studies addressing specific adverse events, detailed information was extracted regarding the type of study, the participants, the product containing probiotics or synbiotics, the assessed 11 adverse events, and the results of the study regarding the safety of the intervention (see abstraction form in Appendix B). The data were abstracted using defined categories where possible and appropriate, and, if not, using free text. These studies were the primary basis for answering the research question addressed in this review. All extracted information is documented for each study in the evidence tables (Appendix C). Multiple publications of the same study were counted (and extracted, quality assessed and analyzed) as one study to ensure that the same participants did not enter the analyses multiple times. Publications of a particular study were defined by the investigated participant population. Publications that reported the results of two different studies were counted as different studies if both studies met the inclusion criteria of the review (human participants; eligible study design; report of an intervention; Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Bacillus used as probiotic agents; adverse health outcome addressed). For studies with more than one arm, we selected a main treatment arm (arm 1 in evidence tables) and a control group that was most similar to the main treatment arm but did not receive probiotics or synbiotics if available (arm 2 in evidence tables). If additional probiotic and synbiotic groups (arms) were included in the study (including interventions of heat-killed or inactivated organisms), those data are shown as arm 3 and 4 in the evidence tables. We extracted data on all Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, or Bacillus strains contained in the intervention preparations regardless of the probiotic qualities of the strain. If an intervention included a yogurt starter culture with a probiotic strain added, we listed the starter cultures alongside the probiotics strain, if that information was provided. Studies were inconsistent in differentiating strains with assumed probiotic properties from strains without assumed probiotics properties (the product was assumed to have probiotic effects, without attributing these effects to individual strains); hence, we recorded all reported strains. Initially, we had considered contacting authors of primary studies for missing information on the identity of probiotic organisms, that is, whether the administered probiotics strains were verified in the study. However, the quality of reporting on the administered probiotic organisms was rather poor overall, and our resources did not permit contacting what would have been the majority of study authors for this extensive literature review. Therefore, study details were extracted as reported. Adverse events. Regarding safety data, we extracted any adverse event reported in the publication and assessed the quantity, quality, and nature of the adverse events. We considered reasons for dropouts as well as adverse events reported for participants finishing the study. We extracted all adverse events for all treatment groups, including those that study authors did not consider related to the intervention. Because such judgments are difficult to make and may depend on the development of the clinical field, we report the complete set of adverse events. Reports of individual treatment failures were not extracted, as these outcomes should be addressed systematically in an effectiveness review extracting all data for the selected outcome. We extracted the number of incidences of the individual adverse events and the number of participants with an adverse event per group if this information was clearly provided in the publication or could be derived with confidence from the reported information. We extracted the number of participants with adverse events per group and the number of all individual incidences of adverse events per treatment arm. The nature of the reported adverse events was explored by categorizing events with the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) classification system. The reported 12 adverse events and reasons for dropping out were classified according to the 27 areas specified in the CTCAE and, where possible, graded in their severity on a scale from 1 (mild; asymptomatic or mild symptoms; clinical or diagnostic observations only; intervention not indicated) to 5 (death from adverse event) according to the CTCAE system. The reported adverse events were also assessed as to whether they constituted serious adverse events following the FDA definitions. Serious adverse events were defined as death, a life-threatening event, hospitalization, a disability-causing event, a congenital anomaly, or events requiring an intervention to prevent permanent impairment or damage. Sepsis was classified as a serious adverse event. In trials where mothers and their children received probiotic interventions, only the adverse events for children were considered for pooled analyses because studies reported inconsistently on children and their mothers. The number of participants was calculated as the number of mother–child dyads randomized to the treatment groups. Quality. Each study was also assessed regarding its quality. We considered a wide range of study designs in this review, and some quality dimensions were specific to the individual study design (e.g., concealment of treatment allocation for RCTs), while others were sources of bias that apply to all study designs (e.g., blinding of outcome assessors). The quality assessment incorporated the quality of the reporting of the product and probiotic genus, species, and strain; the methods; and the reporting of the assessment and the documentation of observed adverse events. Each quality indicator was scored using a three-point scale (0 = high risk of bias, 1 = unclear or possible risk of bias, 2 = low risk of bias). The specific markers of quality were the quality of the probiotic description (genus, species, and strain), the quality of the reporting of the assessment of adverse events, the quality of the reporting of the adverse events themselves, selection bias, baseline comparability of groups, power calculation for harms, ascertainment of compliance and exposure, method of ascertaining adverse events, random treatment allocation, concealment of allocation, participant blinding, outcome assessor blinding, rate and description of dropouts, intention to treat analysis, presence or handling of confounders, and the potential conflict of interest. Procedure. The data abstraction and quality assessment were performed in duplicate with two reviewers independently reviewing the publications using a standardized form. The numerical results for the eligible outcomes were abstracted and checked by a statistician. Any disagreements were resolved through discussion, through consultation with the review team, or with other input such as from the local content expert or the TEP. Analysis Several of the questions the review set out to address required only descriptive data (e.g., number of studies reporting adverse events, type of harms, etc.). For studies that reported the presence or absence of a specific adverse event, we extracted two different measures of the quantity of adverse events where possible: the number of participants who experienced adverse events and the number of incidences of individual, reported adverse events. For controlled studies, we extracted the number of participants with adverse events and the number of individual incidences for each intervention arm. In cases where the number of events was reported for one group within a study but not explicitly for the other group, we assumed that zero events occurred for this second group. 13 For each study, we extracted the total number of participants entering the study and the number of participants per treatment arm. The latter was the number of participants per group as randomized or initially entering the treatment group where stated; in nonrandomized and single group studies we used the number of participants in the treatment group as reported. In addition, we extracted the number of dropouts and the number of dropouts due to adverse events per group. Where appropriate, we pooled results across studies in a meta-analysis to obtain a summary estimate. Studies were included in pooled analyses if they reported complete information on the total number of participants in each treatment group, as well as the number of participants with events in each group or the number of adverse event incidences per group. We identified a large number of RCTs and restricted the pooled analyses to parallel RCTs. Trials that did not randomize participants or that used a crossover design were used only for sensitivity analyses, where appropriate. When pooling studies with adverse event incidences, we excluded those trials where the total number of adverse events incidences exceeded the number of participants per treatment arm (this was very rare but not impossible as participants can experience more than one adverse event). For parallel RCTs, we computed the relative risk for adverse events, comparing treatment and control groups, and the absolute risk per group and compared risk differences across groups. Where the number of cases with an adverse event for a treatment arm was zero, an increment of 0.5 was added, where required for the specific statistical analysis. Studies were pooled with random effects analysis using the DerSimonian-Laird procedure, using the metafor package, v1.4 (Viechtbauer, 2010) within R 2.10.2. We report the pooled relative risk and risk differences together with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Pertinent results were depicted graphically in forest plots. Each forest plot indicates the point estimate and confidence interval associated with the data reported for each included study. The area of each square is proportional to the study's weight in the meta-analysis. Throughout, the forest plots show the log of the relative risk on the horizontal axis. The evidence report set out to answer a large number of Key Questions pertaining to product and participant factors. We primarily sought studies that reported direct comparisons to answer Key Questions. For example, studies comparing two different delivery vehicles within the same study were used to address differences associated with the delivery vehicle. Where no direct comparisons or only few comparisons were identified, or where comparisons were unusual or inappropriate (e.g., comparing effects in children and in adults), we used subgroup analyses and metaregressions to investigate the factor in question. Subgroup analyses stratified RCTs by the factor in question. For example, a separate pooled analysis comparing intervention and control groups was undertaken for studies in children, in adults, and in elderly participants to investigate whether safety results vary by age. Metaregressions were undertaken to investigate the potential predictors (or moderators) of effects such as the age of the participants. In the metaregressions, we incorporated additional predictors into the model, assessing the 95% CI and p-value associated with the ratio of relative risk for the particular predictor. This type of analysis can identify interaction effects, that is, whether the risk compared to control is statistically significantly higher than compared to the risk seen in other study types. Where a categorical moderator had more than two levels, we first assessed the joint significance of the predictor before examining the univariate effects. Metaregressions and subgroup analyses are indirect comparisons across studies and were interpreted with caution, as they are confounded by many factors. 14 The proportion of RCTs that addressed adverse events was also determined relative to the total number of identified RCTs reporting patient health outcomes in human participants using probiotics or synbiotics of the genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, or Bacillus to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent a disease or reduce disease risk compared to placebo, another probiotic or synbiotic, other intervention, or no intervention. This assessment answers the question of what proportion of high evidence level studies do and do not address the safety of using probiotics or synbiotics. This analysis is based on a literature scoping approach of the excluded literature and is an estimate only. Rating the Strength of the Evidence For each of the key research questions, a synopsis of the evidence was undertaken. The body of evidence consisting of all studies that were identified that contribute to answering the research question was rated according to the following criteria: risk of bias, consistency, directness, and precision. The risk of bias was assessed for each study by taking the study design and the results of the quality assessment of the individual study into account. The quality criteria are outlined above. In addition, the consistency of results across studies was considered. For this dimension, we checked whether the direction of results was similar across comparable studies. The directness of the evidence takes into account whether any head-to-head trials were identified that allowed a direct comparison (between two probiotic genera, for example) within the same study rather than having to rely on indications across studies. Across-study comparisons are confounded by many factors, results may be misleading, and conclusions from indirect comparisons have to be regarded with caution. The precision relates to the confidence intervals around a summary estimate, the range of values that have to be considered true based on the given data. In addition, this dimension considers, for example, whether the risk of adverse events in the intervention group is statistically significantly different from the risk of adverse events in a control group. Finally, for each question we graded the strength of the evidence that was identified for the particular topic. The strength of evidence reflects the confidence in answering each Key Question. The following categories were used: high, moderate, low, or insufficient. High indicates that we have confidence that the evidence reflects the true effect; the research question can be sufficiently answered with the available evidence. Moderate indicates that we have only moderate confidence that the identified evidence reflects the true effect. A rating of low indicates that we have only low confidence that the identified evidence reflects the true effect and that it is likely that future research will change currently available estimates of effects. When the strength of evidence is rated as insufficient, it indicates that evidence to answer the research question is unavailable. The absence of evidence does not equal the absence of an effect; it indicates that there is insufficient evidence to answer the research question. A summary of the general approach is outlined in the Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews (AHRQ, 2007). 15 Results The literature search revealed a large research volume on the topic of probiotics, with a particular increase in research publications shown in recent years. All databases were searched from inception. Figure 3 plots the identified publications by the year of publication. Figure 3. Literature volume 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 2007 2005 2003 2001 1999 1997 1995 1993 1991 1989 1987 1985 1983 1981 1979 1977 1975 1973 1971 1969 1967 1965 1963 1961 1959 1957 1955 1953 1951 1949 1947 1945 1943 1941 The literature search for the systematic review identified 11,977 publications. Of these, 11,201 publications were identified through searching electronic databases, and the remaining 776 came from reference mining included studies and background papers and hand searches. The literature flow for the review is shown in Figure 4. 16 Figure 4. Literature flow Electronic Database Search n = 11,201 Reference Mining, Expert Identified, and Hand Search n = 776 Excluded based on title and abstract (animal study, in vitro, no data, unsystematic reviews not specific to safety, not health) Full Text Articles Screened n = 2,189 Subsequently Excluded n = 1,252; Reasons: Background (not included in analyses) n = 315 636 243 141 101 86 Adverse events / safety not addressed No Intervention Ineligible Participants Ineligible Design Not probiotic intervention or ineligible genus 45 Duplicate Included in the review (meeting all inclusion criteria) n = 622 Specific harm addressed, thus selected for detailed data extraction and quality assessment n = 387 291 RCTs and CCTs 53 Case Series Nonspecific safety statements only n = 235 43 Case Studies Of all identified publications, 9,788 were excluded on title and abstract level where publications clearly addressed animal studies, in vitro studies, comments and opinion pieces without data, unsystematic reviews not specific to safety, and publications that did not address health topics. We ordered 2,189 full text articles for further scrutiny. Applying the standardized form to inclusion screen full text papers by two independent reviewers, 1,252 publications were excluded. Excluded publications are listed in Appendix D with the primary reason for exclusion. The screening process considered, in this order, 17 monitoring and/or reporting of adverse events, participants, genus, design, intervention, and duplicates. Only one reason for exclusion was recorded, although most publications would have not passed two or three exclusion criteria. Also listed in the appendix are 315 studies that were classified as background papers. These were mostly reviews used for further reference mining or multiple publications of included studies. Overall, 622 studies met inclusion criteria. The full list of included studies is shown in the appendix together with the source the publication was identified from. The electronic databases were searched in a particular order, starting with PubMed as outlined in the search strategy. The majority of included studies were indexed in PubMed. A substantial number of studies were identified through reference screening of included studies and background papers. The included studies were then screened again in a further step to differentiate studies that addressed a specific adverse event from those that did not (nonspecific safety statements). Potentially Relevant Studies Not Addressing Safety To estimate the proportion of existing probiotics studies currently found in the literature that are included in this safety review, we enumerated the probiotics randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting on patient outcomes that were found in our searches. We then calculated the proportion of RCTs included in this review as an estimate of the proportion of currently available studies that were included. RCTs are regarded as high evidence level studies, and of all published research studies, these should be more likely to adhere to good reporting practices, which include the reporting of adverse events. We have identified 774 RCTs in our literature searches that were potentially relevant for the Key Questions and were theoretically eligible to be included in this review based on the participant, intervention, genus, and study design criteria of this review. Of these relevant RCTs, 446 (58 percent) met inclusion criteria for this review because they addressed the safety of probiotics. All other RCTs reported on relevant interventions, in relevant participant groups, but they did not address adverse patient health outcomes as defined in this evidence review. Of all published RCTs that we identified in our searches, 279 (36 percent) reported on the presence or absence of a specific adverse event. Included Studies With Nonspecific Safety Statements Evidence Table C6, Nonspecific Safety Statements,in Appendix C summarizes the 235 identified studies that made only vague safety statements indicating that “there were no adverse events” or that the intervention was “well tolerated” but gave no indication what kind of adverse events were screened for or did occur. The evidence table shows what the publication reported regarding the assessment of adverse events and the safety results. The majority of these studies were RCTs. Very few included studies were “mechanistic studies,” that is, specifically investigating the mechanism of action with which probiotic organisms potentially achieve effects. Mechanistic studies rarely addressed patient health outcomes, including adverse events. Only few studies (67/235) provided details about the assessment procedure (e.g. “any side effects were also recorded,”), but no specific outcomes that were monitored in the study were reported. The large majority of studies did not refer to the assessment of adverse events. The table also shows the investigated genus, species, strain, and form of probiotic organisms given, as well as the potency and the administered dose, and the product name, where applicable, for these studies. Lactobacillus was by far the most commonly investigated genus, and about 18 three-fourths of the identified studies used products that included Lactobacillus alone or in combination with other genera. Enterococcus and Bacillus studies accounted for less than 5 percent of the sample. Figure 5 shows the frequency of the genera of all strains used in the studies. Figure 5. Included strains by genus in studies with nonspecific safety statements 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Several publications reported the species and in some cases subspecies that were investigated. Common in this sample were Lactobacillus rhamnosus, casei, and acidophilus; Bifidobacterium bifidum, lactis, and longum; Saccharomyces boulardii/cerevisiae; Streptococcus/Enterococcus faecium; or Bacillus coagulans. One-third of the studies did not report the investigated strain. These studies provided no information on what exactly was studied or at least what was supposed to be studied. In addition, most studies did not state that any efforts were made to test the administered microorganism(s). In more than half of the identified publications, the form of the organism was not described, such as whether the organism was active, lyophilized (freeze-dried), or heat killed. Most common was the description “live,” “active,” or “viable” (32 percent); reference to freeze-dried stored organisms was made in a quarter of the publications. No studies that employed heat-killed organisms and provided vague safety statements were identified using the search algorithm. The potency of the studied probiotic strain was reported for a third of the articles (expressed as colony-forming units [cfu] for bacterial strains), although with rare exceptions, the potency does not appear to have been tested as part of the study. Thus, the reported potency information may have been that provided by the manufacturer of the product. The actual potency can deviate from the product label and can be influenced by the delivery vehicle that is employed in the study so the stated potency information is only a rough indicator. In addition, the dose information was usually not clearly documented or not linked to the potency information, or the potency and dose were reported only on the product, not at the individual organism level, so that in most cases the daily amount of exposure of the probiotic organisms remained unknown. A third of these publications stated that the investigated intervention had “no side effects.” The statements “no adverse effects,” “well tolerated,” and “no adverse events” were also, and all equally, common, each found in about 20 percent of the identified publications. The statement “safe” was a rarely used expression, accounting for fewer than 5 percent of the publications, 19 presumably acknowledging that this statement is very difficult to ascertain with a single study. The remaining studies used other expressions. None of these publications clearly reported their basis for the conclusions related to the absence of harms. That is, they did not state the specific parameters they monitored, or characterize the encountered adverse events further. A small number of publications monitored specific harms according to the methods section but the results were not reported. Studies describing the presence or absence of a specific adverse event were eligible for detailed data extraction, are described in the next section, and were used to answer the Key Questions. Included Studies Addressing Specific Harms A total of 387 studies were identified that addressed a specific adverse event. These studies were used to answer the Key Questions posed by the sponsors. Evidence Tables Detailed information on the included studies is shown in five evidence tables in Appendix C. Table C1 lists the study details and participant information, table C2 shows the intervention details, Table C3 outlines the assessment and analyses, Table C4 summarizes the reported results and Table C5 shows the quality assessment. Studies appear in alphabetical order (by name of the first author) within study design categories. For this categorization, we differentiated three study design groups: controlled trials, observational studies, and case studies. The nonrandomized controlled trials and the crossover and parallel randomized controlled trials were extracted in the same category; the observational study design group included only uncontrolled case series. Study and Participant Details Table C1: Study and Participant Details provides an overview of the type of study and the included participants. Almost all included studies were published as articles. Although abstracts and letters with data were eligible for inclusion in the review, these publications accounted for fewerthan 5 percent of the included publications. Multiple publications about the same study were extracted as one study, regardless of the number of publications employed to report the data. Publications reporting more than one study, in particular with different research designs, are shown as multiple studies. Fewer than one-third of studies reported that safety was one of the main aims of the publication. The efficacy of the intervention was the most common research question addressed by the included studies. In all, 49 percent of included studies were conducted in European countries; Italian publications alone accounted for 10 percent of the sample. Studies were included regardless of the language of the publication. The number of U.S. studies included (11 percent) was similar to the number of Asian studies (16 percent). We determined the country by the study participants, not the authors of the publication. The individual countries are shown in the evidence table. The majority of included studies employed a modest number of participants, that is, ranging between 11 and 100 participants. However, we also identified 111 larger studies (29 percent of all included studies) with more than 100 participants. Small studies with between 1 and 10 participants constituted 14 percent of the entire sample of included studies; most, but not all, were case studies. Figure 6 shows the number of participants included in the identified studies. 20 Figure 6. Number of participants in included studies Across all studies and treatment arms, 24,615 intervention participants used a probiotics product, of which 21,403 were in the main treatment group. Across all studies, 16,574 participants were allocated to a nonprobiotic control group. In terms of study design, parallel RCTs accounted for two-thirds of the entire sample addressing specific adverse events. We only classified those studies as RCTs that explicitly stated the random allocation to treatment and control group. All other trials were categorized as clinical controlled trials (CCT). We distinguished parallel and crossover RCTs, because with a crossover design, a carryover effect from the intervention phase cannot be ruled out and may lead to misinterpretation of the data. These trials included all studies where the intervention was under the control of the investigator. Cohort studies comparing two cohorts or case-control studies that addressed the safety of probiotics were not found. Cohort studies compare groups of participants using probiotic organisms with a group of participants not using probiotics; the intervention, that is, the use of probiotic organisms, is not controlled by the investigator but selfselected by the participant, and the data obtained are purely observational. Case-control studies are defined by the outcome, that is, a specific harm, and the intervention, the use of probiotic organisms, is investigated as a possible risk factor for the outcome in question. The remaining studies we included were case series and case studies, which represented 14 percent and 11 percent respectively. Case series report on a number of patients receiving the same intervention without a control group. Some case series were before–after studies, but for this safety analysis, these studies were not differentiated from other case series, because the preintervention data for safety aspects were typically missing so there was no baseline that allowed a comparison. The included case studies reported on one or more cases of adverse events attributed to probiotic organisms. We also categorized the health status of the participants taking part in the included studies. We differentiated generally healthy, critically ill or high-risk patients, and participants with medium or indeterminate risk on the continuum from generally healthy to critically ill. Twothirds of studies were in participants who were neither generally healthy nor critically ill. These participants were suffering from a variety of health complaints such as diarrhea, ulcerative colitis, or bacterial vaginosis. Some of the participant samples were generally healthy 21 participants (81/387). The smallest group of included participants was critically ill or high-risk patients, for example patients currently being treated in an intensive care unit or babies with very low birth weight. The participants’ specific health problems were also extracted. We also noted whether participant groups of interest to the Key Questions were systematically excluded from each study, such as newborn and very young children; elderly participants; or immunecompromised, critically ill, or high-risk patients. In all, 52 studies explicitly reported that immunocompromised patients were excluded from the study. Another 73 studies excluded pregnant women, and 36 excluded breastfeeding or lactating women. For each study, we noted the reason for which the probiotic organisms were given. Seventynine percent of studies used probiotic organisms in an attempt to either treat or prevent a specific condition. Although probiotic organisms can be administered in the form of a food or food ingredient, a drug, or a dietary supplement, and our search or inclusion criteria did not favor one particular form over another, the probiotic organisms were administered in a clinical context in the vast majority of identified studies, that is, testing the efficacy or effectiveness of the preparation to treat or prevent a clinical indication. On a related note, although definitions of drugs vary across countries (as reflected in the international literature), the vast majority of interventions were not commercial food or dietary supplement products (see also Evidence Table C2, Intervention). The evidence table also lists pertinent cotreatments such as antibiotics, immunosuppressants, steroids, or dietary therapies. Of all included studies, 28 percent reported that participants also took antibiotics while participating in the probiotics study. Intervention The Evidence Table C2, Intervention presents an overview of the specific interventions evaluated in the included studies. When provided, the name of the product under evaluation was extracted. Furthermore, we extracted the delivery vehicle for the probiotic organisms where reported: in one-quarter of all included studies, the delivery vehicle was a pill or capsule. We also extracted the target of the intervention, since we identified somestudies that gave probiotic organisms to pregnant women, their babies after delivery, or both. We also categorized the studies as to whether they investigated only one probiotic strain or several (i.e., a mixed product). A single-genus product was investigated in 55 percent of studies. In 39 percent of studies, more than one strain was included in the intervention preparation. The latter studies included those in which the probiotic agents were given in yogurt or other milk products, and we have included Lactobacillus and Streptococcus in this evaluation where reported, even when the study did not claim any probiotic characteristics for the yogurt strains (studies were inconsistent in differentiating strains with assumed probiotic properties or attributing probiotic properties to the studied product in its entirety). We carefully avoided searching by the names of particular strains, species, or genera. However, the majority of identified studies targeted at least one Lactobacillus strain (73 percent). In all, 34 percent of studies included at least one Bifidobacterium strain. The other genera of interest to the report were represented in only 18 percent (Streptococcus), 12 percent (Saccharomyces), 4 percent (Enterococcus), and 3 percent (Bacillus) of studies, respectively. Figure 7 shows the number of strains by genus that were investigated in the included studies in the various treatment groups. Many studies used exclusively one Lactobacillus strain and many studies included more than one Lactobacillus strain but no other genera in the intervention. 22 Figure 7. Included strains by genus 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 We also categorized studies according to whether the intervention included only probiotics, or a combination of probiotics and prebiotics, that is, synbiotics. Fewer than 10 percent of studies stated clearly that they used a synbiotic product or reported the addition of ingredients with assumed prebiotic properties. Details of the interventions were documented only sketchily. Studies reported the investigated genus and often the species but strain information was often not reported, as indicated by the large number of “not available (n/a)” entries in the evidence table. The evidence tables include the species as reported regardless of reclassifications on genus, species, or strain level based on new evidence. Apart from the genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus, some intervention products also included the genera Clostridium, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Propionibacterium. The studied intervention products included the Lactobacillus species acidophilus, bifidum, brevis, buchneri, bulgaricus, casei, caucasicus, coryniformis, crispatus, delbrueckii, fermentum, gasseri, (GG), helveticus, johnsonii, lactis, leichmannii, paracasei, plantarum, reuteri, rhamnosus, and salivarius as reported by the authors. The reported Bifidobacterium species were animalis, bifidum, breve, clausii, infantis, lactis, and longum. The Saccharomyces interventions were described as boulardii, cerevisiae, or cerevisiae boulardii, and one study used the Saccharomyces florentinus. The reported Enterococcus species were faecalis and faecium. The reported Streptococcus species were described as mitis, oralis, rattus, salivarius, sanguis, and thermophilus, and some organisms were described as Streptococcus faecium. The studied Bacillus species were described as clausii, coagulans, IP, licheniformis, oligonitrophilus, stearothermophilus, and subtilis. Of all included studies, 43 percent did not report on included strains. The form of the probiotic strain was also often not reported: 62 percent of studies did not report whether the organisms in the various intervention arms were in active, lyophilized, or heat-killed form, and/or whether the tested organisms were viable. For studies that reported using a commercial product, we extracted only the intervention detail as reported by the authors, that is, we did not search for information from manufacturers to determine the composition of the product. The review covers the international literature and was 23 searched without restriction by publication year; it is possible that the product compositions vary across countries and have also changed over time. Fewer than 10 percent of studies clearly reported that they verified the probiotic strains that were given to participants as part of the study. The verification checked for the included strains, whether any contaminants were identified, and/or the number of active organisms. The evidence table also shows the dose information as reported by the individual study authors. For each study, we extracted the daily intake of probiotic products where possible. The dose information was often incomplete, that is, the information provided was insufficient to calculate participants’ actual daily or overall study exposure. The evidence table also reports the length of the intervention in months. Many intervention periods in the included studies were of short duration, often lasting for only 1 week. We categorized studies by short-term, medium, and long-term use. Defining short-term use as 1 month or less and long-term use as 1 year or longer, we note that almost half of the included studies (46 percent) reported an intervention period of 1 month or less, and only 5 percent of studies explicitly investigated the long-term use of probiotic organisms, that is, use of probiotic products for 1 year or longer. In the remaining studies, medium intervention durations were studied (more than 1 month but less than 12 months) or in some cases, it could not be established how long the probiotic product was taken. Figure 8 shows the individual study durations in months. Figure 8. Intervention duration in months We also differentiated the route of administration of the probiotic product. In two-thirds of studies, probiotic organisms were administered orally. In 10 percent of these studies, enteral feeding tubes were used, owing to the fact that a number of studies evaluated probiotics in critically ill patients (see Evidence Table C1, Study and Participant Details). In controlled studies, the probiotic intervention was most commonly compared to a placebo, or a group receiving probiotic organisms in addition to another medication, product, or treatment (the standard intervention) was compared to a group receiving only the standard intervention without the probiotic addition. For studies with multiple interventions, we chose as the primary intervention arm the one that differed from the control group only in the administration of a probiotic. 24 Assessment We distinguished descriptions of the assessment of adverse events from the reported events. Evidence Table C4, Results lists all reported events; however, the Evidence Table C3, Assessment lists the specific adverse events that were reportedly assessed according to the methods section of the publication. We noted all reported published systems used to record, categorize, and grade adverse events; however, this information was not very common in the included studies. The assessed safety parameters of controlled trials are summarized in Key Question 1a. The information on observational studies is summarized in Key Question 1d. We also categorized the duration of followup. In particular, in studies with multiple publications, this categorization was based on the longest reported followup period. In terms of short-, medium-, or long-term effects of probiotics use, outcomes were often elicited immediately after the end of the intervention period. The use of the probiotic product had either recently stopped, or in some instances was still ongoing at the time of the followup assessment. One-third of included studies assessed the effects of a probiotic intervention within 6 months after the intervention. Very few studies assessed long-term effects of probiotic use, i.e., effects reported more than 1 year after the treatment had stopped. Results Evidence Table C4, Results lists the reported results separately for each treatment group in the included studies (arm 1 to 4). The table documents the quantity, the quality, and the nature of the reported adverse events. For each study, we also extracted the total number of participants per study, the number of participants in each group at the time of randomization where applicable, the specific reported adverse events, the number of dropouts, and the number of dropouts due to adverse events. In terms of the quantity of adverse events, we extracted the number of adverse event incidences separately for each treatment arm. In addition, we extracted the number of participants who experienced one or more adverse events per treatment arm. Since participants could experience multiple adverse events, the number of participants with adverse events and the total number of individual adverse events do not coincide and were extracted individually. In terms of the nature of the adverse events, as outlined in the Methods section, we extracted the exact adverse events as reported by the authors of the publication, and in addition, we applied the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) system and categorized the events according to 27 categories. The Roman numerals in the evidence table refer to the CTCAE category, e.g., VII is gastrointestinal disorders, XII is infections and infestations, and XXVII is a miscellaneous category for events not covered by the CTCAE system or where adverse events were reported in a way that did not allow the assignment to a single category. In brackets after the individual adverse event, we added a characterization where possible (e.g. mild, or classified as 1 according to the CTCAE system). However, this information was usually not available. For each individual adverse event, we extracted the reported number of instances of the event. In terms of the quality of the adverse events, we assessed for each reported adverse event whether it represents a serious adverse event (SAE) as outlined in the Methods section to distinguish the large number of minor complaints from the serious events. In the evidence table, the latter are noted as “(SAE)” for each applicable adverse event. We also extracted a number of additional variables pertinent to the Key Questions such as the number of hospitalizations and the duration of hospitalization, where reported. Whether the 25 administered organism was recovered from the gastrointestinal tract, serum, mouth, or vagina (indicator of efficacy or safety); the need for antibiotic therapy to treat an infection; and occurrences of antibiotic resistance were also extracted and are explained in detail in the following sections. We noted that the quality of the reporting seems to have increased in recent years; however, it is challenging to quantify this subjective observation. A logistic regression of the number of individual adverse events (including zero events, i.e., reporting on the presence or absence of adverse events) showed that the reporting of gastrointestinal events increased (B=0.048; p=0.010), however, there was a larger increase in the reporting of infections and infestations (B=0.014; p<0.0010). Quality Evidence Table C5, Quality summarizes the quality of the individual included studies, as judged by two independent reviewers. We applied a number of quality criteria covering the quality of the reporting as well as internal validity criteria for the study design. Only “met criteria” or “possibly met/not enough information to judge the quality” are displayed in the table, to allow an easy overview of the entire sample. Figure 9 synthesizes the quality of the reporting and the risk of bias for all assessed variables for the included 387 studies meeting all inclusion criteria. Figure 9. Quality of the reporting and risk of bias in included studies 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 AE=adverse event; ITT=intention-to-treat 26 For each study, we evaluated the quality of the intervention reporting: Only studies reporting the administered strain as well as the genus and species met the criterion (211/387 studies). The assessment of adverse events was judged as clear and well reported by the two independent reviewers in 93/387 studies. The reporting of the adverse events themselves was judged adequate in 229/387 studies. We also assessed the selection of the sample: 27/387 studies were judged to protect adequately against selection bias, for example, through the use of consecutive patients or explicitly representative samples drawn from the study population. Also, for controlled trials, we assessed the comparability of the groups allocated to the probiotics and to the control interventions. Of all controlled trials, 195/291 relevant studies were classified as adequate; these studies reported basic baseline information on both groups, and the data were considered comparable. As a quality measure for the study, we also judged whether the study reported a power calculation that considered any adverse event. Of all included studies, six studies assessed in advance whether their study would be adequately powered to show a statistically significant difference in adverse events between treatment arms, should they occur. Because we expected to find a number of case-control studies, we also assessed the studies for exposure ascertainment. In 194/387 studies, the reviewers were relatively certain that the probiotics were used as described, for example, because studies reported on the compliance of the participants, or it was assumed that the probiotic organisms were taken as indicated because studies took place in a controlled hospital environment (i.e., most likely administered by hospital staff). The reviewers also judged the method of harms surveillance. Reported adverse events can differ across studies due to the method used to elicit adverse events. We differentiated passive surveillance, such as health care providers recording adverse events when spontaneously disclosed by participants, from active surveillance, for example, mention of a structured assessment of harms that was part of the study protocol as evidence that participants were explicitly prompted to report adverse events. In total, 172/387 studies were classified as using active surveillance, while for the other studies only passive surveillance could be assumed, or it was unclear from the reporting of the study. Among the included studies were a large number of RCTs. In total, 121 studies described as randomized had a randomization sequence approach that was described and considered adequate (e.g., use of table of random numbers, computer generated sequences). We also judged the concealment of treatment allocation—whether study personnel were able to predict the study arm in which the participant would end up or whether the allocation to treatment groups was concealed. Only 56 out of all 266 parallel RCTs reported treatment allocation concealment. Finally, we assessed participant and outcome assessor blinding. In 223 studies, the participants were blinded to the treatment they received; they did not know whether they consumed or were exposed to the probiotic organisms in question, a placebo, or another control preparation. In a similar number of studies (221/387), the outcome assessor was described as blinded: it was assumed that the person eliciting the study outcomes was not aware whether the participant was taking probiotic organisms or not. When assessing the risk for adverse events in a particular study, it is important to identify the number of dropouts (withdrawals). Whereas participants completing the intervention may report no adverse events, adverse events can lead to withdrawal (and might or might not be accounted for). In 290/387 studies, the numbers of withdrawals and dropouts were reported and the reasons for dropping out were described, or it was clearly reported that there were no dropouts and all participants were followed up. Of all parallel RCTs, 75 percent were judged by two independent 27 reviewers to report adequately on withdrawals. As a general quality measure, we also assessed whether studies reported an intention-to-treat analysis. In all, 99 included trials reported that they analyzed participants according to the treatment group to which they were originally assigned regardless of whether they completed the intervention or switched to another treatment. We also assessed whether studies reported any attempts to investigate or to avoid upfront confounding factors. Of all included studies, 126 were classified as attempting to address confounders, either through statistical analyses (e.g., multivariate analyses) or by features of the study design (e.g., matching control groups). We also assessed the potential for conflicts of interest. We differentiated studies that were funded by a manufacturer of probiotics and studies where the conflict of interest was somewhat unclear because of lack of reporting or because the researcher’s affiliation indicated no conflict of interest but the article reported that the study products were donated by a manufacturer. In 61/387 included studies, the authors explicitly stated in the publication that they had no conflict of interest. Key Question 1. What is the evidence that the active (e.g., live or viable) and lyophilized forms of probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus) as single ingredients or in combination with other probiotics or prebiotics in all delivery vehicles (and formulations) when used to cure, treat, mitigate or prevent a disease or reduce disease risk are safe in the short term? Long term? All 387 studies meeting criteria for full data abstraction were considered to answer Key Question 1. Studies were considered, regardless of the genus, species, or strain; form; and delivery vehicles. Probiotics as well as synbiotics are included in the summary. We have identified only very few studies that investigated Enterococcus or Bacillus strains and that could be included in this review, despite an extensive and unrestricted search. The following results primarily pertain to Lactobacillus, alone or in combination with other genera, most often Bifidobacterium strains. Very few included studies (nine in total) investigated long-term effects defined as reporting on followup periods of one or more years. (1a) What safety parameters are collected in clinical studies (Phases I–IV)? The monitored safety parameters of the included CCTs and parallel and crossover RCTs are shown in Evidence Table C3, Assessment in Appendix C. We distinguished assessed harms from actually reported adverse events. Evidence Table C3, Assessment lists only outcomes that were explicitly monitored according to the publication. The majority of publications reported little information on the assessment of adverse events, including what adverse events were monitored. Safety was one of the primary outcomes in only 55 publications out of all 291 identified CCTs, and parallel and crossover RCTs. Often, adverse events were not specified a priori. Many trials did not mention safety or adverse events in the study outcome section (103 trials). A substantial number of publications reported in the methods section of the publication that ‘adverse events’ were monitored but did not define these outcomes further and reported no examples of what kind of events would be monitored (55 studies). The “AE Non-specific” category in Evidence Table C3, Assessment 28 includes those studies that explicitly monitored for any adverse event that occurred during the study period. The trials rarely reported the use of a protocol or a systematic approach for the assessment of adverse events. Some publications used published tools to categorize adverse events. Allen (2010) recorded all untoward medical occurrences and these were then independently reviewed. The authors referred to the Directive 2001/20/EC and the ICD10 criteria. Aso (1992 and 1995) evaluated adverse reactions according to the criteria of the Japan Society for Cancer Therapy (Furue et al., 1986). Chouraqui (2008) and Dylewski (2010) reported that adverse events were coded using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA). Hemmerling (2009) used the DAIDS Toxicity Table Addendum for Vaginal Microbicide Studies, WHO/CONRAD colposcopy manual 1994, and DAIDS Adult Toxicity Table (Division of AIDS, 2007) . The severity of adverse reactions was assessed using the CTCAE, version 2.0 in the trial by Naito (2008). The Common Toxicity Criteria of the National Cancer Institute of Canada scale version 2 was used by Osterlund (2007) to assess and grade any adverse events. Sykora (2005) used a tool for H. pylori treatment side effects (de Boer, 1996) and assessed the causal relationship of the encountered side effects to the treatment. Wind (2010) also used published tools to assess safety (Gastrointestinal symptom rating scale, Svedlund et al., 1988; King's stool chart, Whelan et al., 2004). When specified, the assessment of adverse events was either by provider assessment at the time of clinical examination (165 trials), by patient diary (68 trials), by questionnaire (24 trials), or explicitly by telephone interview (21 trials), and some trials used lab tests (24 trials), but a substantial number of trials (52 trials) did not specify how adverse events were elicited. In studies with provider assessment, it was usually unclear whether participants were prompted to report adverse events, whether clinicians routinely checked for particular events, or whether it was left up to the participants to mention events that they noticed. We suspected that studies that completed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application were more likely to report a systematic approach to assessing harms, but only one publication (McFarland, 1994) reported on the completion of an IND application. Individual outcomes that were frequently explicitly monitored were “diarrhea” (37 trials), “vomiting” (27 trials), “constipation” (22 trials), “flatulence” (13 trials), “abdominal pain” (12 trials), “bloating” (10 trials), and “nausea” (9 trials) (see Evidence Table C3, Assessment in Appendix C). Signs of infections were rarely explicitly monitored in the included trials. The outcome “sepsis” or signs of sepsis was assessed in 11 of the included trials. Nine trials reported that “infections” were monitored, two trials explicitly monitored for bacteremia, and none of the trials stated in the methods section that fungemia was monitored. The outcome “death” was specified as a monitored adverse event in nine trials (this number does not include studies assessing mortality as an efficacy or effectiveness measure). Data on hospitalizations are presented in detail in Key Question 5. All studies eligible for full data extraction had to report on a specific adverse event. All specific adverse events that were recorded are presented in Evidence Table C4, Results in Appendix C. These adverse events were reported in the publication, even though the study might not have stated upfront that safety was assessed or defined what would be considered an adverse event. The table covers the presence as well as the absence of adverse events (zero events). In other words, the publications that reported identified no instances of a particular harm. The specific outcome most commonly reported on across studies was “diarrhea.” In total, 59 studies reported the absence or presence of diarrhea incidences in the treatment arms. This was 29 followed by “vomiting” (39 studies). Incidences of “death” or the absence of incidences was reported in 36 studies. The outcome “nausea” was recorded in 24 studies. “Sepsis” or “septicemia” was reported on in 21 studies. Twenty-three studies reported on “abdominal pain” and 30 on “constipation.” “Headache” was reported on in 22 studies. Flatulence was reported on in 19 studies, and 16 studies reported on the presence or absence of “bloating” incidences. All other outcomes were addressed in fewer than 10 studies. In almost all included studies, the outcome assessment took place shortly after probiotic organisms were given (assessing short- and medium-term effects), and the intervention period was less than one year long (studying short- and medium-term use). (1b) What harms are reported in clinical studies (Phases I–IV)? For all CCTs and parallel and crossover RCTs, we recorded which adverse events were reported and how many participants per treatment group experienced the presence or absence of this particular outcome. In the evidence tables, the study arms appear in this order: main treatment group, control group, and additional treatment groups to which probiotics were given. Exact adverse events as reported were extracted and are shown in Evidence Table C4, Results, in Appendix C. We extracted all reported results, including zero events (e.g., zero cases of sepsis). We classified the adverse events according to the CTCAE system and added the corresponding codes I to XXVII. Where possible, we graded the severity of the symptom on a scale from 1 to 5 or characterized the adverse event further if additional information was provided (in brackets after the harm). Studies reported on the presence or absence of a very large number of individual outcomes. The number of reported adverse events per study varied greatly, presumably depending in part on the thoroughness of the adverse event recording and potentially in part on the type of study; for example, most studies whose primary aim was to assess the efficacy of probiotics reported one or more cases of each of a small number of adverse events encountered. Other studies, the primary aim of which was to specifically investigate the safety of probiotics in substantial participant samples, compared the incidence of relatively common occurrences such as colic in infants. Finally, this review also considered studies of “failed effectiveness,” that is, studies that assessed the efficacy or effectiveness of probiotics in preventing a particular condition (e.g., antibiotic-induced diarrhea or allergic dermatitis), where, unexpectedly, the risk for the condition actually increased in the probiotics group (rather than decreasing, as was hoped); thus, the primary outcome (efficacy, or lack thereof) became the safety issue. Frequent Individual Adverse Events The most commonly reported individual adverse events were “death,” “‘diarrhea,” “constipation,” “nausea,” “respiratory infections,” “spitting up,” “abdominal discomfort,” “dyspepsia,” “colic,” “abdominal fullness,” “allergy sensitization,” and “pain on micturition.” This analysis considers only the exact wording; similar symptoms or syndromes were not grouped. A categorization of reported adverse events is undertaken in response to Key Question 2c. Only data that indicated the treatment group in which the adverse event occurred were considered. Across all trials, 177 incidences of “deaths” were reported in probiotic treatment groups, and 174 incidences were reported in a control group. Mortality was recorded in 32 trials, and each contributed one or two cases to the total number, with the exception of Kerac (2009), Besselink (2008), and Awad (2010). Kerac (2009) monitored deaths in children with severe acute 30 malnutrition and reported 108/399 deaths in a group receiving synbiotics compared to 119/396 in children using a control formula. The PROPATRIA trial reported by Besselink et al. (2008), a study of failed effectiveness, reported on 24 deaths in a treatment group compared to 9 cases in the control group in patients with acute pancreatitis. The deaths were not directly associated with cases of sepsis caused by the administered organism (0 incidences). Awad (2010) reported 5/60 deaths in a Lactobacillus acidophilus intervention group for the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis compared to 6/30 neonates receiving placebo; however mortality was 14/60 in the heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus group. Of the other trials that reported on the group the deceased participant was originally allocated to, eight recorded more death incidences in one or more probiotic or synbiotic treatment groups compared to a control group (Bajaj, 2008; Beausoleil, 2007; Correa, 2005; Frohmader, 2010; Ishikawa, 2005; Manley, 2007; Naito, 2008; Puccio, 2007). Nine trials reported more deaths in control groups (Alberda, 2007; Basu, 2007; Chui, 2009; Dylewski, 2010; Honeycutt, 2007; Klarin, 2008; McFarland, 1994; Reuman, 1986; Sazawal, 2010). Three trials reported an equal number of deaths across groups (Dewan, 2007; Klarin, 2005; Tempe, 1985). Several studies reported that no deaths occurred in either treatment group of the trial (Anukam, 2008; Delia, 2002; Gibson, 2008; Knight, 2007; Lata, 2009; Luoto, 2010; Merenstein, 2009; Merenstein, 2009; Rio, 2002). In total, 130 cases of diarrhea were reported in probiotics treatment groups, compared to 126 cases in a control group; the outcome was assessed in a large number of studies. Individual study results varied, sometimes favoring the probiotics treatment group, sometimes the control group, or reporting an equal number of incidences as documented in the Evidence Table C4, Results. Constipation was assessed in a large number of studies that contributed 1 or 2 cases of constipation in each of the treatment groups to the total number of 78 cases in a probiotics intervention and 73 cases in a control group. McFarland (1994) reported eight cases of constipation in the treatment group and two in the placebo group. Nausea was assessed in many studies, and several contributed 1 or 2 cases to the total number of 58 in probiotics users and 52 across control groups. However, Besselink (2008) reported 20 cases of nausea in the treatment group and 23 in the control group. Respiratory infections were assessed in a number of studies, but 47 out of all 58 reported infections in a treatment group, and 49 out of all 59 control group incidences were reported by Gibson (2008), investigating the safety of a probiotic infant formula. The 52 cases of “spitting up” in participants taking probiotics compared to 45 control group cases were almost all reported in a study by Abrahamsson (2007) (2 control group cases were reported by Maldonado (2009) investigating a probiotics intervention in the prevention of eczema). There were 46 cases of “dyspepsia” in the probiotics group across studies and 3 in control group participants. As 45 cases came from one study that did not explicitly report on the control group (Turchet, 2003), the interpretation of the difference in results has to be regarded with caution. The adverse event with the next highest incidence was that of “constipation” (76 cases vs. 71 cases among control). In all, 44 cases of “abdominal discomfort” were reported across probiotics intervention groups (compared to the same number in a control group) where the number of adverse events was clearly stated. The symptom was assessed in a number of studies but the cases primarily came from one study (Kukkonen, 2007) that evaluated a synbiotic infant formula (35 cases in treatment, 37 in control group). 31 Colic was assessed in a number of studies, but 17 out of the 38 treatment group cases and 15 out of all 33 incidences of colic in control group infants were reported in Vlieger (2009), who investigated the tolerance and safety of a probiotic infant formula. There were 36 recorded incidences of abdominal fullness in a probiotics intervention group and 43 incidences across the control groups, all reported in one study (Besselink, 2008). All 35 cases of ‘allergy sensitization’ in the treatment group compared to 21 cases in the control group were identified in a failed effectiveness study (Taylor, 2007) that investigated the role of probiotic infant formula in the prevention of atopic dermatitis. The 31 cases of pain on micturition compared to 42 control group incidences were reported by Naito (2008) investigating adverse events in patients with transurethral resection of bladder cancer. All other events occurred in fewer than 30 participants across the 291 trials; all individual study results are shown in the Evidence Table C4, Results. Number of Adverse Events To quantify the risk of adverse events, we extracted two measures from individual studies, the number of participants with adverse events and the number of incidences of adverse events. This review included studies in generally healthy as well as critically ill participants with multiple morbidities. The listed adverse events are primarily of interest only in relation to a control group. Only controlled studies allow a comparison of the natural occurring rate of adverse events, the rate that can be expected with patients suffering from a particular condition, or that are caused by cointerventions. Number of participants with adverse events. For each included study, we extracted the number of participants who experienced an adverse event in each group, where available. There were 121 studies that reported this number for a group with probiotics intake and a control group not receiving probiotic organisms as part of the intervention. The pooled relative risk effect for the number of adverse events was 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93, 1.04, p=0.537) indicating that the risk to experience any adverse event was not higher in the probiotic group than in a control group not taking probiotics. The pooled risk difference was -0.001 (95% CI: 0.005, 0.003, p=0.993), indicating no difference between treatment and control groups. The included controlled trials used a variety of control interventions. For comparisons between treatment groups, we considered all control interventions that were characterized by the absence of probiotics use. In a further sensitivity analysis, we restricted the comparison to parallel placebo-controlled RCTs. There was also no indication of an increased risk of adverse events relative to placebo control group participants (relative risk [RR]: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.05; p=0.654; risk difference [RD] -0.003; 95% CI: -0.009, 0.004; p=0.386. Number of incidences of adverse events. Not all studies reported explicitly the total number of participants who experienced any adverse event in each treatment group. The majority of studies reported one or more instances of adverse events that occurred in each group. From the publication it was not always clear whether these events were the only adverse events encountered and how many participants experienced an adverse event, as a participant can experience more than one adverse event. An alternative way to approach the risk for adverse events is to synthesize across all mentioned adverse event incidences. Studies where the total number of adverse event incidences exceeded the number of participants were excluded from this analysis, but 208 studies entered the analyses. The pooled relative risk for probiotics groups relative to control groups was 1.00 (95% CI: 0.93, 1.07, p=0.999) in this analysis, indicating an 32 equal risk of adverse events in the intervention group and the control group. The risk difference between intervention and control groups was 0.002 (95% CI: -0.002, 0.007, p=0.303). The small difference was not statistically significant; despite the large number of RCTs, no difference across treatment arms in the quantity of adverse events could be observed. Considering only parallel placebo-controlled trials, there was also no evidence for a statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events based on the number of adverse event incidences (RR 1.02; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.10; p=0.659; RD 0.0010; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.006; p=0.659). These quantitative analyses consider only the total number of adverse events reported in the main treatment group and the main control group, regardless of the type of outcome, including mild side effects such as bloating as well as serious adverse events such as sepsis and death. In section 2c we explore the nature of reported adverse events further, and Key Question 5 summarizes the evidence on serious adverse events. A detailed analysis of the genera-specific safety reported in controlled trials is provided in Key Question 3b, additional intervention factors are also explored in Key Question 3. Long-Term Effects Of all included controlled trials, six addressed long-term effects of probiotics intake, meaning the studies reported followup assessments of one year or more. All investigated Lactobacillus strain interventions, alone or in combination with Bifidobacterium. Abrahamsson (2007) investigated a short prenatal exposure and then 1 year of intake of probiotic organisms (Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730) in infants to prevent eczema and found no differences in gastrointestinal problems between groups (spitting up, colic, or constipation), the last followup was at two years, one year after the original treatment had stopped, and no other adverse events were reported. Kopp (2008) investigated a short prenatal exposure and then six months of probiotics intake (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103) in infants to prevent atopic dermatitis and pointed out that children with recurrent episodes of wheezing bronchitis were more frequent in the probiotics treatment group (13 vs. 4 cases, p=0.03) at the 2 year followup, 1.5 years after the original treatment had stopped; the authors reported that no other notable adverse effects attributable to the probiotics supplementation were observed. Kuitunen (2009) (see also Kukkonen, 2007) investigated a short prenatal exposure and then 6 months of probiotics intake (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC-55 103) in infants to prevent allergic diseases and found similar rates of abdominal discomfort, vomiting, excessive crying, and difficulty swallowing the product across groups, but infants in the probiotic group had significantly lower hemoglobin values than the placebo group. The followup period was 2 years; the last followup was 1.5 years after the intervention had stopped. Ljungberg (2006) followed children with genetic risk for type 1 diabetes mellitus for two years to evaluate the feasibility of using Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in the first 6 months of life to decrease the appearance of Type 1 diabetes-associated autoantibodies. At the 2-year followup, the study found two samples positive for autoantibodies (3 across all followup periods), but the treatment group allocation was not specified, and other adverse event results were not reported. Naito (2008) investigated a 1 year probiotic supplementation (Lactobacillus casei Shirota) of participants on chemotherapy and reported no statistically significant differences between pain on micturition, urinary frequency, gross hematuria, constipation, or diarrhea across groups in the 3-year followup period, 2 years after the intervention stopped. Niers (2009) investigated a short prenatal exposure and then 1 year of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus intake of mothers and their high-risk children to prevent allergic disease and 33 followed these dyads for 2 years. The flow diagram shows that the rate of dropouts for health problems of the child or the mother, feeding difficulties, or gastrointestinal colic were similar across groups. No other trials were identified that reported on long-term effects of probiotics. The effects of long-term use of probiotics (defined as intervention durations of 1 year or more) are described in Key Question 4a. (1c) What harms are reported in case reports? In total, 43 case studies were identified that reported 1 case (Barton, 2001; Bassetti, 1998; Burkhardt, 2005; Cesaro, 2000; Cherifi, 2004; Conen, 2009; De Groote, 2005; Fredenucci, 1998; Henry, 2004; Hwang, 2009; Jensen, 1976; Ku, 2006; Ledoux, 2006; Lestin, 2003; Lolis, 2008; Lungarotti, 2003; Mackay, 1999; Munakata, 2010; Niault, 1999; Oggioni, 1998; Oh, 1979; Ohishi, 2010; Perapoch, 2000; Piarroux, 1999; Piechno, 2007; Pletinex, 1995; Presterl, 2001; Rautio, 1999; Rijnders, 2000; Tommasi, 2008; Trautmann, 2008; Viggiano, 1995; Zein, 2008; Zunic, 1991), 2 cases (Force, 1995; Kunz, 2004; Land, 2005; Riquelme, 2003), 3 cases (Kniehl, 2003; Munoz, 2005), 4 cases (Hennequin, 2000; Richard, 1988) or 6 cases (Lherm, 2002) of individuals who experienced an adverse event potentially associated with administered probiotic organisms. Only patients reported to have taken probiotic organisms purposefully (intervention study criterion) were eligible for inclusion in the review; hence, Perapoch et al. (2000) and Piarroux et al. (1999) contributed only one case each to the evidence tables, Munoz (2005) three cases, and Lherm (2002) six out of seven discussed cases. The identified case studies reported on 62 cases in total. The participant details are abstracted in Evidence Table C1, Study and Participant Detail; the product details are abstracted in Evidence Table C2, Intervention. We extracted details for all included case studies that reported adverse events. We extracted the exact reported adverse event(s) and classified them using the CTCAE classification system. Although the reporting of adverse events tended to be more detailed in case studies, it was nonetheless rarely possible to grade the severity of the individual symptoms. The adverse events are shown in Evidence Table C4, Results. The safety of probiotics was the main aim of all included case studies; the topic was an adverse event potentially associated with the intake of probiotic organisms. The case reports considered the adverse event to have potentially been caused by the intake of probiotic organisms. The majority of publications presented the finding as a rare event of clinical importance encountered in clinical practice (Barton, 2001; Bassetti, 1998; Burkhardt, 2005; Cesaro, 2000; Cherifi, 2004; Conen, 2009; De Groote, 2005; Force, 1995; Fredenucci, 1998; Hennequin, 2000; Henry, 2004; Hwang, 2009; Jensen, 1976; Ku, 2006; Kunz, 2004; Land, 2005; Ledoux, 2006; Lestin, 2003; Lolis, 2008; Lungarotti, 2003; Mackay, 1999; Munakata, 2010; Niault, 1999; Oggioni, 1998; Oh, 1979; Ohishi, 2010; Perapoch, 2000; Piechno, 2007; Pletinex, 1995; Presterl, 2001; Rautio, 1999; Rijnders, 2000; Riquelme, 2003; Tommasi, 2008; Trautmann, 2008; Viggiano, 1995; Zein, 2008; Zunic, 1991). Other cases were identified by following up a particular infection and then investigating whether it might be linked to exposure to probiotics. Lherm (2002) describe seven cases of fungemia in an intensive care unit, 6 of which could be linked to pretreatment with Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae]. Munoz (2005) observed three patients with Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia in an intensive care unit for whom a review of the medical 34 records identified the treatment with Ultralevura as a risk factor. Piarroux (1999) retrospectively analyzed case histories of 437 observed cases of fungemia and concluded that Saccharomyces accounted for 16 cases. The authors described a Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] intervention for one patient but provided no further details on the other cases. Richard (1988) followed up all encountered cases of bacteremia caused by a Bacillus strain in a 6-year period and concluded that four of eight cases of Bacillus subtilis bacteremia were associated with the absorption of an oral preparation containing Bacillus subtilis spores. The most commonly reported single outcome in the case studies was fungemia. Fungemia or presence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae/boulardii in blood cultures was reported for 33 cases in 21 publications (Bassetti, 1998; Cesaro, 2000; Cherifi, 2004; Force, 1995; Fredenucci, 1998; Hennequin, 2000; Henry, 2004; Lherm, 2002; Lolis, 2008; Lungarotti, 2003; Munoz, 2005; Niault, 1999; Perapoch, 2000; Piarroux, 1999; Piechno, 2007; Pletinex, 1995; Rijnders, 2000; Riquelme, 2003; Trautmann, 2008; Viggiano, 1995; Zunic, 1991). In addition, one publication reported the spread of fungemia to another infant who had not consumed probiotic organisms (Perapoch, 2000). All studies reported that the infection was associated with the administered organism Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae]; however more details on the reliability and validity of the recovery methods are given in section 1h. Eight cases of bacteremia associated with Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus GG, and Bacillus subtilis were reported in six publications (Barton, 2001; De Groote, 2005; Ledoux, 2006; Richard, 1988; Tommasi, 2008). Sepsis was reported for nine cases described in seven publications (Burkhardt, 2005; Kunz, 2004; Land, 2005; Lestin, 2003; Oggioni, 1998; Ohishi, 2010; Zein, 2008). The authors associated the outcome with the intake of Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae], Lactobacillus GG, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium breve, or a blend of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains, but more details are reported in section 1h. D-lactic acidosis was reportedly associated with Lactobacillus acidophilus in one case, a blend of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis in one other, and a product containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus faecalis, and Streptococcus faecium in three publications (Ku, 2006; Munakata, 2010; Oh, 1979). Endocarditis was reported in two publications reporting on two total cases (Mackay, 1999; Presterl, 2001), associated with a blend of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus strains. The development of an abscess associated with Lactobacillus rhamnosus was reported in two publications describing one case each (Conen, 2009; Rautio, 1999). Fever as the main adverse event after Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] use was described in one publication describing one patient (Jensen, 1976). One case of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome was associated with a Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] intervention (Hwang, 2009). Kniehl et al. (2003) reported 3 cases of diarrhea in patients who took a Bacillus product, but concluded that probiotics medication may result in diagnostically misleading results when stool specimens are taken (pseudo-outbreak of Bacillus cereus). Twelve of the 59 patients described above died: 1 patient due to neurological complications (Richard, 1988), 1 due to pulmonary infection (Richard, 1988), 1 due to complications of anorexia nervosa (Cherifi, 2004), 1 due to multiple organ failure after bypass operation (Lestin, 2003), 2 presumably primarily sepsis related (Oggioni, 1998; Rijnders, 2000), and 6 patients due to causes not further specified (Lherm, 2002; Munoz, 2005). 35 Long-Term Effects Three studies reported on the clinical course of the presented case studies and followed the patient for 1 year or more. Oh (1979) reported on an incidence of d-lactic acidosis in a patient with short-bowel syndrome taking Lactobacillus acidophilus. After treatment with neomycin, the patient remained free of acidosis and neurologic dysfunction in the reported 1-year followup period. Presterl (2001) reported on a case of endocarditis initially associated with the intake of Lactobacillus rhamnosus after possible long-term consumption of probiotic yogurt (exact duration not reported, DNA-based methods showed no match of organisms). After treatment with penicillin for the infection and other medical procedures for further morbidities, the patient was well at the 3-, 6-, and 12-month checkups. Cesaro (2000) reported on a case of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia in a neutropenic patient. After treatment with amphotericin-B, bone marrow transplantation, and chemotherapy to treat leukemia, the patient was well at least 3 years after the fungemia incidence. (1d) What safety parameters are collected in population surveillance studies and other observational studies, and do these include only standard clinical safety parameters (e.g., standard blood chemistry profiles) or also expanded laboratory or clinical testing unique to the use of probiotics? None of the included studies in this review is a traditional population surveillance study. None of the screened studies followed participants who chose to take probiotics or synbiotics, and hence would have been a self-selected intervention group. With the exception of some case studies, all of the included studies were part of a research study investigating the effects of probiotics or synbiotics chosen by the study investigators. We identified no cohort study comparing a group of participants who used probiotics with a group of people who did not. We also did not identify case-control studies that met all our inclusion criteria, that is, studies that identify cases by the outcome and look for potential risk factors, of which taking probiotics might be one. Hence there is no evidence from traditional population surveillance studies. We identified 53 case series, studies that followed a group of participants who were given probiotics or synbiotics. Case series do not compare the results of the treatment sample to a control group, so this evidence is typically classified as observational and limited in its power to allow inferences from observed adverse events to the received intervention. Two thirds of the identified studies used medium sample sizes. Only 8 large studies (reporting on 100 or more participants) were identified (Bellomo, 1979; Cobo Sanz, 2006; Colecchia, 2006; Di Pierro, 2009; Dughera, 2007; Fukuda, 2008; Gniwotta, 1977; Luoto, 2010). Eight studies reported on 10 or fewer participants (Benchimol, 2004; Berman, 2006; Bruce, 1988; Elmer, 1995; Garrido, 2005; Hensgens, 1976; Malkov, 2006; Reid, 2001; Weiss, 2010). Nineteen of the case series indicated that investigating the safety of the intervention was one of the main aims of the publication (Bibiloni, 2005; Bruni, 2009; Colecchia, 2006; Elmer, 1995; Fukuda, 2008; Gabrielli, 2009; Huynh, 2009; Karimi, 2005; Kitajima, 1997; Lamiki, 2010; Lombardo, 2009; Luoto, 2010; Mego, 2005; Nobuta, 2009; Rosenfeldt V, 2003; Uehara, 2006; Yim, 2006; Zahradnik, 2009). However, almost half of the case series did not report that they assessed adverse events as part of their treatment evaluation, as can be seen in Evidence Table C3, Assessment. 36 Where studies stated that adverse events were monitored, they typically did not define what would be considered an adverse event and what exactly was monitored. Where specified, studies mentioned that they monitored gastrointestinal symptoms or blood chemistry results. To assess any adverse events that may occur during the treatment period, some studies used a patient diary (Barrett, 2008; Bekkali, 2007; Gionchetti, 2007; Huynh, 2009; Lamiki, 2010; Lombardo, 2009; Zahradnik, 2009) or a questionnaire (An, 2010; Barrett, 2008; Cobo Sanz, 2006; Colecchia, 2006; Dughera, 2007; Gruenwald, 2002; Nobuta, 2009), but in most cases, the assessment was done by a health care professional. It was often not clear whether the assessment of adverse events was prompted or whether the health care professionals recorded only adverse events that participants chose to mention. Colechia (2006) reported the use of a published questionnaire (Neri, 2000) for the harms assessment. The measure was designed to discriminate irritable bowel syndrome and gastrointestinal diseases from food allergies; however it also covered drug tolerance. Mego (2005 and 2006) graded toxicity according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (version 2.0), designed to report results of cancer treatment. We also extracted which adverse events were reported on by the authors, regardless of whether the harm occurred or it was reported that no incidence of the harm was found. The most frequently recorded individual adverse event was diarrhea or watery stool (recorded in nine studies); gas, meteorism, or flatulence (nine studies); bloating or fullness (seven studies); abdominal pain or gastralgia (five studies); and nausea (six studies). (1e) What harms are reported in population surveillance studies and other observational studies? As described under Key Question 1d, we did not identify conventional population surveillance studies that met our inclusion criteria. The only evidence that can be described here stems from case series. In this review, a case series was defined as a study reporting on a single group of participants using probiotics or synbiotics. In total, 53 case series were identified reporting on 3,473 participants. The majority investigated Lactobacillus strain interventions, mainly alone or in some cases in combination with strains of other genera. Five studies investigated an intervention including Bifidobacterium, four used Saccharomyces, three Enterococcus, two Streptococcus, and two Bacillus organisms. All included genera are indicated in the Evidence Table C4, Results, details of the individual interventions are shown in Evidence Table C2, Intervention. For all case series, we extracted which adverse events were reported in the publication, using the exact wording from the articles. In addition we classified the adverse events using the CTCAE classification system and graded events where possible; however the reported detail of adverse events rarely permitted grading the severity. We also indicated for each outcome whether it was considered an SAE. The details of each study can be seen in Evidence Table C4, Results. The most frequently reported incidence of an individual symptom across the case series was bloating or fullness (25 participants, recorded in 7 studies) followed by diarrhea or watery stools (22 participants across studies, 16 studies recorded the outcome). Flatulence or gas (20 participants, 9 studies recorded the outcome) and nausea (18 participants, recorded in 13 studies) were also recorded in more than 10 participants. In total, the case series reported 12 deaths across studies, and the outcome was recorded in 3 studies. During the study reported by Carlsson (2009), two dementia patients using Lactobacillus and Lactococcus among other medications died. Malkov (2006) reporting on a sample of 10 37 cancer patients using, among other medication, a Bacillus oligonitrophilus KU-1 containing product, all of whom died from unspecified causes, liver failure, pulmonary edema, and stroke. Mego (2006) reported that no deaths occurred (Enterococcus faecium M-74 containing intervention). In the absence of a control group and multiple alternative explanations for the reported adverse events, it is not possible to attribute the events to the probiotics intervention. Long-Term Effects None of the included case series reported on long-term treatment effects (a followup of 1 or more years after the administration of probiotic organisms). (1f) What harms are reported in human mechanistic studies? Of the included studies that reported a specific adverse event, none could clearly be described as a mechanistic study. Studies primarily investigating possible mechanisms of action of probiotics are either not published in the peer-reviewed literature and databases we searched, which concentrated on health research, or they do not consider patient health outcomes, the focus of this review. We also identified only a very small number of studies that reported nonspecific safety statements and that could be described as mechanistic studies (see Appendix C, Evidence Table C6, Nonspecific Safety Statements). A study focusing in part on a mechanistic question (Garrido, 2005) investigated how the ingestion of different amounts of Lactobacillus johnsonii La1 influences the main bacterial populations of the fecal microbiota in eight symptomatic volunteers. The study stated that the participants showed good tolerance for the product and noted only mild increases of borborygmi. Johansson (1998) investigated the survival of Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 9843 (299v) after ingestion in a RCT and reported that five participants in the probiotic and (the rose-hip drink) control group experienced transient abdominal discomfort, nausea, or flulike symptoms. Songisepp (2005) studied the fecal lactoflora composition, Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 recovery, intestinal lactoflora, and oxidative stress markers of blood in healthy volunteers and reported one acute respiratory viral infection (treatment group unclear) and no changes in gastrointestinal functions or other adverse effects on general welfare. A case series by Biblioni (2005) that investigated the composition of biopsy-associated microbiota in patients with ulcerative colitis among other questions reported that no biochemical adverse events occurred with VSL#3, but 29 percent of participants reported increased bloating. Satokari (2001) published an additional article on polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis monitoring of fecal Bifidobacterium populations in a prebiotic and probiotic trial, and reported one incident of abdominal discomfort in the control group and one control group participant who did not complete the study due to antibiotic treatment. (1g) Do the studies describe an antibiotic therapy designed to treat unintended pathology caused by the administered organism? Of the 387 included studies, 40 case studies (of all 43 case studies) described an antibiotic or antifungal therapy designed to treat unintended pathology potentially caused by the administered organism (Barton, 2001; Bassetti, 1998; Burkhardt, 2005; Cesaro, 2000; Cherifi, 2004; Conen, 2009; De Groote, 2005; Force, 1995; Fredenucci, 1998; Hennequin, 2000; Henry, 2004; Ku, 2006; Kunz, 2004; Land, 2005; Ledoux, 2006; Lestin, 2003; Lherm, 2002; Lolis, 2008; Lungarotti, 2003; Mackay, 1999; Munakata, 2010; Munoz, 2005; Niault, 1999; Oggioni, 1998; 38 Oh, 1979; Ohishi, 2010; Perapoch, 2000; Piarroux, 1999; Piechno, 2007; Pletinex, 1995; Presterl, 2001; Rautio, 1999; Richard, 1988; Rijnders, 2000; Riquelme, 2003; Tommasi, 2008; Trautmann, 2008; Viggiano, 1995; Zein, 2008; Zunic, 1991). Details of the case studies are described in section 1c. None of the other studies (i.e., case series, CCTs, parallel and crossover RCTs) reported the use of antibiotics to treat unintended effects of the probiotics treatment. However, causes for antibiotic or antifungal therapy were neither always clearly stated nor easy to establish, and authors might not have associated the treatment with the probiotic intervention. Hence, we extracted any mention of antibiotic treatment in the included studies. This summary does not include studies where all participants received antibiotics as a cotreatment or studies where the reduction or prevention of antibiotics use was an efficacy outcome. Only studies were considered that reported that a course of antibiotic or antifungal treatment was required to treat an adverse event of individual participants during or after the intervention period. Two case series reported that a participant required antibiotic treatment during a probiotic intervention. One study reported antibiotic treatment for febrile neutropenia (Mego, 2006). The other study reported treatment for a case of bronchitis (Reid, 2001). Seventeen RCTs in total reported explicitly that a participant required antibiotic treatment during or after the intervention. In none of the RCTs did the authors relate the infections requiring antibiotic treatment to the probiotic, and antibiotic treatment was required in treatment and control group participants. One study reported that participants receiving the probiotic had more otitis media, and it was then treated with an antibiotic (Abrahamsson, 2007). Allen (2010) reported more respiratory infections in the probiotic treatment group compared to placebo, and nine cases across arms were treated with antibiotics. Basu (2007) reported that two participants in each group were treated for septicemia (presumably with antibiotics, although not explicitly stated). Another study reported that two participants received antibiotics for abscesses that the authors attributed to Crohn’s disease, specifically stating that they were “not caused by LGG,” or Lactobacillus GG (Bousvaros, 2005). Gerasimov (2010) reported that three preschool children (two treatment group and one control group) treated for atopic dermatitis were lost to followup due to respiratory tract infections requiring antibacterial therapy. Two of the RCTs reported unanticipated antibiotic use required during probiotic and placebo treatment but did not specify what it was treating (Chouraqui, 2008; Krasse, 2006). Haschke-Becher (2008) reported that one child in a probiotic intervention and three children in control groups withdrew due to antibiotic intake. One of the RCTs reported a gastrointestinal infection in the probiotics treatment group, without identification of the causative organism (Mimura, 2004). In another study, one case of perineal Candida was found in both arms and was treated with antibiotics (Millar, 1993). Niers (2009) reported that three mother-child pairs out of each treatment group discontinued a trial on prevention of allergic diseases due to use of antibiotics. Satokari (2001) reported that one control group participant did not complete the study because of an antibiotic treatment (details not reported). Sullivan (2003) reported that one participant in the probiotics group developed diarrhea, with no causative organism confirmed and was later treated with antibiotics. Tursi (2006 and 2008) reported that one case in a probiotics group was admitted to a hospital due to acute bronchial pneumonia and treated with antibiotics. Larsson (2008) reported that 10 participants received antibiotics for upper respiratory infections or other reasons, at least 4 of whom were in the probiotic group. De Preter (2006) 39 reported that 1 participant withdrew from a crossover trial comparing Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae], lactulose, and placebo intake but the group to which the participant was assigned was not reported. (1h) Do the studies describe methods for recovery of the administered organism from either the gastrointestinal tract or serum? To be included in the review, studies had to report an adverse patient health outcome; the recovery of the administered organism alone was not a sufficient outcome to be eligible for inclusion in the review. Nonetheless, a large number of included studies reported recovery of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus in the gastrointestinal tract, serum, mouth, or vagina. In most cases, the attempt to recover the organism was used as an efficacy measure, an indicator of a successful intervention and quality check that the organism was indeed consumed. None of the case series, CCTs, or parallel or crossover RCTs reported an infection or other significant clinical signs and the recovery of the administered organism. Some of the trials reported that infections and/or the recovery of the administered organisms in the blood were monitored but that no cases occurred. A description of the methods was not reported; however, any suspected positive identification may have changed that. Evidence From Controlled Trials In total, 36 trials reported that sepsis, bacteremia or fungemia, infections, or blood cultures were monitored to investigate associations with the administered organism as a safety precaution. A small number of trials reported explicitly on the absence of probiotics-associated sepsis, bacteremia or fungemia. Alberda (2007) reported no cases of Lactobacillus-induced sepsis. BinNun (2005) reported no cases of sepsis due to administered probiotics (Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus strains). Forestier (2008) reported no cases of Lactobacillus-related sepsis. Jirapinyo (2002) reported no cases of sepsis due to Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. Kerac (2009) reported no cases of probiotics-related sepsis (Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Pediococcus). Li (2004) reported no cases of sepsis due to Bifidobacterium. Lin (2005) reported no cases of sepsis due to probiotics (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium). Lin (2008) reported no cases of sepsis due to probiotics (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium). Manzoni (2006) reported no cases of sepsis due to LGG. Millar (1993) reported no cases of sepsis or infections attributable to LGG. Rouge (2009) reported no cases of sepsis due to Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Barraud (2010) reported no cases of bacteremia due to Lactobacillus. Honeycutt (2007) reported no cases of Lactobacillus bacteremia. Morrow (2010) reported no cases of Lactobacillus bacteremia. Song (2010) reported no cases of fungemia due to Saccharomyces. A small number of trials reported on the absence of probiotic-associated infections or signs of infections. Allen (2010) reported no infections due to Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. The PROPATRIA trial (Besselink, 2008) reported no infections caused by the administered probiotics (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains). Frohmader (2010) reported no infections due to probiotic strains (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus strains). Kotzampassi (2006) reported no cases of infections due to Lactobacillus species contained in formula. Lawrence (2005) reported no cases of Lactobacillus infections. Salminen (2004) reported no cases of infections due to Lactobacillus. Awad (2010) reported no probiotic bacteria were found 40 in blood (Lactobacillus). Osterlund (2007) reported no cases of Lactobacillus growth in blood. Peral (2009) reported that the administered Lactobacillus organism was not recovered in peripheral blood or wound samples. Samanta (2008) reported no blood cultures grew Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. Wolf (1998) reported that all cultures for bacteria in blood samples showed no growth after seven days of incubation (Lactobacillus). Finally, some studies reported on the absence of infectious incidences without reference to the administered probiotic. Anukam (2008) reported no cases of bacteremia (Lactobacillus and Streptococcus strain intervention). Delia (2007) reported no cases of bacteremia or sepsis (intervention with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus strains). Kianifar (2009) reported no cases of bacteremia or fungemia (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium intervention). Luoto (2010) reported no cases of sepsis (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium intervention). Merenstein (2010) reported no cases of viral infections causing fever in the treatment group (Lactobacillus and Streptococcus strains). Panigrahi (2008) reported no cases of sepsis (Lactobacillus intervention). Reid (1992) reported no cases of superinfections (Lactobacillus strains). Saint-Marc (2010) reported no cases of infections (Saccharomyces intervention). Songisepp (2005) reported no infections (Lactobacillus intervention). Wada (2010) reported no cases of bacteremia (Bifidobacterium intervention). Knight (2007) reviewed whether any deaths in the samples were attributable to probiotic organisms and reported also on colonization of Leuconostoc in tracheal aspirate which may indicate that they also looked for the administered organisms. McFarland (1994) reported no cases of Staphylococcus sepsis, which may indicate that they also looked for the administered organisms. Evidence From Case Series Of the case series, Luoto (2010) reported no cases of LGG sepsis. Mego (2005) reported that the seven cases of bacteremia were mainly caused by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and concluded that no infection was induced by the tested strain (Enterococcus faecium M-74). In a second study, Mego (2005) described a test for colonization of the gut by Enterococcus bacteria and in addition stated that bacteremia or infection caused by the tested probiotic strain (Enterococcus faecium M-74) was not found. Schneider (2005) described stool analyses and reported that no fever or fungemia occurred but did not mention a specific test (Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] intervention. Srinivasan (2006) explicitly stated that cultures did not show a pathologic growth of Lactobacillus bacteria (in surface cultures or sterile body fluids). Evidence From Case Studies Most case studies reported the recovery of an organism that resembled the administered probiotic strain (see Evidence Table C4, Results). The years of publication of the case studies encompass almost 40 years, during which time methods of identification have evolved. In several cases, there remained some doubt whether the recovered strain was identical to the administered organism. In most publications, authors suspected that there was an association rather than being able to show conclusively that the administered and the recovered organism were identical. Several case studies did not report on an identification method, used phenotypic identification alone, or used other indicators such as the temporal closeness to the reaction (Burkhardt, 2005; Cesaro, 2000; Cherifi, 2004; Force, 1995; Henry, 2004; Hwang, 2009; Jensen, 1976; Ku, 2006; Ledoux, 2006; Lestin, 2003; Lungarotti, 2003; Mackay, 1999; Munakata, 2010; 41 Niault, 1999; Oh, 1979; Piechno, 2007; Pletinex, 1995; Rijnders, 2000; Spinosa, 2000; Tommasi, 2008; Trautmann, 2008; Viggiano, 1995; Zein, 2008; Zunic, 1991) Other studies, in particular more recent ones, described a genetic fingerprinting approach to match species or strains. Lactobacillus. Conen (2009) reported that Lactobacillus rhamnosus species recovered from an abscess were identical to the intervention species according to not further specified genetic sequencing pattern and resistance testing. De Groote (2005) used sequencing of the ribosomal operon region and strain typing of the isolates with pulsed field gel electrophoresis to show identity of the intervention organism and the Lactobacillus rhamnosus blood stream isolates. Kunz (2004) used PFGE to identify Lactobacillus GG from blood culture isolate in a case of sepsis and intervention isolates. Land (2005) used repetitive element sequence-based polymerase chain reaction DNA fingerprinting to match Lactobacillus GG isolates from bacteremia and sepsis cases and the intervention isolate. Rautio (1999) used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to identify Lactobacillus rhamnosus species. Presterl (2001) used randomly amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD)-PCR assays to distinguish pathogens and the probiotic strain and concluded that the Lactobacillus rhamnosus isolate causing endocarditis and septic arthritis was not identical with the probiotic yogurt Lactobacillus rhamnosus isolate as initially suspected. Bifidobacterium. Ohishi (2010) used polymerase chain reaction analysis and strain-specific identification by a randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis to confirm the identity of sepsis isolates and the Bifidobacterium breve BBG-01 intervention. Saccharomyces. Bassetti (1998) used pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to match Saccharomyces cerevisiae species seen in fungemia with the intervention species. Fredenucci (1998) used electrophoretic patterns and variations in DNA-band patterns to establish the identity of the administered Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] organisms and fungemia isolates. Hennequin (2000) used mitochondrial DNA patterns to compare fungemia isolates and intervention Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] organisms. Lherm (2002) used a comparison of the polymorphism of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA with 13 restriction enzymes from the Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae]) isolated in patients and the intervention. Lolis (2008) used sequencing analysis on the DNA of the fungemia strain isolated as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the isolate obtained from the intervention product and reported 98 percent correspondence. Munoz (2005) reported that Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates were compared in PCR fingerprinting profiles. Perapoch (2000) used molecular identification based on mitochondrial DNA restriction analysis and chromosomal DNA profiles to show that Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates were identical. Piarroux (1999) used DNA sequences to compare Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] isolates. Riquelme (2003) used PFGE clonality banding patterns to match Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates. Streptococcus. No case studies associated with Streptococcus strains used as probiotics were identified. Enterococcus. No case studies associated with Enterococcus strains used as probiotics were identified. 42 Bacillus. Oggioni (1998) used randomly amplified polymorphic DNA technique for two Bacillus subtilis strains. Summary and Strength of Evidence Key Question 1 What is the evidence that the active (e.g., live or viable) and lyophilized forms of probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus) as single ingredients or in combination with other probiotics or prebiotics in all delivery vehicles (and formulations) when used to cure, treat, mitigate or prevent a disease or reduce disease risk are safe in the short term? Long term? Volume: 387 studies Risk of bias: Medium The evidence to answer this Key Question stems from a variety of study designs and quality. Although a large number of RCTs have been identified, the majority was not designed to systematically assess safety outcomes. Consistency: Inconsistent The RCTs, CCTs, and case series show very different results from case studies. Directness: Direct The evidence base includes a large number of RCTs directly comparing intervention and control group participants. Precision: Imprecise The majority of included studies use a moderate sample size; very few large studies have been identified. The studies are not powered to detect differences in adverse event incidences. The identified evidence is insufficient to answer the Key Question with confidence. The current literature is not sufficient to allow statements on the safety of probiotics in research studies if the term “probiotics” comprises the genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus. The currently available literature describes primarily Lactobacillus interventions, alone or in combination with other genera, most often Bifidobacterium, and some interventions use Saccharomyces organisms. The available literature includes only a few reports on the genera Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus. The absence of case reports of serious adverse events potentially caused by products containing Streptococcus or Enterococcus strains cannot be used as an indicator that the risk of serious adverse events is absent: the overall identified body of literature reporting on the presence and absence of harms indicates absence of relevant literature. The microorganisms have not been used in research studies, which may indicate less use in clinical practice. Few studies indicated what adverse events were monitored. The clinical studies such as controlled clinical trials, and parallel and crossover randomized controlled trials and observational case series that reported on monitoring of adverse events listed gastrointestinal adverse events such as diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation as explicitly monitored. Individual outcomes that were often reported on were death, diarrhea, constipation, and nausea, seemingly equally frequent across treatment arms. Individual outcomes such as mortality 43 and allergy sensitization should be assessed in a risk-benefit analysis including the outcome regardless of whether it was investigated as a safety concern or efficacy measure according to reports of failed effectiveness. We have identified a number of case studies reporting cases of fungemia and some bacteremia cases that are likely to have been caused by the administered probiotic strain. The number of cases is small considering the volume of the literature searched; however, the studies indicate that probiotic strains can be associated with serious adverse events and that they can be linked to the use of probiotic products. To quantify the risk, study designs other than case studies are needed (e.g., RCTs). Even though the risk potential has been documented in the literature, studies do not routinely state that they assessed the risk of infections caused by the administered strain. None of the identified case series, CCTs, or crossover and parallel RCTs reported an infection caused by the administered probiotic strain. In the absence of a control group and multiple alternative explanations for the adverse events reported in case series, it is not possible to attribute the events to the probiotics intervention. Across RCTs, there was no evidence for a statistically significantly increased relative risk of the quantity of adverse events for intervention participants compared to control based on two alternative measures: the number of participants with adverse events per treatment arm (RR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.04; p=0.537) and the number of adverse event incidences per treatment group (RR 1.00; 95% CI: 0.93, 107; p=0.999) in short and medium followup studies. The review did not identify comparative population surveillance studies that systematically assessed safety. Very few publications were identified that reported on long-term effects of probiotics use. Key Question 2. What are characteristics and associations of the reported harms in Question 1? All 387 studies meeting criteria for full data abstraction were considered to answer Key Question 2. The overview presented at the beginning of this chapter and Key Question 1 show the literature is incomplete with regard to the assessment of adverse events potentially associated with probiotics interventions. The evaluation of the characteristics and associations is limited to adverse events as currently reported in research studies. (2a) What interactions between probiotics and medications are reported? None of the included studies reported a formal interaction analysis for safety data. A number of studies commented on interaction effects for efficacy outcomes, but none of the studies investigated statistically whether medication leads to differential safety results For the purpose of this review, we recorded whether participants in included studies used antibiotics, corticosteroids, immune suppressants, dietary therapies, or other pertinent cotreatments (e.g., chemotherapy) that might possibly influence the adverse events experienced by participants. We found a large number of parallel RCTs where participants systematically used additional treatments apart from the probiotics preparation under review. To address the question of an interaction between probiotics and medications, we differentiated RCTs broadly into those that reported a pertinent cotreatment and those that did not and added this factor to a meta-regression predicting effect size. This analysis compares the risk ratio between intervention and control group participants for studies with cotreatments and for studies without cotreatments, and determines whether this difference in risk is statistically significant. 44 Using the number of participants with adverse events, we found that the relative risk to experience an adverse event for studies with cotreatments was slightly higher but not statistically significantly different from studies without pertinent cotreatments (RR 1.12; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.26; p=0.074). This interaction analysis is based on 106 RCTs for which data were available for pooling. In total, 44 of these RCTs reported pertinent cotreatments. These numbers are based on the number of participants experiencing an adverse event. Using the total number of events across groups as a sensitivity analysis for the robustness of the result, we find a very similar result: the relative risk for studies with cotreatments was 1.04 times higher than for studies without cotreatments (95% CI: 0.90, 1.20; p=0.627), also indicating no evidence for a statistically significant difference in the relative risk of probiotics for studies with and without cotreatments. This interaction analysis is based on 195 studies; 86 included cotreatments. Methodologically it is problematic trying to identify an interaction signal across studies rather than having information that stems from within studies, so this result has to be interpreted with caution. It is noteworthy that the included case studies that reported harms such as fungemia and bacteremia appear to be primarily in patients with multiple morbidities. Although the concomitant medications were not explicitly listed in all studies, the underlying conditions make it very likely that these patients were taking other medications (see Evidence Table C1, Study and Participant Details in the appendix for a description of patients). Whether an interaction between probiotics and medications contributed to the observed adverse events, and whether this interaction exists independent of a possible interaction between the underlying condition and probiotics cannot be determined in case studies. Key Question 6 reports stratified analyses for the individual reported cotreatments. (2b) What harms related to acquired antibiotic resistance and/or transferability are reported? We included reports of acquired antibiotic resistance as well as antifungal resistance, given that the scope of the review included Saccharomyces strains. However, only studies reporting on patient health outcomes were eligible for inclusion in the review; hence this Key Question considered antibiotic or antifungal resistance and transferability incidences as a patient health outcome with clinical significance. Reports of laboratory tests showing antibiotic or antifungal resistance of microbial strains in isolation are outside the scope of the review. None of the parallel or crossover RCTs, CCTs, or case series reported an incidence of antibiotic resistance and/or transferability. With regard to monitoring antibiotic resistance or transferability, one RCT (Reid, 1992) explicitly reported that none of the participants with urinary tract infections in a Lactobacillus suppository intervention showed any evidence of super-infection. Antibiotic or antifungal resistance was addressed in six case reports. Conen (2009) report that Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains recovered from an abscess were resistant to cephalosporin classes I through IV and carbapenems but the patient improved with imipenem, clindamycin, and fluconazole. Oggioni (1998) describe an immunocompromised patient with recurrent septicemia. The patient’s condition deteriorated despite antibiotic therapy. Bacillus subtilis strains isolated during fever episodes showed resistance to penicillin, erythromycin, rifampin, and novobiocin in two samples. Ohishi (2010) describe a neonate with omphalocele who developed Bifidobacterium septicemia. The isolated strain was susceptible in vitro to penicillin and ampicillin sulbactam but not to meropenem or amikacin. Piechno (2007) described a case of 45 fungemia in a cancer patient; one of the blood cultures showed the presence of Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] and indicated resistance to amphotericin B and possibly fluconazole. The patient recovered after a course of voriconazole. Trautmann (2008) reported on an intensive care patient who developed fungemia and presented with fever after initial clinical improvement while on fluconazole. The patient was able to leave the intensive care unit after administration of caspofungin. Zein (2008) reported on a diabetic patient who developed Lactobacillus rhamnosus septicemia; an antibiogram indicated resistance to nalidixic acid, vancomycin, and teicoplanin. The patient recovered after amoxicillin treatment. (2c) What is the nature of harms, and do these include only standard harms or also harms that might be uniquely applicable to the use of a probiotic? Key Question 1 addressed primarily the quantity of adverse events and specific harms that were monitored and / or reported. The adverse events reported in the included studies were found within many organ systems. To explore the nature of the adverse events, we used the CTCAE system to differentiate adverse events and added an additional category, ‘other,’ so that all harms could be classified. The categorization system can be seen in Appendix B (data extraction form). By far the most commonly reported incidence across all included studies was a gastrointestinal symptom (category VII in the Evidence Table C4, Results), followed by the category Infections and Infestations (category XI), and the “other” category (category XXVII). The last category included deaths not further specified, unclear adverse events (e.g., “collapse,” “general health problems”), and summary incidences (“ear, nose, throat symptoms”). The graph shows the distribution of adverse events within the categories for all probiotic intervention arms (up to three per study) across studies and study designs. For studies that included a control group, frequencies are also shown. Figure 10 shows data from all included studies, both controlled and uncontrolled. 46 Figure 10. Adverse events per CTCAE category for participants using probiotics and control participants (up to 3 probiotics intervention groups, 1 control group 700 600 500 400 Tx Con 300 200 100 0 The categories VII (Gastrointestinal disorders), XI (Infections and infestations); and also XXVII (Other) are the most common categories describing the observed adverse events. Some encountered adverse events were included in categories X (Investigations), XX (Renal and urinary disorders); XXII (Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders), and XXIII (Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders). The other categories (Blood and lymphatic system disorders; Cardiac disorders; Congenital, familial and genetic disorders; Ear and labyrinth disorders; Endocrine disorders; Eye disorders; General disorders and administration site conditions; Hepatobiliary disorders; Immune system disorders; Injury, poisoning and procedural complications; Metabolism and nutrition disorders; Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders; Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (including cysts and polyps); Nervous system disorders; Pregnancy, puerperium and perinatal conditions; Psychiatric disorders; Reproductive system and breast disorders; Social circumstances; Surgical and medical procedures; and Vascular disorders) rarely described the reported adverse events. The following sections report the risk of adverse events separately for each of the three established domains (gastrointestinal, infections, and ‘other’). The ‘other’ category was analyzed together with all other observed incidences, excluding only categories VII and XI. Gastrointestinal Adverse Events To investigate the relative risk for a gastrointestinal adverse event to occur, we pooled the parallel RCTs that reported on the presence or the absence of these adverse events. The risk for participants in probiotics intervention groups, relative to non-probiotics control group participants, was 1.03 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.18, p=0.693) indicating that the probiotic interventions were not associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of gastrointestinal adverse events. Overall, there was no evidence across the included RCTs for a statistically significantly 47 increased risk to experience a gastrointestinal symptom in the probiotic group compared to another group from the same participant population with similar co-interventions and the presence or absence of underlying diseases. The control groups either received a placebo, no treatment, or the co-medication or infant formula without the probiotic supplement. The analysis was based on 126 parallel RCTs. Studies comparing two probiotic or synbiotic treatments were excluded from this analysis and only one probiotic group was selected per study so that each study entered the meta-analysis only once (the main treatment group, most similar to the control group apart from the probiotic addition). This analysis included 104 studies that use Lactobacillus strains alone or in combination, indicating that Lactobacillus organisms were most commonly used in the included RCTs. Figure 11 graphically represents individual and pooled point estimates and 95% CIs obtained in included RCTs. Due to the large number of studies, numerical estimates and study identifiers of individual RCTs could not be displayed. 48 Figure 11. Graphical representation of the RR of the number of gastrointestinal adverse events across RCTs 49 The forest plot demonstrates that individual results differed across studies, sometimes favoring the control group and sometimes the intervention group, with no clear trend in either direction. Confidence intervals were wide in the large majority of studies, and very few individual studies reported a statistically significant difference between intervention and control group participants. The pooled risk difference between groups for gastrointestinal adverse events was 0.006 (95% CI: -0.001 0.012, p=0.071). The small difference between intervention and control group participant incidences was not statistically significant at the 5 percent level. All individual study results are shown in the Evidence Table C4, Results. Stratified analyses for individual genera, participant characteristics or other intervention characteristics are reported in the following sections. Infections and Infestations We also pooled all incidences of infections and infestations (CTCAE category XI) across the included 65 parallel RCTs that reported the presence or the absence of these adverse events. The relative risk for individuals in probiotics groups, relative to a control, was 1.00 (95% CI: 0.87, 1.16, p=0.967). Across all included studies, genera, participant groups, and interventions, there was no difference in the risk of experiencing infections and infestations. Figure 12 graphically represents individual and pooled point estimates and 95% CIs obtained in included studies. The numbering on the left hand side of the forest plot indicates the investigated genus. The number 1 indicates that a Lactobacillus strain was part of the intervention. In total, 39 percent of studies investigated blends and most often the blend included a Lactobacillus strain. The number 2 indicates that Bifidobacterium was present without Lactobacillus. Number 3 indicates that Saccharomyces organisms were present without Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. The number 4 indicates that Streptococcus or Enterococcus strains were present without Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, or Saccharomyces strains. The number 6 indicates that the intervention included Bacillus strains, but no Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, or Enterococcus strains. Due to the large number of studies, numerical estimates and study identifiers of individual RCTs could not be displayed. 50 Figure 12. Graphical representation of the RR of the number of infection and infestation adverse events across RCTs 51 The forest plot demonstrates that individual results differed across studies, sometimes favoring the control group and sometimes the intervention group, with no clear trend in either direction. Confidence intervals were wide in the large majority of studies, and no individual study reported a statistically significant difference between intervention and control group participants. Considering the absolute risk difference model, the risk difference across treatment and control groups was not detectable (RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.002, 0.002, p=0.918). There was no indication that reported infections and infestations were more common in probiotics groups compared to a comparable participant sample per group across all included parallel RCTs. All individual study results are shown in the Evidence Table C4, Results. Stratified analyses for individual genera, participant characteristics, or other intervention characteristics are reported in the following sections. Other Adverse Events The relative risk for individuals in the intervention group compared to the controls was 1.01 (95% CI: 0.91 1.12, p=0.923). In total, 131 RCTs were included in this analysis. The category ‘other’ contains all other adverse event incidences that were not categorized as gastrointestinal in nature or part of the infections and infestations adverse event domain. This category included the number of deaths, when the cause of death was not specified and attributed to a specific organ system. Figure 13 graphically represents individual and pooled point estimates and 95% CIs obtained in included RCTs. In this analysis, the majority of included trials contributing data on other adverse events (107/131) used a Lactobacillus strain alone or in combination with other genera. Due to the large number of included studies, numerical estimates and study identifiers of individual RCTs could not be displayed. 52 Figure 13. Graphical representation of the RR of the number of other adverse events across RCTs 53 The forest plot demonstrates that individual results differed across studies, sometimes favoring the control group and sometimes the intervention group, with no clear trend in either direction. Confidence intervals were wide in the large majority of studies, and very few individual studies reported a statistically significant difference between intervention and control group participants. The risk difference to experience any of the other adverse events (not gastrointestinal or infections) across treatment groups relative to control was 0.001 (95% CI: 0.003, 0.004; p=0.713). There was no indication that the adverse event incidences were more frequent in a group using probiotic organisms. All individual study results are shown in the Evidence Table C4, Results. Stratified analyses for individual genera, participant characteristics or other intervention characteristics are reported in the following sections. Evidence pertaining to serious adverse events is documented in Key Question 5. Unique Harms Generally, the identified literature was not very specific with regard to the adverse events that were monitored. The assessment and results evidence table shows, for example, that several studies analyzed blood chemistry variables, but researchers rarely reported exactly what they monitored, and none of the included studies highlighted incidences of unusual or unique results. Harms unique to probiotics were primarily infections attributed to the administered organism. Several case studies reported a DNA-based identification of strains (see section 1c). Of all other included studies, only a few reported explicitly that infections, bacteremia, or sepsis incidences could possibly be attributed to the administered probiotics strain (see response to Key Question 1h). In the studies that monitored the incidence of infection, none was observed to have been caused by probiotic organisms. Some trials explicitly reported that no incidences of serious infections occurred (see Evidence Table C4, Results). Other trials reported only the number of incidences of sepsis as an adverse event, and it was not clear whether the administered probiotic strain was considered as a possible cause of the infection. The frequency of reported gastrointestinal symptoms in the existing literature is noteworthy; however, neither the quantity nor the quality is unique to probiotics intake; similar symptoms in a similar quantity were also encountered in control groups. Summary and Strength of Evidence Key Question 2 What are characteristics and associations of the reported harms in Question 1? Volume: 387 in total, but varied across subquestions and analyses Risk of bias: Medium The evidence to answer this Key Question stems from a variety of study designs and quality. Consistency: Inconsistent The RCTs, CCTs, and case series show different results from case studies. Directness: Varies across subquestions The evidence base includes a large number of RCTs. Precision: Precise 54 The majority of included studies use a moderate sample sizes but studies were pooled in a meta-analysis. The identified evidence is moderate to low with regard to being able to answer the Key Question with confidence. As described, the interventions and adverse events are not well documented and studies were not designed to assess adverse events systematically. The majority of studies investigated Lactobacillus interventions, alone or in combination with other genera, most often Bifidobacterium. Studies rarely reported efforts to monitor adverse events specific to probiotic products. Hence, evaluations of the safety might change with future, more targeted, assessment of adverse events. Across all included studies, by far the most commonly reported adverse events were gastrointestinal in nature, followed by reported infections and infestations. The third most common category was the “other” category for symptoms that could not be assigned to one of the organ systems outlined in the applied CTCAE system. While the case studies primarily reported infections suspected or confirmed to be caused by an administered probiotics strain, the majority of other studies reported gastrointestinal incidences. Across identified RCTs, there was no indication that participants using probiotic organisms experienced statistically significantly more gastrointestinal adverse events, infections and infestations, or other adverse events compared to control group participants. Individual comparisons were based on a large number of RCTs. There is a lack of individual studies assessing interaction effects of medication affecting adverse events. An indirect comparison of RCTs in participants with pertinent co-medications compared to studies not describing these comedications indicated a slightly increased, but not statistically significantly different, relative risk ratio of adverse events between treatment and control group participants. We identified only a very small number of studies addressing acquired antibiotic resistance as a patient outcome with clinical relevance. Evidence for potential harms came from case studies in patients with multiple morbidities. Resistance was reported only to selected antibiotics. Adverse events other than infections potentially caused by the administered probiotics strain and unique to probiotics were not addressed in the literature. Evidence for infections came from case studies; included trials did not report on this outcome and/or did not find any cases and did not highlight adverse events unique to probiotics use. Key Question 3. What is the evidence that harms of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus differ by product and delivery characteristics? Very few studies were identified that explicitly investigated the effects of a commercially available food product (see Evidence Table C2, Intervention). The majority of identified studies appeared to provide a probiotic intervention prepared especially for the particular research study to investigate a beneficial health effect in participants with moderate health impairments. Most included studies investigated Lactobacillus and/or Bifidobacterium preparations. In particular there were few reports on the genera Enterococcus, and Bacillus. The reporting of the interventions was insufficient. A large number of studies did not report the strain that was investigated. The lack of reporting is a safety concern. 55 (3a) What is the scientific evidence that harms differ by delivery vehicle including excipients or novel delivery vehicles? We extracted the investigated product name where reported in the publication. Different products such as Actimel, Culturelle, Infloran, or Yakult were described. However, the majority of studies did not state any product name and reported only the genus, such as Lactobacillus, that was given to participants. By far the most common delivery vehicle was a pill or capsule, used in 101 included studies (see Evidence Table C2, Intervention). We also identified 29 studies of probiotic organisms in a dairy drink (Arunachalam, 2000; Barrett, 2008; Beausoleil, 2007; Boge, 2009; Cobo Sanz, 2006; Conen, 2009; Felley, 2001; Gotteland, 2003; Guillemard, 2010; Guyonnet, 2009; Hensgens, 1976; Ishikawa, 2003; Kajander, 2008; Merenstein, 2010; Newcomer, 1983; O'Mahony, 2005; Rautio, 1999; Rio, 2002; Salminen, 2004; Seppo, 2003; Simren, 2010; Songisepp, 2005; Spanhaak, 1998; Srinivasan, 2006; Sykora, 2005; Turchet, 2003; Wang, 2004; Yang, 2008). Twenty-one studies used enriched yogurt (Anukam, 2008; Bajaj, 2008; Carlsson, 2009; de Roos, 1999; Fukuda, 2008; Higashikawa, 2010; Kajimoto, 2002; Kim, 2008; Manley, 2007; MartinezCanavate, 2009; Miyaji, 2006; Olivares, 2006; Parfenov, 2005; Parfenov, 2005; Presterl, 2001; Sakamoto, 2001; Salminen, 1988; Sullivan, 2003; Tomoda, 1991; Wheeler, 1997; Xiao, 2003). Among all identified studies, 29 added probiotic organisms to an infant formula (Bin-Nun, 2005; Chouraqui, 2008; Chouraqui, 2004; Cooper, 2006; Correa, 2005; Dupont, 2010; Gibson, 2009; Haschke-Becher, 2008; Kirjavainen, 2003; Langhendries, 1995; Lin, 2008; Maldonado, 2009; Millar, 1993; Petschow, 2005; Puccio, 2007; Reuman, 1986; Ruiz-Palacios, 1996; Saavedra, 2004; Scalabrin, 2009; Stratiki, 2007; Urban, 2008; van der Aa, 2010; Vendt, 2006; Vlieger, 2009; Weizman, 2006; Weizman, 2005; Ziegler, 2003). Other studies used less common delivery vehicles such as vaginal suppositories; powder, often to be dissolved in water; chewing gum; drops; spray; or cultures on gauze pads as the Evidence Table C2, Intervention shows. Where available, we extracted the information on the delivery vehicle, such as whether the preparation was diluted with water or juice (Champagne, 2005) or mixed with breast milk (Lin, 2005). However, most studies did not describe exactly how the preparation was taken and whether it varied across participants. Only one study was identified that compared two different delivery vehicles directly (Isolauri, 1991), that is, providing direct evidence on the effect of delivery vehicles. In this study, a group of children given a Lactobacillus casei GG fermented milk product was compared to a group of children using Lactobacillus GG as a lyophilized powder to promote recovery from acute diarrhea. The study reported that on day one, 58 percent of children in the milk product group vomited compared to 43 percent in the powder group; on day two, 21 percent versus 22 percent vomited; on day three, 0 versus 9 percent vomited, and after that, no more vomiting occurred. One other study (Metts, 2003) randomized participants to vaginal suppositories of Lactobacillus acidophilus, suppositories and oral capsules containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, and placebo; one participant in the oral and vaginal suppository group and one in the placebo group reported vaginal discharge. These individual study results do not allow any conclusions regarding the effects of one delivery vehicle over the other. Metaregression: Delivery Vehicle In the absence of direct comparisons, we investigated the delivery vehicle further in a meta regression. A metaregression adding the factor “delivery vehicle” to a meta-analysis model indicated that adverse events results differ by delivery vehicle based on the number of 56 participants with adverse events (p=0.0157) as well as based on the number of adverse event incidences (p=0.040). The risk ratio between probiotic group participants and control group participants appeared to vary based on the chosen delivery vehicle. Hence, we investigated individual delivery vehicle further in stratified analyses. Pill/Capsule First, we compared the relative risk seen in a probiotics group using a pill, capsule, or gelcap compared to the risk of adverse events seen in a group across the included parallel RCTs. This subgroup represents the majority of included studies, as this delivery vehicle was most commonly used. We excluded all studies where the vehicle was described as a “tablet,” as it was not clear from the original publication whether this was equivalent to a pill that was meant to be swallowed or a chewable tablet or a tablet that dissolves in water, for example. Compared to controls, participants in a probiotics group were not more likely to experience adverse events, based on the number of participants with adverse events (RR 1.02; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.14; p=0.654; RD -0.001; 95% CI: -0.006, 0.004; p=0.746) or based on the number of adverse event incidences (RR 0.94; 95% CI: 0.0.80, 1.1.10; p=0.439; RD -0.001; 95% CI: -0.009, 0.008; p=0.888) in this subgroup of studies using pills, capsules, or gelcaps as the probiotics delivery vehicle. Exploring the nature of the reported adverse events across probiotics and control groups in these studies, there was also no difference in gastrointestinal complaints (RR 1.02; 95% CI: 0.76, 1.36; p=0.898; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.007, 0.009; p=0.868), a trend but no statistically significant effect for infections and infestations (RR 1.24; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.67; p=0.151; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.006; p=0.702), or for other adverse events (RR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.72, 1.10; p=0.292; RD -0.001; 95% CI: -0.013, 0.011; p=0.868). Yogurt/Dairy Secondly, we undertook a stratified analysis for studies that delivered the probiotic organisms in a yogurt or dairy drink. It is conceivable that probiotic organisms react to the delivery vehicle; hence participants in probiotics groups might have an increased risk of adverse events in dairy or yogurt studies. Infant formulas were excluded from this analysis in order not to add another confounder (all infant formula studies have infants as participants). Compared to controls, participants in a probiotics group were not more likely to experience adverse events, based on the number of participants with adverse events (RR 1.01; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.13; p=0.847; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.016, 0.017; p=0.921). However, based on the number of adverse event incidences in the 24 studies that used this delivery vehicle and reported data, the relative risk was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.79; p=0.022), indicating that participants in the probiotics groups experienced more adverse events than control group participants. The absolute risk difference between studies was 0.023; it was not statistically significant (95% CI: -0.003, 0.049; p=0.078). Exploring the nature of the reported adverse events in this subgroup of studies across probiotics and control groups, there was a trend for more gastrointestinal complaints (RR 1.30; 95% CI: 0.83, 2.04; p=0.245; RD 0.032; 95% CI: -0.006, 0.070; p=0.098), a trend for more infections and infestations (RR 1.99; 95% CI: 0.51, 7.80; p=0.321; RD 0.004; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.011; p=0.307), and a trend for more “other” adverse events (RR: 1.81; 95% CI: 0.98, 2.32; p=0.063; RD 0.003; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.011; p=0.388). However, none of the results showed a 57 statistically significantly increased relative risk or absolute risk difference for adverse events in dairy or yogurt studies comparing treatment to control group participants. There were too few studies to investigate systematic differences between yogurt and dairy studies or to differentiate less common delivery vehicles further in a meta-analysis. Infant formula study results are presented in the response to Key Question 4d in the section on children. Results of all individual studies are shown in the Evidence Table C4, Results. Overall, there was an indication that safety results may differ by delivery vehicle. However, given the type of analysis (an indirect analysis across studies), this result has to be regarded with caution and cannot replace evidence from direct, within study comparisons. In addition, chosen delivery vehicles can in part be confounded with participant characteristics (e.g. infant formula). (3b) What is the scientific evidence that harms differ by genus, species, and strain (including intraspecies strain variations)? The interventions in the included studies were not well documented. In many cases it was not reported what strains of organisms were used; only the genera, and sometimes, but not always the species, were stated. To meet inclusion criteria for the review, studies had to report a specific genus contained in the tested intervention. Genus The available research volume differs for the six investigated probiotic agents. A Lactobacillus strain was part of the intervention in 215 (68 percent) of the included studies, thereby being the most commonly studied genus. This number includes Lactobacillus strains not explicitly used as a probiotic agent but included in the product, for example as a starter culture for yogurt. Bifidobacterium was included in 32 percent of studies. Saccharomyces organisms were investigated in 13 percent of studies. Streptococcus strains were included in 15 percent of studies; this number includes studies investigating Streptococcus strains explicitly as probiotic agents as well as other uses such as part of a yogurt starter culture. Enterococcus strains were investigated in 16 studies only (5 percent of included studies). Preparations containing Bacillus strains were investigated in 10 studies (3 percent). With regard to direct comparisons of genera across the included controlled studies, only very few studies were identified that directly compared the effects of two different genera within the study. Cui (2004) compared Bacillus coagulans and Bifidobacterium longum in the treatment of acute and chronic diarrhea and reported that body weight, body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure, routine blood tests, and liver and renal function were within normal limits after treatment, and no adverse reactions were found. Dekker (2009) compared the safety of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium animalis lactis HN019 in a study of infants with asthma, hay fever, or eczema and found a rate of 19.6 percent versus 18.5 percent of hospitalizations in the two groups (17.6 percent for placebo) and found no statistically significant differences in gastrointestinal adverse events (diarrhea, reflux, abdominal pain, or vomiting) across groups. De Simone (2001) compared a commercial product containing Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium strains, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus, and Streptococcus faecium to a product containing Enterococcus faecium in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and found no significant changes in blood counts and chemistry in the groups. Margreiter (2006) compared a Lactobacillus gasseri and Bifidobacterium longum intervention with Enterococcus faecium and reported no lab abnormalities in either group. 58 O’Mahony (2005) found no changes in blood counts, serum chemistry, or serum immunoglobulins across groups receiving Lactobacillus salivarius salivarius UCC4331, Bifidobacterium infantis 35624, or placebo. There was one case each of epistaxis, unstable angina, and chest pain due to anxiety, but the group was not specified. Weizman (2005) stated that there was no difference between growth parameters, behavior, or stooling patterns, and there was no difference in the incidence of bloody stools or hospitalization across a Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12, Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730, and placebo group. Lactobacillus. Probiotic studies often used Lactobacillus strains in combination with other genera, but we also identified a substantial number of studies using exclusively Lactobacillus strains. The identified case studies describing harms potentially associated with this genus are described in Key Question 1. To quantify risks, we compared participants in parallel RCTs where one group received a Lactobacillus intervention and the other group received no or nonprobiotic treatment. In parallel RCTs, the relative risk for intervention participants to experience an adverse event was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.87, 1.11; p=0.785) compared to the nonprobiotic control group, based on all studies that used exclusively Lactobacillus strains and reported the number of participants with adverse events. Figure 14 shows the risk differences observed in individual RCTs. 59 Figure 14. RR number of participants with adverse events Lactobacillus RCTs Individual study results varied, and there was no indication that the number of participants with adverse events differed systematically between groups on a Lactobacillus strain intervention and an equivalent group of control participants. The risk difference was -0.003 (95% CI: -0.014, 0.009; p=0.668). Using the alternative measure, the number of incidences per group, the relative risk was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.88, 1.06; p=0.421) and the corresponding risk difference was 0.002 (95% CI: -0.007, 0.011; p=0.746). To explore the nature of adverse events experienced in Lactobacillus exclusive trials, we differentiated gastrointestinal complaints, infections and infestations, and all other reported adverse events. There was no statistically significant difference between intervention and control group in their risk to experience any of the three different types of adverse events (gastrointestinal events: RR 1.05; 95% CI: 0.83, 1.24; p=0.885; RD 0.007; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.018; p=0.206; infections and infestations: RR 1.09; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.31; p=0.374; RD -0.001 (95% CI: -0.004, 0.003; p=0.762; or other reported adverse events: RR 0.91; 95% CI: 0.80, 1.04; p=0.182; RD -0.002; 95% CI: -0.008, 0.004; p=0.496). We also investigated the genus Lactobacillus as a factor in a metaregression comparing studies that used Lactobacillus strains (alone or in combination) with interventions that did not. The relative risk ratio across studies did not indicate that the Lactobacillus genus was associated 60 with a statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events compared to other genera based on the number of participants with adverse events (relative risk ratio 1.08; 95% CI 0.95, 1.22; p=0.224). This result was confirmed by the alternative measure of adverse event incidences (relative risk ratio 1.08; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.31; p=0.794). Bifidobacterium. Probiotic studies often used Bifidobacterium strains in combination with other genera, and we also identified a few studies using exclusively Bifidobacterium organisms. The identified case study describing harms potentially associated with this genus is described in Key Question 1. Selecting only parallel RCTs that used exclusively Bifidobacterium products, the relative risk based on the number of participants with adverse events was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.82, 1.03; p=0.141) between groups. Figure 15 shows the estimated relative risk reported in each included RCT. Figure 15. RR number of participants with adverse events Bifidobacterium RCTs Individual study results varied, and there was no indication that the number of participants with adverse events differed systematically between a group taking a Bifidobacterium strain and an equivalent control group not taking probiotics. The equivalent risk difference was -0.006 (95% CI: -0.017, 0.004; p=0.228) across all included trials. Using the alternative measure, the number of adverse event incidences, the relative risk was 0.90 (95% CI: -0.74, 1.10; p=0.302) for intervention participants compared to control, with a corresponding risk difference of -0.005 (95% CI:--0.0145, 0.004; p=0.289). To explore the nature of adverse events experienced in exclusively Bifidobacterium trials, we differentiated gastrointestinal complaints, infections and infestations, and all other reported adverse events. There was no statistically significant difference between intervention and control group in their risk to experience any of the three most common types of adverse events (gastrointestinal events: RR 1.02; 95% CI: 0.55, 1.90; p=0.941; RD 0.003; 95% CI: -0.017, 0.024; p=0.752; infections and infestations: RR 0.75; 95% CI: 0.55, 1.02; p=0.067; RD -0.018; 61 95% CI: -0.057, 0.021; p=0.366; or other reported adverse events: RR 1.22; 95% CI: 0.71, 2.09; p=0.468; RD -004; 95% CI: -0.013, 0.006; p=0.463). We also investigated the genus Bifidobacterium as a factor in a metaregression comparing studies that used Bifidobacterium strains (alone or in combination) with interventions that did not. The relative risk ratio across studies did not indicate that the Bifidobacterium genus was associated with an increased or reduced risk of adverse events compared to other genera, based on the number of participants with adverse events (relative risk ratio 1.04; 95% CI 0.93, 1.17; p=0.700). This result was confirmed by the alternative measure of adverse event incidences (relative risk ratio 1.11; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.28; p=0.794). Saccharomyces. We identified a number of case studies describing harms potentially associated with this genus; details are reported in the response to Key Question 1. Selecting only parallel RCTs investigating exclusively Saccharomyces interventions, the relative risk of adverse events in the intervention group was 1.00 (95% CI: 0.46, 2.18; p=0.993) compared to control and based on the number of participants with adverse events. The forest plot in Figure 16 shows the results of RCTs that were included in the analysis. Figure 16. RR number of participants with adverse events Saccharomyces RCTs Individual study results varied: Some studies reported no adverse events in either group or an equal number of events; there was no indication that the number of participants with adverse events differed systematically between a group taking a Saccharomyces strain and an equivalent control group not taking probiotics. The risk difference for intervention and control group participants was not detectable (RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.005; p=0.890) in the Saccharomyces trials. Using the alternative measure, the number of adverse event incidences per treatment group, the relative risk was 1.15 (95% CI: 0.38, 3.52; p=0.802), also not statistically significantly different from that of control group participants, and the corresponding risk difference was -0.001 (95% CI: -0.025, 0.024; p=0.956). To explore the nature of adverse events experienced in RCTs using exclusively Saccharomyces organisms, we differentiated gastrointestinal complaints, infections and infestations, and all other reported adverse events. There was no statistically significant 62 difference between intervention and control groups in their risk to experience gastrointestinal adverse events (RR 1.05; 95% CI: 0.25, 4.49; p=0.947; RD -0.002; 95% CI: -0.031, 0.027; p=0.892). There was a trend for more infections and infestations in intervention participants compared to control, but it was not statistically significant across the three studies that reported on infections and infestations (RR 1.69; 95% CI: 0.21, 13.53; p=0.622), and the risk difference was not detectable (RD 0.000; 95% CI -0.006, 0.006; p=0.919). There was also no statistically significant difference for all other adverse events (RR 1.19; 95% CI: 0.23, 6.05; p=0.832; RD 0.005; 95% CI: -0.047, 0.056; p=0.863) We also investigated the genus Saccharomyces as a factor in a metaregression comparing studies that used Saccharomyces strains (alone or in combination) with interventions that did not. The relative risk ratio across studies did not indicate that the Saccharomyces genus was associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events compared to other genera, based on the number of participants with adverse events (relative risk ratio 1.08; 95% CI 0.51, 2.27; p=0.845). This result was confirmed by the alternative measure of adverse event incidences (relative risk ratio 1.57; 95% CI: 0.77, 3.20; p=0.215). Streptococcus. Very few studies were identified that studied exclusively Streptococcus strains. Across the parallel RCTs using exclusively Streptococcus strains, the relative risk for adverse events was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.78, 1.25; p=0.907) in the intervention group, compared to an equivalent control group. The forest plot in Figure 17 shows results obtained in individual RCTs. Figure 17. RR number of participants with adverse events Streptococcus RCTs The analysis was based on only three RCTs, the individual study results varied, and there was no indication that the number of participants with adverse events differed systematically between groups taking Streptococcus and control group participants. The corresponding risk difference in Streptococcus RCTs was -0.004 (95% CI: -0.084, 0.076; p=0.528). Using the alternative measure, the number of adverse event incidences, there was also no statistically significant difference between intervention and control groups (RR 0.90 (95% CI: 0.45, 1.79; 63 p=0.768; RD -0.014; 95% CI: -0.056, 0.029, p=0.532), this analysis is also based on only three RCTs. The results of the individual studies are reported in the Evidence Table C4, Results. We also investigated the genus Streptococcus as a factor in a metaregression comparing studies that used Streptococcus strains (alone or in combination) with interventions that did not. The relative risk ratio across studies did not indicate that the Streptococcus genus was associated with an increased or reduced risk of adverse events compared to other genera, based on the number of participants with adverse events (relative risk ratio 1.03; 95% CI 0.91, 1.17; p=0.624). However, the result using the alternative measure of adverse event incidences indicated that intervention participants were at a greater risk of adverse events compared to other genera (relative risk ratio 1.43; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.87; p=0.009). Enterococcus. Few Enterococcus studies were identified. The relative risk seen in the Enterococcus arm compared to control was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.47, 1.54; p=0.588) across all studies that reported data. The forest plot in Figure 18 shows the individual results obtained in the included RCTs. Figure 18. RR number of participants with adverse events Enterococcus RCTs The analysis was based on only five RCTs, and most studies reported no adverse events or an equal number of adverse events for participants using an Enterococcus product and control group participants. The risk difference across Enterococcus treatment arms was -0.008 (95% CI: 0.051, 0.036, p=0.733) in Enterococcus trials. Using the alternative measure, the number of adverse event incidences, there was also no difference between intervention and control group (RR 1.33; 95% CI: 0.43, 4.16; p=0.624; RD 0.002; 95% CI: -0.019, 0.023, p=0.833); this analysis is based on six RCTs. The results of the individual studies are reported in the Evidence Table C4, Results. We also investigated the genus Enterococcus as a factor in a metaregression comparing studies that used Enterococcus strains (alone or in combination) with interventions that did not. The relative risk ratio across studies did not indicate that the Enterococcus genus was associated 64 with a statistically significantly increased or reduced risk of adverse events compared to other genera, based on the number of participants with adverse events (relative risk ratio 0.88; 95% CI 0.52, 1.51; p=0.507). This finding was confirmed by the alternative measure of adverse event incidences (relative risk ratio 0.79; 95% CI 0.39, 1.60; p=0.507). Bacillus. Few Bacillus studies were identified, as indicated in Figure 19. We included the study described by La Rosa (2003), although the study originally described the investigated organism as Lactobacillus coagulans. The relative risk for intervention participants exposed to Bacillus organisms to experience an adverse event was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.44, 2.22; p=0.973) compared to control and based on the number of participants with adverse events. Figure 19. RR number of participants with adverse events Bacillus RCTs The analysis was based on only three RCTs with an exclusive Bacillus intervention, and individual study results varied. The corresponding risk difference in Bacillus RCTs was -0.014 (95% CI: -0.057, 0.029, p=0.529). The pooled number of adverse incidences could not be computed, as only two studies reported the number of individual adverse event incidences for both treatment groups. The only other study that investigated a Bacillus intervention (Cui, 2004) found no adverse reactions in either the Bacillus coagulans group or the control group receiving Bifidobacterium longum. We also investigated the genus Bacillus as a factor in a metaregression comparing studies that used Bacillus strains (alone or in combination) with interventions that did not. The relative risk ratio across studies did not indicate that the Bacillus genus was associated with a statistically significantly different risk of adverse events compared to other genera, based on the number of participants with adverse events (relative risk ratio 0.94; 95% CI 0.44, 2.01; p=0.883). This result was confirmed by the alternative measure of adverse event incidences (relative risk ratio 0.88 95% CI 0.27, 2.92; p=0.841). The indirect comparison of genera across studies did not indicate genera-specific safety results, with the exception of Streptococcus interventions: a metaregression based on the number of adverse incidences indicated a different risk ratio for participant and control group participants compared to other genera. However, this result was not confirmed based on the alternative measure, the number of participants with adverse events; the risk difference between intervention 65 and control groups was not statistically significantly different; and only few studies were identified overall that used other genera than Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium alone or in combination. Finally, direct comparisons within studies are needed to answer this Key Question with confidence. Figure 20 shows the relative risk ratio and confidence intervals for studies using each genus, compared with all other RCTs using other genera in the probiotics interventions. Figure 20. Comparison of adverse events across genera (RR log scale) Relative Risk 10 1 0.1 The absence of case reports of serious adverse events potentially caused by Streptococcus or Enterococcus (see Key Question 1c) can not be used as an indication that the risk of serious adverse events is absent: The overall identified body of literature reporting on the presence and absence of harms indicates absence of relevant literature. The strains have not been used in research studies, which may indicate less use in clinical practice. Species We identified one study comparing different species within genera. Rosenfeldt (2003) compared Lactobacillus rhamnosus plus Lactobacillus reuteri with another preparation containing Lactobacillus casei alactus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii lactis, and Lactobacillus GG ATCC 53103 and reported mild, transitory abdominal pain in two participants in the former group (one participant in the placebo group reported abdominal pain and loose stools). The case studies that used genetic fingerprinting methods to match administered and recovered organisms identified species specified as Lactobacillus rhamnosus or LGG, Bifidobacterium breve, Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae], and Bacillus subtilis (see Key Question 1). Given the potentially unreliable identification of species actually used in the intervention studies, the large number of blends, the differences in dosing, the absence of direct comparisons, and the unsystematic assessment of adverse events across studies, it appears infeasible to draw conclusions regarding species-specific safety in interventions studies. Strains We identified four studies comparing different probiotic strains. Chouraqui (2008) compared Bifidobacterium longum BL999 plus Lactobacillus rhamnosus LPR with BL999 plus Lactobacillus paracasei ST11 and found 7 incidences of noteworthy adverse events in the first 66 group (1 diarrhea, 1 surgery, 3 bronchiolitis, 2 inguinal hernia; n=70) and 4 in the second group (2 vomiting, 1 pyelonephritis, 1 bronchiolitis; n=74). Gracheva (1999) reported one incident of abdominal pain in a group given Bifidobacterium bifidum forte to treat acute intestinal infections, chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and viral hepatitis B (the participant withdrew) but no incidence in another Bifidobacterium bifidum treatment group. The exact strains were not reported. Higashikawa (2010) compared yogurt containing Lactobacillus plantarum SN35N with yogurt containing Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T and reported no abnormal changes in urinalysis or in serum biochemical parameters in either group. Krasse (2005) compared 2 Lactobacillus reuteri strains (both of human origin but not named) and reported that 1/20 participants in one of the groups experienced increased bowel movement. Some included studies compared groups consuming a yogurt product enriched with probiotic organisms to a control group consuming ordinary yogurt, and the results are documented in the evidence tables, but other comparisons of probiotic species were not found. No other studies made direct comparisons between probiotic products or compared mixtures of genera, species, or strains that would allow insight into the differential adverse event rates of individual species or individual strains. Based on the extremely limited number of studies that directly compared adverse events between probiotic organisms of different species or strains, it is not possible to draw any conclusions regarding the comparative safety of species or strains. Few studies employed a single species or strain; few studies characterized or verified the exact strain used; and given that microbial strains also mutate relatively quickly, the potential for attributing a particular event to a particular strain, let alone comparing events attributed to particular strains, is limited. (3c) What is the scientific evidence that harms differ between active and lyophilized forms of probiotics? In many studies, the form of the probiotic organism was not described, as can be seen in the Evidence Table C2, Intervention. We identified 10 studies that compared adverse events between forms of organisms, but these were comparisons of viable and heat-killed strains rather than comparisons between active and lyophilized forms. The direct comparisons did not indicate that adverse events were restricted to or more common in viable preparations. Alberda (2007) compared viable probiotic strains (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus strains) with bacterial sonicates and reported one case of bowel obstruction and one congestive heart failure death in the viable treatment group. There was one death due to respiratory failure in the sonicates group and one myocardial infarction in the placebo groups. No cases of Lactobacillus induced sepsis occurred in this group of critically ill patients. Awad (2010) compared living and heat-killed LGG preparations to reduce sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates and reported 14 deaths in the heat-killed arm compared to 5 deaths in the viable intervention arm. No cases of probiotic bacteria in blood samples were observed. Horvat (2010) reported one mild wound infection with secretion in the heat-killed group of a synbiotic intervention containing Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Leuconostoc strains. Isolauri (1991) compared a Lactobacillus casei GG fermented milk product with Lactobacillus GG as a freeze-dried powder (as described in section 3a, delivery vehicles) and reported no significant difference in vomiting across groups of children recovering from diarrhea. Kirjavainen (2003) randomized infants with atopic eczema and cow’s milk allergy to placebo, viable Lactobacillus GG, or heat-killed Lactobacillus GG. The study was prematurely terminated due to complaints 67 of adverse gastrointestinal symptoms in the heat-killed group. In total, 5/13 children in the heatkilled LGG group reported diarrhea, while none in the viable group or the placebo group reported any adverse events (p=0.05). Merenstein (2009) reported one incidence of emesis in the active and one incidence of constipation in the heat-killed group. Rampengan (2010) compared a live and a heat-killed Lactobacillus preparation and reported four versus three adverse events (respiratory or bowel symptoms) in the respective groups. Rayes (2002) compared active and heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum 299 strains and found 6/31 abdominal side effects in the active group, 11/31 in the heat-killed group and 8/32 in the not enriched enteral nutrition formula group in liver transplant recipients. In a study on patients with major abdominal surgery, Rayes (2002) reported three incidences of abdominal distention, four of abdominal cramps, and zero of diarrhea in the active Lactobacillus plantarum 299 group compared to six, five, and zero events in the heat-killed group; the corresponding control group incidences were four, six, and zero. Tsuchiya (2004) compared a synbiotic with (presumably) active Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains with a similar heat-killed preparation and found no overt clinical or biochemical adverse side effects, but “a few” of the irritable bowel syndrome participants presented initially with transient diarrhea-like symptoms (group unclear). Xiao (2003) compared lyophilized and heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus to an active strain and found three cases of vomiting in the active group compared to one case in the heat-killed group. There was one case of constipation and one case of insomnia in the heat-killed group. The authors’ descriptions of the investigated organisms varied to such an extent in the included studies that the data do not seem suitable for an analysis across trials using metaregression or subgroup analyses. In particular, the description of “active” may have been used interchangeably with “viable” rather than explicitly differentiating active and lyophilized forms. Very few studies indicated that they independently tested the content of the preparation given to participants, either for contaminants or for the viability of the included organisms at the time of the intervention. (3d) Does harm differ by products containing a single probiotic versus a mixture of probiotics? The Evidence Table C4, Results lists the organisms that constituted the intervention for easy reference. Overall, 60 percent of the included studies investigated the effect of only one genus believed to have probiotic properties, while 40 percent investigated the effect of a mixture of organisms, for example using a product that contained Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains. Only two studies were identified that compared a single probiotic with a mixture of probiotic organisms directly. As described previously, De Simone (2001) compared a commercial product including several Streptococcus, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus strains to treatment with Enterococcus faecium and found no significant changes in blood counts and chemistry across groups. Margreiter (2006) compared results of Lactobacillus gasseri plus Bifidobacterium longum treatment with the results of a group receiving Enterococcus faecium and reported no adverse events or clinically relevant abnormalities in laboratory characteristics. One other study (Metts, 2003) randomized participants to vaginal suppositories of Lactobacillus acidophilus, suppositories and oral capsules containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, and placebo; one participant in the oral and vaginal suppository group and one in the placebo group reported vaginal discharge. Kim (2006) compared interventions with 5, 6, and 12 probiotic species and reported that one participant with pre-existing hypertension had elevated blood pressure, loose stool, diarrhea, and dehydration in the 12-species treatment group, one participant 68 each in the 5- and the 6-species groups reported loose stool, diarrhea, and worsening of gastrointestinal symptoms. In the absence of further direct comparisons, we compared the included trials indirectly in subgroup analyses and a metaregression. Single Probiotic Strain Interventions A stratified analysis for studies using only one probiotic strain indicated a somewhat reduced, although not statistically significant, relative risk of adverse events compared to control (0.94; 95% CI: 0.86, 1.03; p=0.171) based on the number of participants with adverse events. The corresponding risk difference between intervention and control group participants was -0.001 (95% CI: -0.006, 0.003; p=0.557). Using the alternative measure, the number of adverse event incidences showed a similar result, a relative risk of 0.98 for probiotic intervention participants (95% CI: 0.89, 1.07; p=0.600; RD -0.001; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.003; p=0.748). We also explored the nature of the adverse events encountered in single-strain studies and found no statistically significant differences in the relative or absolute risk for any of the adverse event groups (gastrointestinal events: RR 1.00; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.22; p=0.988; RD 0.003; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.009; p=0.434; infections and infestations: RR 1.07; 95% CI: 0.80, 1.44; p=0.828; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.003; p=0.790; all other events: RR 1.03; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.18; p=0.708; RD 0.002; 95% CI: -0.002, 0.006; p=0.335) when comparing intervention and control group participants. Multiple Probiotic Strains Interventions Across studies with multiple probiotic strains, the relative risk for the number of participants with adverse events was slightly higher compared to the result observed for single probiotic strains but it was not different from the risk for control group participants (RR 1.01; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.09; p=0.729), the corresponding risk difference was -0.001 (95% CI: -0.010, 0.008; p=0.79). Similar results were seen using the alternative measure, the number of adverse incidences (RR 1.06; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.20; p=0.317; RD 0.006; 95% CI: -0.001, 0.013; p=0.106). Both types of intervention showed no statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events compared to control; however, results appeared to favor single-strain interventions compared to interventions including multiple probiotic strains. We also explored the nature of the adverse events encountered in multiple strain studies but found no statistically significant differences in the relative or absolute risk for any of the adverse event groups (gastrointestinal events: RR 1.06; 95% CI: 0.86, 1.30; p=0.571; RD 0.003; 95% CI: -0.-003, 0.009; p=0.317; infections and infestations: RR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.84, 1.15; p=0.828; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.004; p=0.790; all other events: RR 0.97; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.15; p=0.746; RD -0.002 (95% CI: -0.007, 0.004; p=0.536) when comparing intervention and control group participants. Meta-Regression: Single Versus Multiple Probiotics To find out whether the risk for adverse events was significantly different between these two kinds of interventions, we conducted a meta-regression. The metaregression did not indicate a statistically significant difference for the risk of adverse events between single and multiple strain interventions (relative risk ratio 0.93; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.04; p=0.205). 69 (3e) Does harm differ by products containing only probiotics and those containing a mixture of probiotics and prebiotics? A number of studies were identified that investigated a synbiotic product; that is containing a probiotic as well as a prebiotic, or explicitly gave probiotic organisms together with prebiotics. Some studies were identified that compared the effects of probiotics and synbiotics directly. Satokari (2001) and also Alander (2001) reported one incident of gastrointestinal symptoms and one participant not completing the study in the prebiotic treatment group (galacto oligosaccharide), and no adverse events in the probiotic group or the group consuming probiotics and prebiotics (as described in the response to Key Question 1f). Chouraqui (2008) reported 7/70 adverse event incidences in a group receiving Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and galacto-oligosaccharide; 4/74 incidences in a second group receiving Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus paracasei, and prebiotics; 11/70 incidences in the probiotics group; and 7/70 in a control group (for event details see Evidence Table C4, Results). De Preter (2006) compared Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae], lactulose, and placebo in various sequences and reported that “some” participants experienced flatulence in the lactulose and placebo phases. Fujimori (2009) reported no adverse events related to blood counts, liver enzymes, total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, serum urea nitrogen, creatinine, and electrolytes across groups receiving probiotic organisms (Bifidobacterium longum), prebiotics (psylium), or synbiotics (both preparations). Ishikawa (2005) reported the deaths of two participants who died from colorectal cancer in a probiotic group during a 4-year study on prevention of colorectal tumors compared to one death from colorectal cancer in the group that consumed probiotics and wheat bran biscuits; in addition, one participant in this group died from cerebral hemorrhage, and one reported peritonitis, but no lung cancer death occurred in either group. Tomoda (1991) reported no changes in blood chemistry in treatment groups receiving a Bifidobacterium intervention with or without lactulose. Underwood (2009) reported four cases of necrotizing enterocolitis, six infections, and three cases of feeding intolerance in the probiotics group compared to one, two, and zero incidences of the same outcome in the synbiotic group. Worthley (2009) reported that 11/18 participants in the synbiotic group reported excessive flatus compared to 5/19 in the probiotic group. In the absence of further direct comparisons we investigated differences between probiotics and synbiotics in subgroup analyses and a metaregression. Probiotics Only Probiotic studies showed a relative risk of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.92, 1.04; p=0.446) for the number of participants with adverse events, comparing probiotics and control groups, and a risk difference of -0.001 (95% CI: -0.05, 0.004; p=0.681). Using the number of incidences per group as an alternative measure, no significant difference between probiotics and control groups are shown either (RR 1.01; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.09; p=0.879; RD 0000; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.003; p=0.916). We also explored the nature of the adverse events encountered in all studies that used a probiotic rather than a synbiotic and found no differences in the relative or absolute risk for any of the adverse event groups, comparing intervention and control group participants (gastrointestinal events: RR 1.04; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.22; p=0.678; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.005; p=0.545; infections and infestations: RR 1.04; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.22; p=0.618; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.003 p=0.810; all other events: RR 1.01; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.14; p=0.901; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.004; p=0.774). 70 Synbiotics Only Selecting only synbiotic studies, that is, studies that explicitly gave a product that contained prebiotics as well as probiotics, or studies that gave probiotics together with prebiotics, we found a slightly higher risk of adverse events than seen in the probiotics-only studies (RR 1.08; 95% CI: 0.83, 1.39; p=0.582; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.013, 0.015; p=0.880) but no statistical difference between intervention and control group participants, based on the number of participants with adverse events. This result was confirmed using the alternative measure, the number of adverse event incidences (RR 1.05; 95% CI: 0.84, 1.32; p=0.670; RD 0.017; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.037; p=0.108). We also explored the nature of the adverse events encountered in studies using synbiotics and found no statistically significant differences in the relative or absolute risk for any of the adverse event groups (gastrointestinal events: RR 1.01; 95% CI: 0.76, 1.34; p=0.947; RD 0.008; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.019; p=0.202; infections and infestations: RR 0.85; 95% CI: 0.61, 1.17; p=0.324; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.005; p=0.748); all other events: RR 1.00; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.21; p=0.972; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.006; p=0.824) comparing intervention and control group participants. Meta-Regression: Probiotics Versus Synbiotics To establish whether the results seen in probiotics only and synbiotics studies differ statistically significantly, a metaregression was undertaken. This analysis indicated no statistically significant difference in the number of adverse events (RR ratio 1.10; 95% CI: 0.84, 1.44; p=0.480 for number of participants with adverse events and 1.01; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.09; p=0.879 for adverse event incidences). Summary and Strength of Evidence Key Question 3 What is the evidence that harms of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus differ by product and delivery characteristics? Volume: Varied across questions Risk of bias: Medium The evidence to answer this Key Question stem from a variety of study designs and quality. Consistency: Inconsistent Very few studies overall were identified that directly compared delivery characteristics. Indirect comparisons showed only trends in replications rather than confirming exact results. Directness: Indirect Very few direct comparisons were identified; the majority of comparisons were indirect, across different RCTs. Precision: Imprecise The majority of included studies used small or moderate sample sizes and although some large studies were included, these were not designed to monitor adverse events. Overall, the identified evidence is insufficient to answer the Key Question with confidence. 71 The lack of detail in the description of administered probiotic organisms in most studies hindered evaluations of the safety. Many studies did not specify which probiotic strains were investigated, nor was there indication that intervention preparations were tested for identity of the included organisms, viability, or contaminants. Stratified analyses by probiotic genus identified a large number of studies exclusively using Lactobacillus strains; about a dozen studies on Bifidobacterium entered stratified analyses; and there were a small number of exclusive Saccharomyces interventions. However, there were very few studies using Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus strains exclusively, and only some studies using these genera in combination with other genera. Due to the absence of studies on the latter group, there is an insufficient evidence base to answer product-specific safety questions. However, even for Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces research, there is a lack of direct comparisons between genera; information on the genera-specific safety of probiotics is primarily based on indirect comparisons. Stratified analyses indicated that adverse events were not statistically significantly increased in treatment participants compared to control group participants for any of the reviewed genera. In indirect comparisons, there was some indication that interventions including Streptococcus strains showed more adverse events compared to the other genera, but as outlined before, the risk for intervention participants relative to control group participants was also not increased in these interventions. There is a lack of studies directly comparing product characteristics. There was some indication across studies that safety findings may differ by delivery vehicle. Intervention participants in yogurt or dairy product studies were more likely to experience adverse event incidences than control group participants in subgroup analyses (RR 1.37; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.79; p=0.022). However, studies directly comparing delivery vehicles are missing. The only included studies that compared the form of probiotic organisms directly compared viable and heat-killed organisms. Heat-killed organisms are not included in prominent definitions of probiotics; hence, this comparison is of minor interest. There was no indication that active forms were associated with a higher number of adverse events. The reporting of the form of organisms was too poor in included studies to allow a systematic investigation of the influence of the form. There was a trend of single probiotic studies to report fewer adverse events compared to studies using a mixture of organisms; however, this finding was based on an indirect comparison across studies, in the absence of direct comparisons, and the difference did not reach statistical significance. We did not identify evidence showing that synbiotics differ from probiotics with respect to adverse events; however, there is a lack of direct comparisons. Key Question 4. How do the harms of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus vary based on (a) dose (cfu); (b) timing; (c) mode of administration (e.g., catheter); (d) age (all ages, including infants), gender, ethnicity, disease or immunologic status of the patient; (e) relationship to efficacy? Although a large number of probiotics studies are included in the review, the identified studies rarely addressed more complex questions such as associations of participant or study characteristics and adverse events, which should be investigated with appropriate multivariate 72 methods. The number of studies contributing to answer the Key Questions varied across subquestions. (4a) Is there a threshold or dose-response relationship between probiotics and harm? Does the duration of intervention relate to harm? Threshold/Dose Response Few studies were identified that compared different doses of a probiotic product. We considered the daily dose, rather than the length of exposure, for this question. Lactobacillus. In the controlled trials, most studies investigated effects of Lactobacillus dosing. Basu (2009) compared two doses of 1010 and 1012 cfu of LGG powder among children with acute watery diarrhea and recorded that five children in the higher dose group dropped out due to electrolyte imbalance (compared with three in the lower dose group); three developed septicemia (compared with one in the low-dose group); one death occurred in the control group (compared with none in the treatment groups). Gao (2010) compared doses using 1 or 2 capsules containing 50 billion cfu Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei and reported 1 case of fever in the higher dose group that was not study-related according to the authors, and 1 incidence of hematochezia in the control group. Hemmerling (2009) randomized participants to 5 * 108, 109, 2 * 109 cfu of Lactobacillus crispatus CTV-05 organisms or placebo, and reported that all participants experienced at least 1 of 45 adverse events without any apparent pattern associated with treatment arms. Ishikawa (2003) compared a dose of 2 * 107 versus 108 cfu of Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and reported that 2 participants withdrew due to soft stools and abdominal discomfort, but it was not reported to which group these participants had been allocated. Karvonen (2001) compared Lactobacillus reuteri in doses of 105, 107, and 109 cfu and concluded that abdominal symptoms (days with discomfort, pain, or cramps) were similar across groups of neonates. Lu (2004) compared what they characterized as a low (1.5 * 108 cfu), medium (2.7 * 108 cfu), and high (4 * 108 cfu) dose of Lactobacillus rhamnosus given to participants and reported no episodes of vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, cough, or other allergic reaction. Nobuta (2009) randomized participants to 3 * 109, 6 * 109, 1010, or 3 * 1010 cfu Lactobacillus brevis KB290 or placebo and reported that 1 participant in the first group reported abdominal pain, 1 participant in the second group reported a cold, and 1 participant in the group with the highest dose reported abdominal pain and diarrhea. Petschow (2005) compared a low (106 cfu), medium (107 cfu) and high (108 cfu) dose of LGG and found that stool consistency, flatulence, and fussiness were similar among groups. Tursi (2008) randomized participants to various doses of Lactobacillus casei casei DG and reported 2 incidences of epigastric pain, 1 nausea, 1 diarrhea, but the group allocation was unclear; 1 participant in the 1.6 * 107 group developed acute bronchial pneumonia. Bifidobacterium (alone or in combination). Gill (2001) compared Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 given in a dose of 5 * 1010 or 5 * 109 cfu and 1 participant in the lower dose reported digestive discomfort. Guyonnet (2009) compared a group eating 1 pot of a commercially available probiotic yogurt versus 2 pots of yogurt (each containing 1.25 * 1010 cfu Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173010 and yogurt cultures (1.2 * 109 Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus) and reported no adverse effects on digestive comfort. Larsen (2006) compared doses of 108, 109, 1010, and 1011 cfu of Bifidobacterium animalis lactis BB-12 and Lactobacillus paracasei paracasei CRL-431 and reported 1 case of diarrhea in the 1010 group and that across 73 all groups, 68 percent of participants reported flatulence, 37 percent of abdominal bloating, and 22 percent of headache. Ruiz-Palacios (1996) compared a low (106 cfu), medium (108 cfu), and high dose (1010 cfu) of a probiotic blend containing Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium infantis and reported that intake, incidence of vomiting, abdominal discomfort, gas, and stool characteristics were not statistically significantly different across groups. Saavedra (2004) compared a dose of 106 and 107 cfu of Bifidobacterium, lactis, Bb 12 and Streptococcus thermophilus and reported that 3 infants in the higher dose treatment group withdrew due to a viral rash, loose stools, or vomiting. Saccharomyces. De Preter (2006) randomized participants to various groups and treatment periods receiving 2 or 4 times 250mg of Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] and reported that some participants reported flatulence during prebiotic intake (but not during probiotic intake). A case series (Elmer, 1995) described a group of participants that used a Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] product in increasing doses required to achieve a satisfactory response; the study reported that 1/7 participants reported intestinal gas (dose unknown). Streptococcus and Enterococcus. Borgia (1982) compared treatment groups received one, two, or three capsules of Streptococcus [Enterococcus] faecium SF68 or control interventions in a trial to prevent side effects of antibiotic treatment and reported two cardiovascular deaths, but it was not clear to which treatment group these participants had been allocated. Other blends including these genera are described in the Bifidobacterium section. Bacillus (alone or in combination): No controlled trial was identified that compared different doses of Bacillus. In a case series, Garrido (2005) administered 100mL of a product containing 108 cfu/ml of Lactobacillus and Bacillus strains daily for 1 week, increasing the dose to 200 mL during the second week, and 500mL during the third week. They reported mild increases of borborygmi during the last week. Overall, no threshold effect or trend was identified indicating that a higher dose was associated with a larger number of reported adverse events. However, comparing the exposure across studies, it is apparent that there is no accepted standard of what is considered a low or high dose of exposure. The high dose in one comparative study is the low dose in another. Dosing depended in part on the publication year, with later publications using higher doses, and the dose characteristics are also likely to be genera or species dependent, precluding systematic analyses. In addition, many studies used a mixture of organisms, confounding potentially existing effects of dose-response relationships for specific genera, species, or strains. Intervention Duration Many of the included studies used intervention periods of short duration, often only 1 week. For analysis purposes, we characterized short-term use as 1 month or less and long-term use as 1 year or more. In total, 46 percent of studies reported intervention periods of 1 month or less. Only 5 percent of all identified studies reported on long-term use of probiotic products. In the remaining studies (49 percent), participants used probiotics for longer than 1 month but less than 1 year (medium-term use), or in rare cases, it could not be established how long the study product was used. The exact reported intervention duration is shown for each study in Evidence 74 Table C2, Intervention. We undertook stratified analyses and metaregression to explore whether the intervention duration is associated with encountered adverse events. Short-term use. The relative risk of adverse events across all short-term studies was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.17; p=0.780), with no detectable risk differences between treatment and control groups (RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.004; p=0.866) based on the number of participants with adverse events. Using the alternative measure, the number of adverse event incidences, results were very similar (RR 1.12; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.31; p=0.138; RD 0.008; 95% CI: -0.002, 0.017; p=0.132). Medium-term use. Medium-term studies showed a relative risk of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.92, 1.04; p=0.470; RD -0.001; 95% CI -0.012, 0.010; p=0.889) based on the number of participants with adverse events. The total number of adverse event incidences showed very similar results (RR 0.95; 95% CI: 0.87, 1.04; p=0.283; RD 0.000; 95% CI -0.003, 0.003; p=0.914), also indicating no increased risk of adverse events for intervention participants compared to controls. Long-term use. Adverse events associated with long-term use is of particular interest. The 18 identified studies that reported on long-term use (defined as one year or longer) included 1 case study (Jensen, 1976) that described a patient who used Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] for several years and was hospitalized for fever of unknown origin. We did not identify any other observational studies, such as case series, on long-term use. The other long-term studies were controlled trials; adverse events results varied, sometimes favoring the intervention, sometimes the control group. To investigate whether the intervention duration was associated with an increased risk of adverse events, we undertook a subgroup analysis for long-term use in parallel RCTs. The individual RCTs investigated Lactobacillus interventions (Aso, 1995; Aso, 1992; Bousvaros, 2005; Connolly, 2005; Dekker, 2009; Prantera, 2002; Reid, 1995), a Bifidobacterium intervention (Sazawal, In press), a blend of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains (Gionchetti, 2003; Ishikawa, 2003), or a blend of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus (Miele, 2009; Mimura, 2004). First, considering the number of participants with adverse events, the relative risk was RR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.41, 1.39; p=0.259) for intervention participants compared to control group participants, with a trend favoring intervention participants, although not statistically significantly. The forest plot in Figure 21 shows the individual studies that entered the analysis. 75 Figure 21. RR number of participants with adverse events in long-term use RCTs Individual study results varied, sometimes favoring the probiotics group, sometimes the control group. The risk difference between treatment and control group participants was very small and not statistically significant (RD -0.006; 95% CI -0.016, 0.004; p=0.259). Using an alternative measure, the total reported incidences per group, the results also do not indicate a relative or absolute risk difference from control group participants (RR 0.86; 95% CI: 0.69, 1.08; p=0.209; RD -0.005; 95% CI: -0.014, 0.005; p=0.311). Each individual encountered adverse event in the intervention and control groups is documented in the Evidence Table C4, Results. To explore the nature of the adverse events associated with long-term use, we differentiated gastrointestinal complaints, infections and infestations, and other adverse events and undertook separate analyses. None of the analyses indicated an increased risk of adverse events in any of the three categories, compared to control group participants (gastrointestinal events: RR 1.02; 95% CI: 0.57, 1.84; p=0.932; infections and infestations: RR 1.84; 95% CI: 0.59, 5.74; p=0.293; all other adverse events: RR 0.78; 95% CI: 0.59, 5.02; p=0.075). Metaregression. None of the stratified analyses indicated a statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events for intervention participants compared to control group participants. However, the subgroup analyses indicated that long-term use may be associated with fewer adverse events compared to results found in short-term and medium-term use studies. In order to investigate whether the results differ statistically significantly between studies, we undertook a meta-regression. For this, two different analyses were available. First, we used a categorical variable differentiating short-term, medium-term, and long-term use. For the number of participants with adverse events, no statistically significant difference was found (p=0.596); however, for the number of adverse event incidences, studies differed 76 significantly across short-, medium-, and long-term use (p=0.039). We then used the intervention duration as a continuous variable, extracting the exact duration of the intervention in months. This analysis did not confirm a statistically significant difference between studies associated with the length of the intervention; neither an analysis based on the number of participants with adverse events (p=0.115), nor one based on the number of adverse event incidences (p=0.162) showed a statistically significant difference. It has to be kept in mind that the proportion of identified long-term use studies was very small compared to the overwhelming proportion of short- and medium-term studies reported in the literature. (4b) Is there a relationship between time of onset of harm and time of probiotic administration? How does time of exposure affect harm? Is harm sustained after the intervention or exposure stops? For the purpose of this review, we recorded the time of onset of the harm whenever possible. The time of onset was then compared to the timing of the administration of the probiotic. We also recorded any information regarding the clinical course of adverse events and the length of time for which harms were sustained after the intervention was stopped and the participant was no longer exposed to the probiotic product. Few studies provided information on the onset of adverse events, but some of these studies, in particular the case studies, gave some insight into the development of harms. Timing descriptions included information on gastrointestinal side effects such as constipation, which was reported in two studies. In one of these studies, constipation began 2 weeks after treatment while another did not pass stools beginning on the third day of the intervention period (Hirata, 2002; Rosenfeldt, 2002) and 10 days after treatment in one case (Loguercio, 1987). Loose stools and diarrhea were also reported on the first day of treatment, 3 days into treatment, on days 3 to 7 of treatment, and accompanied by abdominal discomfort after 1 week of taking probiotic (Black, 1991; Fukuda, 2008; Gotteland, 2003; Ishikawa, 2003); at 10 days (Mimura, 2004); in the third week of treatment after dose increase (Garrido, 2005); or after 1 month (Glintborg, 2007). Projectile vomiting after 2 hours was reported in one infant (Hwang, 2009). Vomiting occurred on the first day of treatment and incidences continued until the third day (Isolauri, 1991) in another study. One study reported one participant leaving the study on the second day due to nausea (Tasli, 2006); large amounts of gas on the third day (Beck, 1961); increased appetite was reported for the first 5 days of treatment (Anukam, 2006), another reported that four participants discontinued during the first week because of vomiting (Xiao, 2003); and bloating occurred primarily during the first week of treatment in three reports (Gionchetti, 2007; Parfenov, 2005; Ranganathan, 2009). One study reported that one participant dropped out on day 11, following 1 week of abdominal pain (Nobuta, 2009). General gastrointestinal side effects were reported in anotherone study at week 1 (Lee, 2010). With regard to infections, a submandibular abscess was noted 2 weeks after study entry in one study (Vleggaar, 2008); one participant received antibiotics for bronchitis after 3 weeks (Reid, 2001); one infant developed a viral rash after 30 days (Saavedra, 2004); an abscess developed after 4 weeks (Conen, 2009); a coryza-like illness developed in the second month of treatment (Ishikawa, 2003); one case of liver abscess was reported in one case after 4 months of probiotic ingestion (Rautio, 1999); D-lactic acidosis was diagnosed after 3 months (Oh, 1979), and 4 months (Ku, 2006). Reports of more serious infections included incidences of fungemia and bacteremia. Cases of fungemia began 4 days (Fredenucci, 1998; Lungarotti, 2003), 5 days (Lolis, 2008; Piechno, 77 2007; Richard, 1988; Viggiano, 1995; Zunic, 1991), 7 days in two cases (Cherifi, 2004; Munoz, 2005), 8 days (Hennequin, 2000; Munoz, 2005), 10 days (Ohishi, 2010), 13 days (Pletinex, 1995), 18 days (Bassetti, 1998), 20 days (Riquelme, 2003), 21 days (Niault, 1999), 32 days (Hennequin, 2000), 7 weeks (Hennequin, 2000; Trautmann, 2008) and 2 months (Hennequin, 2000) after starting treatment. Bacteremia was seen after a median of 9 days in four patients (Richard, 1988) and 1.5 weeks (De Groote, 2005), 20 days (Land, 2005), and 3 weeks (Ledoux, 2006) after starting probiotic treatment. Sepsis started after “several” days (Rijnders, 2000), 6 days (Lestin, 2003), 23 days (Kunz, 2004), and 179 days (Kunz, 2004) of treatment. These adverse events developed while using probiotics. Only Niault (1999) and Land (2005) reported on adverse events that developed after the treatment was stopped. Other adverse events that occurred included local burning and irritation on the first 2 days of product application (Di Pierro, 2009); colposcopy findings of erythema, petechiae, edema, abrasion, and laceration on days 1, 7 and/or 14 (Hemmerling, 2009); anemia in 1 infant at 6 months and in 16 at 2 years (Kuitunen, 2009); one case of cervicobrachialgia that began 2 weeks after stopping active treatment (Ligaarden, 2010); increased days with eye symptoms early in treatment (Ouwehand, 2009); and a flare of rheumatoid arthritis at week 1 in one participant (Lee, 2010). Few studies provided information on the clinical course of experienced adverse events. Gastrointestinal events appeared to resolve spontaneously, regardless of whether the intervention was continued or discontinued. The described cases of bacteremia and sepsis resolved within 24 to 72 hours (Bassetti, 1998; Land, 2005) or 8 days (Ledoux, 2006) in the studies that provided information on the clinical course. Blood cultures were negative after 10 days (Kunz, 2004) and 21 days (De Groote, 2005). Fungemia resolved within 58 hours (Hennequin, 2000), 6 days (Viggiano, 1995), 8 days (Piechno, 2007), 10 days (Pletinex, 1995), 11 days (Riquelme, 2003), 13 days (Trautmann, 2008), 15 days (Niault, 1999), 18 days (Riquelme, 2003), 60 days (Hennequin, 2000), 3 weeks (Hennequin, 2000), or 6 months (Conen, 2009). Sepsis cleared after 14 days (Zein, 2008). Burning and irritation lasted only a few hours (Di Pierro, 2009). Increased eye symptoms resolved within a month (Ouwehand, 2009). One participant experienced pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia from leg cellulitis believed to be due to spending time in a public hot tub (Bajaj, 2008) and died on day 67 of the study. (4c) Does the route of administration (e.g., orally, jejunostomy tube, central venous catheter) relate to harm? We differentiated a number of routes of administration—oral, enteral feeding, intravenous catheter, intravaginal, and topical routes of administration—to investigate whether the route of administration of probiotics is linked to the risk of adverse events. As the route of administration depends primarily on clinical necessity, no study was identified that directly compared two routes of administration. To identify potentially different safety trends associated with the use of a particular route of administration, we undertook stratified analyses and a metaregression to compare across studies. Oral Administration In most of the included studies, the participants consumed the probiotic organisms orally (272/387); participants swallowed pills or capsules or ate probiotics-enriched food. This number included 17 case studies that reported the mode of administration. 78 To investigate whether adverse events are more frequent in probiotic interventions compared to control interventions, we undertook a stratified analysis. Across all parallel RCTs that reported oral administration, the relative risk of adverse events for intervention participants compared to controls was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.93, 1.04; p=0.581) based on the number of participants with adverse events. The corresponding risk difference between groups was -0.001 (95% CI: -0.005, 0.003; p=0.207). Based on the alternative measure, the number of adverse event incidences, no statistically significant difference between intervention and control group participants could be found either (RR 1.01; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.08; p=0.960; RD 0.003; 95% CI: -0.002, 0.009; p=0.207). To explore the nature of encountered adverse events, we differentiated gastrointestinal complaints, infections and infestations, and all other reported adverse events. In none of the categories did the probiotic intervention group show an increased risk compared to control (gastrointestinal: RR 1.06; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.25; p=0.453; RD 0.007; 95% CI: -0.001, 0.015; p=0.072; infections and infestations: RR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.85, 1.14; p=0.831; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.003; p=0.886; other adverse events: RR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.11; p=0.782; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.003; p=0.867). Individual adverse events reported in each study are shown in Evidence Table C4, Results. Enteral Administration A number of studies (43/387) reported on interventions where probiotics were administered through enteral feeding tubes in hospitalized patients. We grouped all studies that described the use of a nasal tube or gastric feeding tubes, or indicated a jejunostomy in this category. This group included 11 of the 29 case studies that reported the mode of administration for described patients. To investigate whether this group of studies reported more adverse events in a probiotics group than in a control group from the same patient population, we undertook a stratified analysis. Even if adverse events are more likely in patients needing enteral feeding overall, and events may have a greater clinical impact in these people (e.g., an infection), it is critical to evaluate whether patients on probiotics experience more adverse events relative to a control group with similar patient characteristics. A pooled analysis based on the number of participants with adverse events indicated no statistically significantly different risk or trend of an increased risk compared to control (RR 0.84; 95% CI: 0.55, 1.29; p=0.350; RD -0.002; 95% CI: -0.022, 0.017; p=0.828). Using the alternative measure, the number of adverse event incidences, no statistically significantly increased risk was identified either (RR 1.15; 95% CI: 0.86, 1.55; p=0.350; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.009, 0.011; p=0.777). To explore the nature of encountered adverse events, we differentiated gastrointestinal complaints, infections and infestations, and all other reported adverse events. In none of the categories did the probiotic intervention group show an increased risk compared to controls (gastrointestinal events: RR 0.85; 95% CI: 0.51, 1.42; p=0.527; RD 0.010; 95% CI: -0.019, 0.038; p=0.507; infections and infestations: RR 1.17; 95% CI: 0.69, 1.99; p=0.567; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.008, 0.008; p=0.969; other adverse events: RR 1.29; 95% CI: 0.82, 2.03; p=0.273; RD 0.004; 95% CI: -0.013, 0.020; p=0.637). Individual adverse events reported in each study are shown in Evidence Table C4, Results. 79 Other Routes of Administration Fifteen studies included in this review investigated the intravaginal administration of probiotic organisms. Most of the adverse events related to the administration of probiotic organisms or placebo were mild to moderate (such as vaginal discharge). None of the case studies reported this mode of administration. Based on the number of women with adverse events in each treatment group, the parallel RCTs reported no statistically increased risk of adverse events compared to controls (RR 1.06; 95% CI: 0.72, 1.57; p=0.761; RD -0.004; 95% CI: -0.054, 0.046; p=0.870). No statistically significant difference compared to control or even a trend for increased risk of events was identified in the alternative measure, the number of adverse event incidences either (RR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.57, 1.23; p=0.363; RD -0.013; 95% CI: -0.039, 0.012; p=0.313). To explore the nature of encountered adverse events in studies with an intravaginal administration of probiotics, we differentiated gastrointestinal complaints, infections and infestations, and all other reported adverse events. In none of the adverse event categories did the probiotic intervention group show an increased risk compared to control (gastrointestinal events: RR 0.67; 95% CI: 0.16, 2.78; p=0.583; RD -0.005; 95% CI: -0.022, 0.013; p=0.612; infections and infestations: RR 1.51; 95% CI: 0.57, 1.99; p=0.408; RD 0.035; 95% CI: -0.069, 0.14; p=0.505; all other adverse events: RR 0.74; 95% CI: 0.43, 1.26; p=0.0.268; RD -0.016; 95% CI: -0.052, 0.020; p=0.389). Individual adverse events reported in each study are shown in Evidence Table C4, Results. With regard to other routes of administration, four studies reported a topical application of probiotic organisms. Details of the intervention and the adverse events results are shown in the evidence tables. Across the three parallel RCTs, no statistically significant difference in adverse events between intervention and control group could be detected (RR 1.06; 95% CI: 0.65, 1.72; p=0.817; RD 0.048; 95% CI: -0.045, 0.0140; p=0.311). The nature of the adverse events encountered with topical applications varied. Falck (1999) used alpha-streptococci to treat recurrence of streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis and reported that 16 percent of participants reported respiratory complaints related to the common cold compared to 13 percent in the control group. Klarin (2008) reported 5/23 deaths in the treatment group (Lactobacillus plantarum 299) compared to 6/21 in the control group of intubated patients. Peral (2009) reported that five patients with burns in the Lactobacillus plantarum group had (tolerable) pain, there were no local or systemic allergic symptoms, and the administered organism was not found in blood or wound samples. Roos (1996) reported 13 participants with throat pain, headache, coughing, runny nose, common cold, and fever compared to 18 control group participants reporting similar adverse events, among the 130 participants with streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis. The case of Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] sepsis reported by Piechno (2007) described the use of an intravenous catheter for parenteral nutrition; no other study reported explicitly on this route of administration Metaregression: Routes of Administration To investigate whether study results different significantly based on the route of administration, we undertook a metaregression adding the route of administration as a moderator in the meta-analysis. Based on both alternative measures of adverse event risks, no statistically significant difference was found (number of participants with adverse events: p=0.840; number of adverse event incidences: p=0.633). In addition, enteral feeding is a route of administration as 80 well as intrinsically related to the participant characteristics. Differences associated with participant characteristics, such as the health status, are described in the next result section (4d). (4d) How does harm relate to subpopulations, including different age groups (specifically including neonates and infants under age 24 months), men and women, ethnic/race subgroups, or health status (healthy to high risk) individuals? Age The majority of the identified studies included adult participants. We distinguished, where possible, studies in children (up to 18), adults, and elderly participants (using 65 as the age cut off). Children. We identified 123 studies that included children. Some of the studies in children exposed them to probiotic organisms prenatally with the mother consuming probiotic organisms as well as postnatally. Overall, studies in children tended to be better reported than studies in adults. This pertained to the reporting of the intervention (e.g., reporting the strain of the administered probiotics) and the reporting of the adverse events (e.g., reporting a list of adverse events that was determined a priori and monitored and then reporting on the results). Seventeen of the included 43 case studies described children (Barton, 2001; Cesaro, 2000; De Groote, 2005; Hennequin, 2000; Hwang, 2009; Ku, 2006; Kunz, 2004; Land, 2005; Lungarotti, 2003; Munakata, 2010; Ohishi, 2010; Perapoch, 2000; Pletinex, 1995; Trautmann, 2008; Viggiano, 1995). In total, we identified 35 parallel RCTs that reported the total number of participating children in a group receiving probiotics compared to a group of children not using probiotics, and the total number of children with adverse events per treatment group. Most studies in children investigated Lactobacillus interventions, alone or in combination with Bifidobacterium, some studies used only Bifidobacterium strains (in infant formulae), and there were some exceptions of studies using Saccharomyces (Kurugol, 2005), Streptococcus (Roos, 2001), Enterococcus (Bellomo, 1979), or Bacillus (La Rosa, 2003 [Lactobacillus sporogenes]) strain interventions. The relative risk of children in probiotics groups to experience an adverse event was not statistically significantly different from children receiving the control intervention (RR 0.96; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.04; p=0.296). The forest plot in Figure 22 shows the individual study results. 81 Figure 22. RR number of children with adverse events The risk difference across intervention and control group participants was -0.004 (95% CI: 0.012, 0.004; p=0.302) based on the number of children with adverse events in each group. The alternative measure, the relative risk of adverse event incidences, was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.87, 1.04; p=0.296) comparing intervention and control groups was similar and the corresponding risk difference was -0.001 (95% CI: -0.004, 0.003; p=0.757); this analysis is based on a much larger number of trials (75 RCTs), as the number of individual adverse event incidences was reported more often than the number of children with adverse events per treatment group. For very young children (under 24 months of age), the relative risk to experience an adverse event was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.88, 1.05; p=0.332; 27 trials) compared to the control group, and the risk difference was -0.005 (95% CI: -0.013, 0.004; p=0.289), indicating no trend for increased adverse events associated with the probiotics intervention. The alternative measure, the relative risk of adverse event incidences, was similar, with a relative risk of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.86, 1.03; p=0.202; 65 RCTs) comparing intervention and control groups, and the corresponding risk difference was -0.001 (CI: -0.005, 0.003; p=0.0505). To explore the nature of encountered adverse events, we differentiated gastrointestinal complaints, infections and infestations, and all other reported adverse events. In none of the categories did the probiotic intervention group show an increased risk compared to control 82 (gastrointestinal events: RR 0.99; 95% CI: 0.80, 1.22; p=0.895; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.008; p=0.706; infections and infestations: RR 0.94; 95% CI: 0.77, 1.14; p=0.511; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.004; p=0.999; all other adverse events: RR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.86, 1.12; p=0.748; RD -0.001; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.004; p=0.683). Individual adverse events reported in each study are shown in Evidence Table C4, Results. Adults. The majority of identified studies included adult participants (233 studies). A separate meta-analysis for parallel RCTs with only adult participants indicated a relative risk of adults in probiotics group to experience an adverse event of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.79, 1.19; p=0.745) compared to control. The individual results are shown in the forest plot in Figure 23, and the corresponding risk difference was 0.001 (95% CI: -0.009, 0.011; p=0.865). Individual study results varied, sometimes favoring the probiotic intervention group, sometimes the control group. The pooled results indicated no trend that the intervention was associated with a higher risk of adverse events compared to control. Figure 23.RR number of adults with adverse events 83 The alternative measure, the relative risk of adverse event incidences, was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.82, 1.27; p=0.851; 63 RCTs) comparing intervention and control groups and the corresponding risk difference was 0.005 (95% CI: -0.005, 0.015; p=0.319), both also not indicating a statistically significant risk of adverse events compared to control. To explore the nature of encountered adverse events, we differentiated gastrointestinal complaints, infections and infestations, and all other reported adverse events. In none of the categories did the probiotic intervention group show an increased risk compared to controls (gastrointestinal events: RR 1.17; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.67; p=0.392; RD 0.006; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.015; p=0.225; infections and infestations: RR 1.39; 95% CI: 0.66, 2.93; p=0.386; RD 0.006; 95% CI: -0.017, 0.030; p=0.597; all other adverse events: RR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.72, 1.32; p=0.884; RD 0.004; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.012; p=0.430). Individual adverse events reported in each study are shown in Evidence Table C4, Results. Elderly. Although one-third of the identified studies included participants 65 years of age or older, studies exclusively in the elderly account for only 5 percent of the review sample. In addition, elderly participants were explicitly excluded from 5 percent of the included studies (of those studies that were not in infants or other specified age samples). We identified 17 studies in total that reported exclusively on participants 65 years of age or older. Among these were several case studies of serious infections (Cherifi, 2004; Henry, 2004; Jensen, 1976; Mackay, 1999; Munoz, 2005; Oggioni, 1998; Rautio, 1999; Rijnders, 2000; Tommasi, 2008). One of the two identified case series with elderly participants reported no adverse events (An, 2010); in the other one, two of the participants with dementia died during the followup, and one experienced diarrhea (Carlsson, 2009). Only a small number of controlled trials targeted exclusively elderly participants (Boge, 2009; De Simone, 1992; Gill, 2001; Guillemard, 2010; Stotzer, 1996). Based on four parallel RCTs that reported on the number of participants with adverse events, as depicted in Figure 24, the relative risk of elderly participants in the probiotics group experiencing an adverse event was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.82, 1.08; p=0.367) compared to controls, and the risk difference was -0.013 (95% CI: -0.069, 0.033; p=0.545) indicating that the intervention was not associated with an increased relative risk of adverse events. The individual RCTs investigated Lactobacillus in combination with Bifidobacterium or Streptococcus/Enterococcus strains. 84 Figure 24. RR number of elderly participants with adverse events The nature of the encountered adverse events varied across RCTs that studied participants 65 years of age and older. The Boge (2009) trials reported common infectious diseases, and Guillemard (2010) reported muscular-bone adverse events, gastrointestinal adverse events, and infections other than common infectious diseases, but the exact number per treatment group was not reported. De Simone (1992) reported 2 participants with incidences of intestinal rumbling and flatulence compared to 1 participant with variation in stool consistency and diarrhea among 15 elderly participants taking Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus treatment and 10 elderly control participants. Gill (2001) reported only one case of digestive discomfort in the control group in a study using Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 to enhance immunity. Of the 17 elderly participants with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth described by Stotzer (1996), 1 was excluded from a crossover trial on Lactobacillus fermentum due to the deterioration of her general condition (presumably associated with radiation enteritis after treatment for ovarian cancer); 1 other participant was excluded due to side effects not further described. Given the paucity of trials exclusively in the elderly, we also investigated the presence of participants 65 years of age or older in the study samples and its effects on adverse events. A metaregression showed no statistically significant effect based on the number of participants with adverse events (p=0.438) and based on the number of adverse event incidences (p=0.991). Metaregression. Age: In order to investigate whether different safety results are reported for different age groups for treated participants relative to controls (relative risk ratio), we tested this assumption in a meta-regression. Based on the number of participants with adverse events, there was no indication that the risk of experiencing an adverse event in the treatment group relative to controls differs by age (p=0.559, joint significance test). For the outcome adverse event incidences, no analysis could be undertaken due to the small number of studies in the elderly. 85 Gender Almost all samples in the included studies were of mixed gender. We identified 38 studies describing female participants only and 35 studies that included only male participants. The case studies described more male than female patients, where gender was reported (see Evidence Table C1, Study Details), and 24 of the exclusively male studies were case studies. Very few parallel RCTs with exclusively male participant samples were identified. Studies in female participants were primarily those using the vaginal route of administration, and the results have been described under Key Question 4c. To investigate whether there was any indication that adverse events depended on the sex of the participants, we added gender as a moderator in a metaregression model. This question was investigated using two different approaches. First, we investigated exclusively male and exclusively female parallel RCTs (categorical variable analysis). Second, we used the number of female participants in each RCT as a moderator for safety results (continuous variable analysis). In both analyses, there was no indication that encountered adverse events due to probiotics compared to control was more common in female or in male participant groups based on the number of participants (categorical variable analysis: p=0.188; continuous variable analysis: p=0.210) and the number of adverse event incidences (categorical variable analysis: p=0.123; continuous variable analysis: p=0.447). Ethnicity With regard to race and ethnicity, almost none of the studies targeted a particular demographic group, and many studies provided no information regarding these participants’ features, as recorded in the Evidence Table C1, Participant and Study Details. Health Status The clinical characteristics of participants included in the identified studies are reported in Evidence Table C1, Participant and Study Details. The included studies report on participants with widely varying health conditions. In addition to indicating the specific clinical condition (where applicable), we also differentiated participants on a continuum ranging from generally healthy to critically ill. A large number of included studies (229 studies) could not be classified as enrolling either critically ill or generally healthy persons but fell into the middle of this continuum. This group included the many studies in participants being treated for a health concern such as IBS, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, or other similar health concerns. Of all included studies, 83 were in participants that could be classified as generally healthy. In all, 76 studies described high-risk patients, that is, those hospitalized for serious health concerns and critically ill patients. Of note, 13 percent of included studies reported explicitly that immunocompromised participants were excluded from identified studies. Generally healthy. First, of all included case studies that reported cases of serious adverse events such as fungemia and bacteremia, only one reported case (see Jensen, 1974) was considered generally healthy before the onset of the observed adverse event. To investigate whether healthy participants using probiotics were more likely to experience adverse events compared to control group participants not using probiotics we undertook a subgroup analysis for all studies enrolling generally healthy participants. There was no indication that healthy participants using probiotics were statistically significantly more likely to suffer 86 from adverse events than control group participants based on the number of participants with adverse events (RR 0.95; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.03; p=0.207; RD -0.004; 95% CI: -0.016, 0.008; p=0.491), and similar results were seen based on the number of adverse event incidences (RR 0.96; 95% CI: 0.83, 1.10; p=0.544; RD 0.008; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.020; p=0.213). To explore the nature of encountered adverse events, we differentiated gastrointestinal complaints, infections and infestations, and other adverse events. There was no indication of a statistically significantly increased risk of gastrointestinal complaints (RR 1.10; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.39; p=0.401; RD 0.013; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.029; p=0.117) or infections and infestations (RR 0.86; 95% CI: 0.68, 1.08; p=0.198; RD 0.002; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.009; p=0.198). There was a trend for more other adverse events compared to control (RR 1.30; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.75; p=0.094; RD 0.002; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.007; p=0.476). However, this trend was not statistically significant across studies. Medium health status. For 17 case studies, the preceding health status of the presented patients was categorized as medium on a scale ranging from generally healthy to critically ill, the described patients varied, or the health status before the probiotic associated adverse event was not reported. To investigate whether the participants with medium health status studied in the included trials were more likely to experience adverse events compared to control group participants not using probiotics we undertook a subgroup analysis for all parallel RCTs studying this health status group. There was no indication that participants with medium health status were statistically significantly more likely to suffer from adverse events than control group participants, based on the number of participants with adverse events (RR 1.03; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.13; p=0.491; RD -0.001; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.003; p=0.475), and similar results were seen based on the number of adverse event incidences (RR 1.04; 95% CI: 0.95, 1.13; p=0.379; RD 0.002; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.008; p=0.560). To explore the nature of encountered adverse events, we differentiated gastrointestinal complaints, infections and infestations, and other adverse events. There was no indication of a statistically significantly increased risk of gastrointestinal complaints (RR 1.00; 95% CI: 0.83, 1.22; p=0.975; RD 0.004; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.011; p=0.263.), infections and infestations (RR 1.09; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.32; p=0.384; RD -0.001; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.004; p=0.802), or other adverse events (RR 1.01; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.16; p=0.856; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.005; p=0.925). Critically ill. Twenty-five case studies reporting on 42 cases (Barton, 2001; Cesaro, 2000; De Groote, 2005; Force, 1995; Hennequin, 2000; Henry, 2004; Kniehl, 2003; Ku, 2006; Kunz, 2004; Land, 2005; Ledoux, 2006; Lestin, 2003; Lherm, 2002; Lolis, 2008; Oggioni, 1998; Ohishi, 2010; Perapoch, 2000; Piechno, 2007; Richard, 1988; Rijnders, 2000; Riquelme, 2003; Trautmann, 2008; Viggiano, 1995; Zein, 2008; Zunic, 1991) explicitly described a high-risk patient, an individual who was critically ill before consuming probiotic organisms and experienced any subsequent associated harms. Described cases were patients who were already hospitalized for other conditions, who suffered from multiple health concerns, or who had to be considered high risk due to a serious health condition. Adverse events are more likely and potentially more harmful in critically ill and high-risk patients. To investigate whether any of the observed adverse events could be linked to probiotic 87 intake, we undertook a stratified analysis for all parallel RCTs studying critically ill or high-risk patients, such as patients currently being treated in an intensive care unit or babies with very low birth weight. This analysis can show whether participants using probiotics were more likely to experience adverse events compared to a control group with similar health status and similar co interventions and risk factors apart from the probiotics intake. Almost all interventions in critically ill patients included Lactobacillus strains. Some studies used Bifidobacterium strains alone or in combination with Lactobacillus. Across studies, there was no indication that critically ill and high risk participants taking probiotics were more likely to experience adverse events than control participants with the same health status (RR 0.79; 95% CI: 0.51, 1.22; p=0.286) when comparing the number of participants with adverse events per treatment arm. The forest plot in Figure 25 shows results obtained in individual studies. Figure 25. RR number of critically ill or high-risk participants with adverse events Results differed in individual studies, sometimes favoring the probiotics, sometimes the control group. The observed risk difference across treatment and control group participants was 0.001 (95% CI: -0.020, 0.019; p=0.955). Using the alternative measure, the number of incidences per treatment arm, the relative risk for treatment group participants was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.76, 1.09; p=0.297). The risk difference between treatment and control group participants was too small to be detected (RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.004; p=0.62). To explore the nature of adverse events encountered in studies of critically ill or high risk participants, we differentiated gastrointestinal symptoms, infections and infestations, and other adverse events. No statistically significant differences between control and intervention 88 participants could be observed for gastrointestinal adverse events (RR 0.91; 95% CI: 0.56, 1.50; p=0.718; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.008, 0.008; p=0.956), for infections and infestations (RR 1.15; 95% CI: 0.70, 1.88; p=0.576; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.003; p=0.997), or other adverse events (RR 0.88; 95% CI: 0.72, 1.08; p=0.214; RD -0.001; 95% CI: -0.007, 0.006; p=0.787). We explored in a sensitivity analysis whether the difference in adverse events is still non significant when the deaths reported in the PROPATRIA trial (Besselink, 2008) are added. In our categorization system, the patients and their baseline disease were not seen as critically ill, but the patients were predicted to have a severe disease course; hence, it is possible to classify them as critically ill/high risk. The sensitivity analysis showed similar results, also not indicating a statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events (RR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.83, 1.17; p=0.871; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.005; p=0.856). Metaregression. Health status: To investigate whether the reported adverse events differed across the three types of studies, we undertook a metaregression. There was no indication that adverse events differed statistically significantly depending on the health status of the participants, based on the number of participants with adverse events (p=0.329) as well as the number of adverse event incidences (p=0.352) observed in treatment and control groups. (4e) Do randomized controlled studies that report harm show efficacy or no efficacy? In total, 59 percent of included studies that monitored the presence or absence of harms described the intervention as effective; 23 percent described the intervention as not effective, and for the remaining studies, it was not clearly stated or the authors reported mixed results. We used the abstract of the publication as the author’s summary statement. The efficacy of the included interventions was not the target of the review; hence, we did not extract data that would allow an independent analysis of the efficacy or effectiveness of the intervention. Whether interventions were considered effective by the authors is indicated for each study in the Evidence Table C4, Results. To investigate whether reported adverse events are associated with the efficacy of the intervention, we differentiated studies where the intervention was described as effective and studies where it was described as not effective and added this variable as a moderator to a meta analysis. Unclear publications were excluded from this analysis. There was no statistically significant indication that adverse event results differed across studies based on the efficacy of the intervention using the number of participants with adverse events (relative risk ratio 0.99; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.12; p=0.909) or the number of adverse event incidences (relative risk ratio 0.93; 95% CI: 0.80, 1.08; p=0.352). Summary and Strength of Evidence Key Question 4 How do the harms of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus vary based on (a) dose (cfu); (b) timing; (c) mode of administration (e.g., catheter); (d) age (all ages, including infants), gender, ethnicity, disease or immunologic status of the patient; (e) relationship to efficacy? Volume: Varied across questions Risk of bias: Medium 89 The evidence to answer this Key Question stem from a variety of study designs and quality. Consistency: Inconsistent The high level of evidence studies show different results from case studies. Directness: Indirect Few direct comparisons; the majority of comparisons are indirect across different studies. Precision: Imprecise The majority of included studies use moderate sample sizes, but studies were pooled in a meta-analysis. The identified evidence is insufficient or has to be characterized as low with regard to being able to answer the Key Question with confidence. Only a few studies in the literature explore the effect of intervention and participant characteristics on safety. Very few studies explored the effect of different treatment doses on the experienced adverse events. Definitions of high and low dose varied across the small number of studies that attempted to conduct dose comparisons. This issue, together with other confounders, hindered systematic evaluation of a dose-response relationship. Very few published studies were identified that investigated the effects of long-term use of probiotics; information on the safety of long-term consumption is lacking. There were few descriptions of the time of onset of harms and the further clinical course of adverse events. In the few studies that reported on the time of onset of gastrointestinal effects, most effects were observed in the first three days of treatment. The onset of infections tended to occur one or several weeks later, however this information is primarily based on case studies. The described bacteremia cases cleared within 8 days; several fungemia cases took up to 3 weeks to clear. The route of administration is as much an intervention as it is a patient characteristic, and direct comparisons across routes of administrations are unlikely. In indirect comparisons, we found no evidence that the form of administration (oral, enteral, or other) of probiotic organisms pointed to an increased risk of participants in the probiotics group to experience an adverse event relative to a comparable control group from the same participant population. Stratified analyses and metaregressions showed no increased risk for adverse events for children, adults, or elderly participants who took probiotics compared to adverse events observed in equivalent control groups; however it has to be noted that only very few studies were identified that reported on elderly participants. The identified case studies described more male than female patients. In indirect comparisons across RCTs, we found no indication that encountered adverse events relative to control group incidences depend on the sex of the participants. The included studies did not provide enough information to investigate whether safety results are associated with ethnic characteristics. With regard to the health status of participants, there was some indication that health status is associated with the experience of an adverse event when using probiotics. Case studies reporting serious adverse events described health-compromised patients, not generally healthy participants, contracting (most commonly) a serious infection potentially caused by probiotic organisms. However, a subgroup analysis of RCTs in critically ill patients did not show a statistically 90 significantly increased risk of experiencing adverse events for participants using probiotics compared to control group participants with similar patient characteristics. There was no indication that the efficacy of the intervention was associated with encountered adverse events across all included parallel RCTs. Key Question 5. How often does harm associated with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus lead to hospital admission or lengthened hospitalization? The following describes the evidence related to hospitalizations as well as serious adverse events. Hospitalizations None of the case series, controlled trials, crossover RCTs, or parallel RCTs indicated that the use of a product including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, or Bacillus led to a hospital admission. Evidence for hospital admissions due to probiotics use came only from case studies. However, we also recorded all hospitalizations in included studies, regardless of perceived associations with the study products in question. Lactobacillus intervention. Conen (2009) described a patient with ulcerative colitis who was hospitalized with a neck abscess that the authors associated with the intake of a product containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus (DNA-based identification). LeDoux (2006) described a patient with AIDS and Hodgkin’s disease who presented to the emergency department with fever, intermittent chills, and left neck pain with swelling; the diagnosis of bacteremia due to Lactobacillus acidophilus was associated with the intake of a probiotic medication. Mackay et al. (1999) reported on a patient with Lactobacillus rhamnosus-associated endocarditis who was admitted to the hospital; the patient was taking a probiotic preparation that included Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Streptococcus faecalis. Munakata (2010) described a child with short bowel syndrome admitted to a hospital for evaluation of ataxia; the authors associated the diagnosis of D-lactic acidosis with a probiotic product containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus faecalis, and Streptococcus faecium. Oh (1979) described a patient brought to the emergency room because of sudden disorientation, blurred vision, nausea, and vomiting. D-lactic acidosis was associated with Lactobacillus acidophilus intake. Rautio (1999) described a diabetic patient who was admitted to a hospital because of a 2-week history of mild abdominal discomfort and then fever. The diagnosis of liver abscess was associated with a dairy drink containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (DNA-based identification). Tommasi (2008) described a patient admitted to a hospital for persistent fever and night sweating who was later diagnosed with bacteremia, associated with consumption of Lactobacillus casei- containing products. The case report by Zein (2008) described a hospital admission due to fever, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. The publication linked the Lactobacillus rhamnosus-associated septicemia to a probiotic product containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium longum, and Streptococcus thermophilus. 91 Bifidobacterium intervention. No study was identified that reported a new hospitalization other than the potentially Lactobacillus-associated case reported by Zein (2008), which involved use of a probiotics blend that included Bifidobacterium organisms. Saccharomyces intervention. Hwang (2009) reported on an infant who was treated for presumed bacterial colitis and in addition was taking a Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] product and who presented to the emergency department with repetitive vomiting and cyanosis, requiring intravenous fluid resuscitation. The condition was assumed to be food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome caused by the probiotic intervention, according to the authors. Jensen (1974) reported on a patient admitted to a hospital with fever, diaphoresis, and nausea, which the authors associated with the patient’s use of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae product. Streptococcus intervention. No study was identified that reported a new hospitalization other than the potentially Lactobacillus-associated case studies described above that used blends. Enterococcus intervention. No study was identified that reported a new hospitalization other than the potentially Lactobacillus-associated case studies described above that used blends. Bacillus intervention. Oggioni et al. (1998) reported on an immunocompromised patient admitted to a hospital with high fever who subsequently developed septicemia that was associated with previous treatment with Bacillus subtilis (DNA-based identification). All other case reports were in patients who were already hospitalized, or an in-hospital treatment was not reported. All hospitalizations. Given that the specific diagnostic reason for hospitalization may be difficult to determine and hospitalizations may not have been associated with probiotic product use at all by other study investigators, we recorded all hospitalizations mentioned in included studies during or after receiving the study intervention. The outcome, hospitalization, was not an inclusion criterion per se for this review. Only hospitalizations recorded in publications addressing adverse events were considered, and studies using the number of hospitalizations as an efficacy or effectiveness measure were not sought. Only new hospitalizations were considered for this question; participants already hospitalized when a probiotic intervention was initiated were not counted. As shown in the Evidence Table C4, Results, a number of studies reported SAEs of which several must have led to hospitalizations. However, the studies did not report this outcome explicitly, and in order to provide a systematic evidence overview, only the exact reported outcome was considered for all treatment groups. A case series described by Huynh (2009) reported that one child with acute ulcerative colitis taking a product containing various Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus strains was hospitalized for vomiting and diarrhea, diagnosed as viral gastroenteritis. No virus or bacterial pathogens were isolated from the stool. In 12 parallel RCTs that reported the number of new hospitalizations, the relative risk was 1.14 (95% CI: 0.79, 1.65; p=0.470; 11 RCTs), and the risk difference was 0.007 (95% CI: 0.006, 0.020; p=0.276) indicating that the probiotics intervention was not associated with a statistically significantly higher risk of hospitalization across all parallel RCTs. Study authors did not report that the intervention caused the hospitalizations in the included trials, but Gibson (2008) reported 18/72 serious adverse events that required hospitalizations in the treatment group 92 compared to 11/70 in the control group. The authors reported further that three events in total were judged to be possibly related to the formula intervention (one gastrointestinal problem in each group and one respiratory problem in the control group). None of the identified studies indicated that the evaluated intervention led to a lengthened hospitalization. Only five studies (Kerac, 2009; Mackay, 1999; Munakata, 2010; Oggioni, 1998; Tommasi, 2008) included in the review reported the number of newly hospitalized patients and the length of hospitalization (this number excludes in-hospital samples, and studies that used the length of hospitalization as an efficacy or effectiveness measure were also not sought). In the included controlled studies, Kerac (2009) reported 27/399 readmissions to hospital in a group of malnourished Malawian children receiving synbiotics compared to 16/396 children in the control group. The other data on the length of hospitalization stem from case studies. The participant described by Oggioni (1998) remained in the hospital 25 days; in the case described by Mackay (1999), 14 days; the child with D-lactic acidosis described by Munakata (2010) was hospitalized for 25 days; and the case described by Tommasi (2008) appears to have spent a total of about 90 days in the hospital but not necessarily without interruption when symptoms were under control. Serious Adverse Events We also investigated the quality of the adverse events, apart from exploring the quantity (Key Question 1) and the nature of the adverse events (Key Question 2). For all recorded adverse events reported in the individual studies, we assessed whether the experienced harm was a serious adverse event such as a hospitalization or recorded incidences of death. For a conservative analysis, we also included any sign of probiotics bacteria in blood samples as a serious adverse event. Several included studies reported on the presence or absence of serious adverse events, in particular the case studies. The results of case studies have been summarized in Key Question 1c. However, some controlled studies also reported on the presence or absence of serious adverse events and these studies allow a comparison of the risk experienced in a probiotic group compared to that of participants not using probiotics but from a similar population and with comparable underlying diseases, cointerventions, and other factors that may contribute to serious adverse events. Some of the included studies enrolled critically ill patients; the occurrence of serious adverse events and health concerns regardless of any association with probiotics is more likely in this clinical population than in other participant groups. In total, 67 parallel RCTs reported on the presence or the absence of at least one serious adverse event, recorded the number of serious adverse event incidences in the treatment and the control group arms, and also reported the total number of participants in each treatment arm. Only the main treatment group was compared with the control group most similar to the treatment group minus the probiotics. The relative risk of a serious adverse event was 1.06 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.16; p=0.201), indicating that probiotics interventions were not associated with a statistically significantly higher risk of serious adverse events. The forest plot for the relative risk is shown in Figure 26. The graph is ordered by the included probiotic genera, starting with Lactobacillus, used alone or in combination with other genera, followed by Bifidobacterium (#2) interventions that did not include a Lactobacillus strain, and finally Saccharomyces (#3) interventions without Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium strains In total, 39 percent of studies investigated blends, and most often the blend included a Lactobacillus strain. The lack of Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus interventions is highlighted in the following text. 93 Figure 26. RR number of participants with serious adverse events Results in most included trials were accompanied by wide confidence intervals, and the obtained relative risks within the individual RCTs varied greatly, sometimes favoring the probiotics group, sometimes the control group. A large effect indicating problems with probiotics was seen only in the PROPATRIA trial (Besselink, 2008), a failed effectiveness study in patients with acute pancreatitis. The pooled risk difference for a serious adverse event was not detectable (RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.003; p=0.866) across the treatment groups. The risk of a serious 94 adverse event was low in both groups, and the difference between the probiotic and control groups was not detectable. The Evidence Table C4, Results shows all serious adverse events reported in all included studies. Lactobacillus intervention. As documented in the Key Question 1 section, the serious adverse events associated with a Lactobacillus intervention where administered species or strains were matched with genetic fingerprinting approaches included two cases of an abscess, two cases of bacteremia, and one case of sepsis. To quantify the risk of serious adverse events associated with Lactobacillus strains, we stratified parallel RCTs by genus. Interventions exclusively using Lactobacillus strains indicated no increased risk of serious adverse events compared to controls (RR 1.03; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.14; p=0.614; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.006, 0.006; p=0.981). In order to explore further whether the genus of the organism could be associated with reported serious adverse events, we undertook a metaregression adding the genus as a moderator to a meta-analysis of serious adverse events. This analysis compared studies that used Lactobacillus strains, alone or in combinations with other microorganisms, with interventions that did not. The relative risk ratio across studies did not indicate that the Lactobacillus genus was associated with a statistically significantly different risk of serious adverse events compared to other genera (relative risk ratio 1.07; 95% CI: 0.78, 1.46; p=0.423). Bifidobacterium intervention. As documented in the Key Question 1 section, the serious adverse events associated with a Bifidobacterium interventions where administered species or strains were matched with genetic fingerprinting approaches included one documented case of septicemia. No stratified analysis of parallel RCTs to quantify the risk of serious adverse events could be undertaken, as no study was identified that used exclusively Bifidobacterium strains and reported on the presence or the absence of a serious adverse event. A metaregression adding the presence of the genus Bifidobacterium in the intervention as a moderator to a meta-analysis of serious adverse events did not indicate that the Bifidobacterium genus was associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of serious adverse events (relative risk ratio 1.18; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.47; p=0.814). Saccharomyces intervention. As documented in the Key Question 1 section, the serious adverse events associated with a Saccharomyces interventions where administered species were matched with genetic fingerprinting approaches included 20 cases of fungemia. No stratified analysis could be undertaken for parallel RCTs to quantify the risk, as no study was identified that used exclusively Saccharomyces strains and reported on the presence or the absence of a serious adverse event. A metaregression adding the presence of the genus Saccharomyces in the intervention as a moderator to a meta-analysis of serious adverse events did not indicate that the Saccharomyces genus was associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of serious adverse events (relative risk ratio 0.68; 95% CI: 0.22, 2.07; p=0.494). Streptococcus intervention. No Streptococcus intervention where administered species were matched with genetic fingerprinting approaches was identified, and a stratified analysis for parallel RCTs also could not be undertaken, as no study was identified that used exclusively Streptococcus strains and reported on the presence or the absence of a serious adverse event. A metaregression adding the presence of the genus Streptococcus in the intervention as a moderator 95 to a meta-analysis of serious adverse events did not indicate that the Streptococcus genus was associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of serious adverse events (relative risk ratio 1.17; 95% CI: 0.54, 2.54; p=0.695). Enterococcus intervention. No Enterococcus intervention where administered species were matched with genetic fingerprinting approaches was identified and a stratified analysis for parallel RCTs could also not be undertaken, as no study was identified that used exclusively Enterococcus strains and reported on the presence or the absence of a serious adverse event. A metaregression adding the presence of the genus Enterococcus in the intervention as a moderator to a meta-analysis of serious adverse events did not indicate that the Enterococcus genus was associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of serious adverse events (relative risk ratio 0.59; 95% CI: 0.06, 6.05; p=0.656). Bacillus intervention. As documented in the Key Question 1 section, the serious adverse events associated with a Bacillus intervention where administered species were matched with genetic fingerprinting approaches included 1 case of sepsis. No stratified analysis and metaregression could be undertaken for parallel RCTs to quantify the risk of serious adverse events due to the lack of Bacillus studies reporting on serious adverse events. We also explored pertinent subgroups that were identified in the review with regard to serious adverse events. The quality of adverse events can be very different, ranging from mild complaints to critical events, and analyses in prior chapters have shown that some investigated participants and some intervention characteristics warrant more exploration. Serious adverse events by health status. We also explored whether critically ill participants taking probiotics were more likely to experience serious adverse events compared to control group participants. In these patients, serious adverse events are of critical importance. There was no indication that critically ill patients were more likely to experience serious adverse events when we stratified results for this subgroup. The relative risk in studies with participants of this health status to experience a serious adverse event was 1.01 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.14; p=0.898; RD 0.002; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.004; p=0.973) relative to control group participants with similar clinical symptomatology. In addition, we added health status as a variable to a meta-analysis in order to see if health status moderates reported serious adverse events seen in participants relative to control group participants, but there was also no empirical evidence for an increased or reduced risk of serious adverse events that depended on the participants’ health status (p=0.481). Serious adverse events by participant age. Children in probiotics groups were not more likely to experience serious adverse events than control group participants (RR 1.02; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.14, p=0.685; RD 0.002; 95% CI: -0.006, 0.003, p=0.458). The few published studies in the elderly did not report on the presence or absence of serious adverse events. Comparing the relative risk ratio of children and adults for serious adverse events, there was a significant difference (p=0.019) indicating that adults in probiotics groups were more likely to experience serious adverse events; however this result was driven entirely by the PROPATRIA trial (Besselink, 2008) in acute pancreatitis, which reported statistically significantly more incidences of death in the probiotics group compared to control. Excluding this study, there was no evidence of serious adverse event results being moderated by participants’ ages (p=0.728). 96 Serious adverse events by delivery vehicle. Stratified analyses indicated that yogurt and dairy delivery vehicles may influence the ratio of risks for adverse events seen in intervention and control groups. There was no evidence that intervention participants in yogurt and dairy studies were statistically more likely to experience adverse events compared to control group participants (RR 1.16; 95% CI: 0.38, 3.56, p=0.793); RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.009, 0.012, p=0.219). In addition, we added delivery vehicles as a variable to a meta-analysis in order to see if this factor moderated reported serious adverse events seen in participants relative to control group participants, but there was also no empirical evidence for an increased or reduced risk of serious adverse events depending on the vehicle the probiotic organisms were delivered in (p=0.998). Serious adverse events by route of administration. There was a trend but no evidence for a statistically significantly different risk for patients receiving probiotics through enteral feeding tubes to experience a serious adverse event compared to control group participants (RR 1.21; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.58, p=0.168; RD 0.002; 95% CI: -0.008, 0.011, p=0.694), based on the existing literature. We also added routes of administration as a variable to a meta-analysis in order to see if these factors moderated the serious adverse events seen in participants relative to control group participants, but there was no evidence for an increased or reduced risk of serious adverse events that depended on the route of administration (p=0.714). Summary and Strength of Evidence Key Question 5 How often does harm associated with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus lead to hospital admission or lengthened hospitalization? Volume: 26 studies for hospitalization, 66 controlled trials for serious adverse events Risk of bias: Medium Evidence to answer this Key Question stems from RCTs and case studies, but the RCTs may not have reported on the outcome of hospitalization consistently Consistency: Inconsistent Directness: Direct Several comparative studies if the Key Question is widened to include serious adverse events Precision: Precise The identified evidence has to be characterized as medium to low with regard to being able to answer the Key Question with confidence. While several case studies reported a new hospitalization associated with the consumption of a product, including Saccharomyces, Lactobacillus, or Bacillus strains, none of the case series, CCTs, or parallel and crossover RCTs reported that a probiotics intervention led to a hospitalization in the intervention participants. A comparison of all reported hospitalizations regardless of the perceived association with the intervention treatment indicated no statistically significantly increased risk in probiotics interventions compared to the number of hospitalizations in control group participants. However, 97 the number of hospitalizations due to adverse events was explicitly reported on in only a few of the included studies, older publications may not have associated a hospitalization with probiotics intake, and several studies reported on participants who were already hospitalized. Only a few studies overall reported on the presence or absence of serious adverse events following the FDA definition, as outlined in the method section. Results for serious adverse events varied across RCTs, sometimes favoring the probiotics group and sometimes the control group, and differences across probiotic and control groups were not statistically significant. The same result was obtained for Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces interventions, but there were too few studies (Bifidobacterium) or no studies (Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Bacillus) to analyze serious adverse events as studies did not report on the presence or absence of serious adverse events. We also investigated pertinent subgroups that were highlighted in previous chapters of the report. There was no evidence to document an increased risk of critically ill patients in probiotics groups experiencing more serious adverse events than critically ill patients in a control group; the health status of participants was not associated with an increased risk of serious adverse events relative to control group participants. Children in intervention groups were not more likely to experience serious adverse events compared to control group children, but a formal systematic analysis of age as a moderator could not be undertaken due to the absence of reporting on the presence or absence of serious adverse events in the few identified studies in the elderly. The ratio of adverse events between intervention and control group participants also was not affected by the delivery vehicle or the route of administration. However, this finding is again based on an indirect comparison across studies; direct evidence is missing. Key Question 6. How does harm associated with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus relate to use of concomitant antibiotics, confounding diet therapies, corticosteroid use, immune suppressants, or other potential confounders? None of the studies included in this review reported a statistical interaction analysis investigating whether confounders such as concomitant antibiotics, diet therapies, corticosteroid use, use of other immune suppressants, or other variables affects adverse events associated with probiotics. An interaction effect might indicate that participants on probiotics and antibiotics are more likely to experience adverse events, beyond the adverse events that can be expected in a control group of patients with similar characteristics. A potential interaction effect between probiotics and medications has been explored in the Key Question 2a and indicated a trend but no statistically significant indication that intervention participants in studies with pertinent cointerventions report more adverse events than control group participants with corresponding cotreatments. Antibiotics A substantial number of identified studies described concomitant antibiotic use (110/387). In these studies, probiotics were often given to counterbalance adverse events caused by antibiotics, for example, to prevent or treat antibiotic-associated diarrhea. We included only those studies that did report on adverse events associated with probiotics, that is, studies addressing the safety of probiotics in addition to efficacy or effectiveness outcomes. Studies reporting only on the efficacy or effectiveness of probiotics in the prevention or reduction of antibiotics-associated adverse events were outside the scope of this review. 98 In order to answer the question of whether participants using probiotics and antibiotics simultaneously makes them more at risk to experience adverse events associated with probiotics, we undertook a stratified analysis for all RCTs with concomitant antibiotic treatment. There was a trend but no statistically significant indication that participants in the probiotics group were more likely to experience adverse events compared to control group participants also taking antibiotics, based on the number of participants with adverse events (RR 1.07; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.23; p=0.271; RD 0.001; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.006; p=0.855) as well as according to the number of adverse incidences across groups (RR 1.13; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.41; p=0.272; RD 0.005; 95% CI: 0.004, 0.014; p=0.259). Exploring the nature of the adverse events further, there was also no indication that participants experience statistically significantly more gastrointestinal adverse events compared to control group participants (RR 1.10; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.48; p=0.530; RD 0.006; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.016; p=0.253), more infections and infestations (RR 1.07; 95% CI: 0.56, 2.06; p=0.835; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.003; p=0.945), or more other adverse events (RR 1.13; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.41; p=0.270; RD 0.005; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.015; p=0.365). Participants were also not more likely to experience serious adverse events compared to control group participants also on antibiotic cotreatment (RR 1.04; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.19; p=0.534; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.005, 0.005; p=0.972). Diet Therapies Seven studies (five parallel and one crossover RCT) were identified that described participants on a particular diet regime (e.g., a diet based on the American Heart Association guidelines) in addition to probiotics intake. The relative risk for the number of participants with adverse events in this subgroup of studies was 1.08 (95% CI: 0.74, 1.58; p=0.683; RD 0.003; 95% CI: -0.043, 0.048; p=0.898), and the relative risk for the number of adverse event incidences in the treatment arms was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.79, 1.18; p=0.724; RD -0.001; 95% CI: -0.020, 0.018; p=0.948). There was also no indication of differences in gastrointestinal complaints (1.10; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.48; p=0.530; RD 0.006; 95% CI: -0.004, 0.016; p=0.253), infections and infestations (1.09; 95% CI: 0.53, 2.24; p=0.808; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.003, 0.003; p=0.945), other adverse events (RR 0.94; 95% CI: 0.75, 1.16; p=0.538; RD 0.004; 95% CI: -0.023, 0.031; p=0.784) or serious adverse events (RR 1.02; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.18; p=0.749; RD 0.010; 95% CI: -0.016, 0.036; p=0.449) compared to control group. However, it should be noted that the stratified analyses were based on between three and seven RCTs only, due to the small number of studies reporting concomitant diet therapies. Most individual trials reported either no adverse events or similar incidences across groups. Corticosteroid Use There were 26 studies that reported using corticosteroids in conjunction with an intervention of probiotic organisms. None of these studies reported an interaction analysis or related the adverse events experienced to the use of confounding corticosteroids with probiotics. In order to answer the question of whether participants using probiotics and corticosteroids simultaneously makes them more at risk to experience adverse events associated with probiotics, we undertook a stratified analysis for all RCTs with concomitant corticosteroid treatment. There was no indication that participants in the probiotics group were more likely to experience adverse events compared to control group participants also taking corticosteroids, based on the number of 99 participants with adverse events (RR 1.04; 95% CI: 0.88, 1.22; p=0.650; RD 0.002; 95% CI: 0.032, 0.035; p=0.920) as well as according to the number of adverse incidences across groups (RR 1.06; 95% CI: 0.77, 1.46; p=0.719; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.021, 0.021; p=0.986). Exploring the nature of the adverse events further, there was a trend but no statistically significant indication that participants experience statistically significantly more gastrointestinal adverse events compared to control group participants (RR 1.11; 95% CI: 0.73, 1.68; p=0.615; RD 0.000; 95% CI: -0.030, 0.030; p=0.992), more infections and infestations (1.15; 95% CI: 0.79, 4.68; p=0.466; RD 0.008; 95% CI: -0.039, 0.054; p=0.750), or more other adverse events (RR 1.29; 95% CI: 0.83, 2.01; p=0.257; RD 0.007; 95% CI: -0.010, 0.232; p=0.448). Participants were also not more likely to experience serious adverse events compared to control group participants also on corticosteroid cotreatment (RR 1.01; 95% CI: 0.33, 3.10; p=0.980; RD 0.012; 95% CI: -0.027, 0.051; p=0.545). Immune Suppressants Eight studies, including three case studies, were identified that reported on patients using probiotics while taking immune suppressant medications several studies described patients with ulcerative colitis. Two case reports in patients using immune suppressants to control an underlying condition described fungemia infections (Bassetti, 1998; Zunic, 1991), and one case report reported an abscess potentially associated with Lactobacillus rhamnosus. One of the case series in patients on immune suppressant medications noted a patient with an erythema around the anus (Benchimol, 2004), and two other case series reported several gastrointestinal incidences in patients with ulcerative colitis (Huynh, 2009; Karimi, 2005). One RCT in patients with atopic dermatitis listed abdominal pain as an adverse event with 2/24 in the treatment group compared to 1/24 in the prebiotics control group (Passeron, 2006). An RCT in transplant patients noted diarrhea, abdominal pain, and abdominal cramps similarly distributed across treatment arms (Rayes, 2005). Tursi (2010) reported 8/65 adverse events such as abdominal bloating with or without discomfort compared to 9/66 patients with adverse events in the control group in an RCT in patients with ulcerative colitis No other pertinent confounder was identified in this review that clearly warranted further investigation. Summary and Strength of Evidence Key Question 6 How does harm associated with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus relate to use of concomitant antibiotics, confounding diet therapies, corticosteroid use, immune suppressants, or other potential confounders? Volume: Indirect comparisons are based on 387 studies, no evidence from individual interaction studies Risk of bias: Medium Evidence to answer this Key Question stems from RCTs and case studies Consistency: Inconsistent Directness: Indirect 100 Question can be analyzed only through cross-study comparisons or subgroup analyses Precision: Precise There is insufficient evidence to answer this Key Question with confidence. We did not identify studies meeting the review inclusion criteria that reported statistical interactions between concomitant antibiotics, diet therapies, corticosteroid use, or immune suppressants. Although the risk of adverse events in general might be higher in participants on multiple medications, in subgroup analyses of studies in which the intervention participants as well as the control group participants received antibiotics or corticosteroids, no statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events was identified among intervention participants. Across RCTs, there was no evidence for a statistically significant interaction between these medications and the risk for adverse events being increased in the treatment group relative to the control group. We identified only a few studies with concomitant diet therapies, and studies in participants using immune suppressants were also largely absent in the existing literature. The few studies identified did not indicate an increased risk of adverse events, but rare events are difficult to assess, and the existing evidence base is not sufficient to draw conclusive conclusions. 101 Discussion Results Summary The review demonstrates that there is a large volume of literature on probiotics. However, the literature provided only limited evidence to address the questions the review set out to answer. The search of 10 databases combined with reference screening of included studies and pertinent reviews identified 11,201 publications, and 622 studies were included in the review. Of these 622 studies, 235 studies made only nonspecific safety statements (“well tolerated”), and the remaining 387 studies reported the presence or absence of one or more specific adverse events. The review includes a large number of randomized controlled trial (RCTs); however, the majority of these were not designed to monitored adverse events but primarily tested the efficacy of probiotics in managing, treating, or preventing clinical symptoms. The quality of included studies varied within study design categories; only a minority of trials reported adequate randomization methods, concealment of treatment group allocation, and blinding of outcome assessors to the treatment group; and studies were not powered to assess adverse events. Adverse events were poorly documented and publications seldom stated what parameters were monitored. Further, in the majority of included studies, interventions were poorly documented, lacking detail, for example, on the specific probiotic strain that was administered as well as the dose and viability. Identified case studies indicated that fungemia, bacteremia, and sepsis may be associated with administered probiotic organisms. None of the identified case series, controlled clinical trials (CCTs), parallel and crossover RCTs reported an infections caused by the administered probiotic strains. However, these studies did not monitor routinely for such infections; reported adverse events were primarily gastrointestinal in nature. In parallel RCTs, no statistically increased risk for adverse events in the quantity of adverse events was observed, analyzing the number of participants with adverse events and reported adverse event incidences per treatment group. Exploring the nature of reported events in the literature, we found that adverse events were gastrointestinal in nature, addressed infections and infestations, or addressed other adverse events. In none of the different types of adverse events did parallel RCT show a statistically significantly increased risk for adverse events in intervention participants compared to control. Across studies, there was also no statistically significantly increased risk of serious adverse events associated with probiotic product use. Long-term effects are largely unknown as very few existing studies report on followup periods of one year or more. Stratifying studies by probiotic genus, it was apparent that the existing literature covers primarily the genus Lactobacillus, alone or in combination with other genera, most frequently Bifidobacterium. There was some evidence from a metaregression that indicated Streptococcus interventions may be associated with a larger number of adverse events compared to other genera, but evidence from direct, head-to-head comparisons is lacking. Stratifying RCTs that used each genus exclusively, no statistically significant difference between intervention and control group participants was observed for any of the six genera. However, published reports on the genera Enterococcus, Bacillus, Streptococcus are largely absent from the literature. Saccharomyces interventions and Bifidobacterium interventions were also rare, and a substantial proportion of studies used blends of probiotic organisms. 102 The review aimed to address a large number of participant and intervention variables and their effect on safety. Direct evidence comparing intervention factors is largely absent from the existing literature. Few studies directly compared the safety of different product or participant characteristics. Indirect comparisons indicated that effects of delivery vehicles should be investigated further. Analyzing participant factors such as health status showed that case studies described adverse events in patients with existing health concerns, often already hospitalized when potentially probiotics associated infections occurred. However, RCTs did not indicate a statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events in healthy, medium-risk, or critically ill participant groups compared to control. Scope and Limitations This evidence report considers a large number of studies and addresses a large number of research questions. Unlike the majority of existing reviews, this evidence report considers only adverse events reported in studies of probiotics, and does not cover efficacy or effectiveness questions for the management, prevention, or treatment of clinical symptoms or other indications for using probiotic products. For a risk–benefit analysis, both aspects would need to be considered. A substantial number of reviews summarizing individual studies of effects of probiotics have been published. However, existing reviews focus on selected interventions, selected probiotic genera, selected patient groups, or selected outcomes (Abad, 2009; Alfaleh, 2008; Allen, 2003; Barclay, 2007; Boyle, 2009; Boyle, 2008; Brenner, 2009; Butterworth, 2008; Chande, 2009; Chande, 2008; Chmielewska, 2010; Chou, 2008; Dendukuri, 2005; Deshpande, 2007; Deshpande, 2010; Doherty, 2009; Doron, 2008; Dugoua, 2009; Fuccio, 2009; Gawronska, 2005; Gurusamy, 2008; Holubar, 2010; Hoveyda, 2009; Johnston, 2007; Kahn Ch, 2009; KalePradhan, 2010; Lirussi, 2007; Mallon, 2007; McFarland, 2005; McFarland, 2010; Miller, 2009; Moayyedi, 2008; Osborn, 2007; Petrov, 2009; Pillai, 2008; Rolfe, 2006; Sachdeva, 2009; Szajewska, 2010; Szajewska, 2005; Szajewska, 2001; Szajewska, 2004; Tung, 2009; Vouloumanou, 2009; Wang, 2009; Watkinson, 2007; Whelan, 2010; Wu, 2008; Zigra, 2007). This evidence report has a broader scope, and due to the large number of included studies, allows unique statistical analyses. Adverse events reported in intervention studies of probiotic organisms are largely rare events encountered by only a small number of participants. Thus, large sample sizes are necessary to be able to detect any statistically significant incidence rates of such adverse events. Search This review aimed to capture the safety of probiotics, in particular the safety of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus used as probiotic agents. The search strategy was primarily designed to capture all explicitly identified probiotic studies, and steps were taken to ensure the completeness of the body of evidence of probiotic literature. We identified a large number of publications on probiotics and carefully screened full paper copies of all publications that might contain information on the safety of probiotics. Other studies that investigated the same genera in ways that resembled their use as probiotic agents but did not label their interventions as probiotic studies were not excluded but were also not sought systematically as outlined in the search strategy justification, and no claim 103 of completeness is made. These studies were primarily identified through reference mining, that is, scanning the bibliographies of included studies and pertinent review articles. This review was not restricted to particular species, strains, patient group, clinical fields, settings, or study design, and the sought interventions included genera such as Bacillus with known pathogenic properties, hence the decision to restrict the search to probiotic studies rather than expanding it to the wider literature on the individual bacteria and yeast strains. Judging from our experience, future reviews targeted towards more specific research questions should use a combination of search terms covering both the term “probiotic” and the genus to identify those studies that used a particular strain as a probiotic agent. This review adopted a thorough process of identifying information on the safety of probiotics by screening full paper copies of empirical studies on probiotics, regardless of whether the safety of probiotics was mentioned in the summary of the article, that is, the title or abstract of the publication. Initial experiments with search filters have shown that screening studies at the title or abstract level would have resulted in missing a large proportion of the pertinent literature. The majority of included studies were not tagged by databases as including safety information, the title and the abstract gave no indication that adverse events would be addressed in the publication, and in the overwhelming majority of studies other than case reports, safety was not the main aim of the publication. The review focuses on published literature, and a substantial number of studies of probiotics have been published in scientific journals. However, there may also be a substantial number of unpublished studies, most likely from manufacturers of probiotics. This factor, combined with the fact that we could not be certain studies that failed to mention adverse events indeed had no adverse events, limits the utility of the review as a basis for true risk–benefit analysis of probiotics. Probiotics This exploratory review on the safety of probiotics lists the reported presence and absence of adverse events for interventions that used Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus organisms as probiotic agents. The imbalance of genera in the included studies (favoring Lactobacillus alone and in combination with Bifidobacterium) presumably reflects the research conducted to date. We adopted a very inclusive definition of probiotics. However, there is an ongoing debate about whether yogurt should be considered a probiotic product, since yogurt contains live bacteria (e.g., Guarner, Perdigon, Corthier, et al., 2005) of genera that are associated with probiotic properties, and the debate also extends to whether there is any reason to think adverse events need to be monitored for yogurt and lactic acid bacteria products (e.g., MacGregor, Smith, Thakker and Kinsella, 2002). For this review, yogurt studies that did not explicitly report the addition of a probiotic agent, that is, a strain in addition to the yogurt starter culture, were excluded. A distinct limitation of this review is that most of the identified studies provided insufficient information on the intervention, that is, a clear description of the microbes that were included in the investigated probiotic product. The lack of identification or proper classification of the administered probiotic organisms is a safety concern in itself. A large number of published studies did not report the strain of the probiotic agent included in the preparation. Given that the efficacy of probiotics is often considered strain specific, the informational value of these studies 104 has to be questioned. Lack of documentation is hindering efficacy as well as safety evaluations (EFSA, 2009; Shane, 2010) and limits overviews necessary for consumers and policymakers. A further limitation is the uncertain reliability of the reported product details. For this literature review, we rely on the information reported by the study authors. Very few studies reported using accepted methods (or any methods) to test the content of preparations given to participants. The exact organisms as well as any contaminants present in the preparations are pertinent information. For example, included studies indicated that the species used was Lactobacillus sporogenes however; the species designation Lactobacillus sporogenes is now considered an invalid name for Bacillus coagulans (Becker, 1950; De Clerck, 2004; Jung, 2009). Similarly, some studies reported on Streptococcus faecium and Streptococcus faecalis, which have been transferred to the genus Enterococcus (Schleifer, 1984). A study published in 2006 conducted a survey of commercial probiotic strains and found that 28 percent of the strains intended for use in humans as probiotics were misidentified at the genus or species level (Huys, 2006). Other reports show that products can contain more species than noted on the product labels (Marcobal, 2008; Underwood, 2009). Also, over the time span covered by our literature search, many of the employed organisms may have undergone mutations (spontaneous or otherwise), identification techniques have improved (e.g., revealing them to be less similar to a more familiar strain or to belong to a different genus than previously thought), and taxonomic name changes were introduced (see, e.g., Masco, 2004; Mattarelli, 2008; No Author, 2008; Li, 2006; Posteraro, 2005; Morita, 2009). Finally, we identified a large number of studies that gave a blend of different probiotic organisms to participants. These studies individually do not permit to attribute reported harms to a particular genus, species, or strain. Metaregressions can to some extent trace effects across studies, but this process cannot replace adequate study designs to investigate the safety of probiotic strains. Intervention Studies This report was explicitly limited to assessing the outcomes of interventions (as opposed to merely passive or accidental exposure). We identified a large number of intervention studies in the international literature assessing the effects of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus used as probiotic agents. A number of publications exists that systematically collated example cases of fungemia associated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (e.g., Munoz, 2005), or infections associated with Lactobacillus (e.g., Aguirre, 1993; Husni, 1997), or Bifidobacterium (e.g., Bourne, 1978). However, we considered only those case descriptions that reported a preceding intervention, that is, the purposeful use of probiotics. This limitation also pertains to reports from hospitals describing outbreaks of fungemia such as reports on an intensive care unit (ICU) where patients did not purposefully consume probiotics, but the yeast was reported to linger in the ICU (Cassone, 2003). One of the included case studies (Perapoch, 2000) also reported on an infant who appeared to have contracted an infection from an infant treated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae who later developed fungemia; hence, spread of infections should also be monitored in research studies. The review considered studies without study design restrictions and it includes a large number of different study designs such as parallel and crossover RCTs, CCTs, case series, and case studies. However, the literature search did not identify any observational cohort studies comparing two cohorts or retrospective case-control studies on the safety (or even the efficacy) 105 of organisms used for their probiotic properties; all observational data came from case series following only one intervention group and case studies. The reason for this lack of large-scale observational studies of probiotic safety is unclear but may be the result of a general presumption of probiotic safety on the part of epidemiologists (and the failure to implicate them as the cause of any particular conditions). A 2002 epidemiological study addressing a similar question assessed changes in the incidence of Lactobacillus-associated bacteremia in Finland after a rapid increase in the use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG as a probiotic agent. The study found no increase in the incidence of Lactobacillus-associated bacteremia in the population, although a small proportion of isolates matched the strain of the probiotic agent, using the typing technology available at that time (Salminen, 2002). Safety The review identified a large number of relevant publications addressing the safety of probiotic products. For RCTs, we identified a similar volume of publications that addressed the potential efficacy of probiotic preparations but not their safety. It is not possible to extrapolate from the lack of mention of adverse events that no adverse events occurred in interventions (e.g., the adverse events associated with a particular trial might be reported in an accompanying or subsequent, not-yet-published, article). Even fewer RCTs reported on the presence and the absence of specific adverse events. The review identified a large number of publications that made vague safety statements such as “the intervention was well tolerated” and “there were no adverse events.” We compiled these vague references to safety to allow a complete overview of the existing literature, but these studies were analyzed separately from studies with more specific statements. This group of studies reported no information on what was monitored or how “well tolerated” was defined. For an evidence report such as this whose purpose is to synthesize the evidence, these studies are of little informational value. When publications reported that there were no adverse events, we did not make inferences from this statement to specific outcomes. Although it may appear plausible to assume that this means no death or hospitalizations occurred, this assumption is very problematic and should not replace actual empirical evidence on the safety of probiotics. The safety of probiotics has only recently been considered as an issue warranting further investigation (Liong, 2008). Older publications may not have thought to associate such harms with an intervention considered completely harmless. In order to advance the empirical evidence on the safety of probiotics, studies should monitor and report the presence and also the absence of specific harms. For this review we extracted all reported adverse events, regardless of whether the authors of the publication considered these in their summary statement regarding the safety of probiotics. We also included outcomes regardless of the author’s assurance that the event was unrelated to the intervention. Such judgments are difficult to make and may change with increasing knowledge of the safety of probiotics. Very few publications appear to have addressed the assessment of the strength of association between adverse event and intervention systematically, as reported for example in Gibson (2009). Safety reviews on probiotics have focused on various aspects of safety such as toxicity, the potential for translocation, and antibiotic resistance or other virulence factors (Ishibashi, 2001; Sanders, 2010; Yazdankhah, 2009). This report operationalized safety as the presence or absence of unintended adverse health events in probiotics interventions for human participants. We 106 document the quantity, quality, and nature of adverse events reported in research studies using probiotics to reduce risk of and prevent or treat disease in vivo. Efficacy studies for which the efficacy outcome was the mitigation of an adverse event (e.g., efficacy of probiotics in preventing or treating antibiotic-induced diarrhea or other negative health outcomes) were excluded unless (1) the outcome was actually exacerbated in the probiotic treatment group compared to baseline or to a control group and this outcome was one of the main safety findings of the paper (stated in the abstract of the publication, so-called treatment failures); or (2) the safety of the probiotics, themselves, was also explicitly addressed in the publication. This operationalization is not without problems but it is a pragmatic solution adopted in other recent overviews of the safety literature (e.g., Pitrou, Boutron, Ahmad & Ravand, 2009). Particular outcomes addressed in this review warrant further investigation as a risk-benefit analysis in a review that includes all studies reporting on a particular outcome such as all-cause mortality. Such a review would need to include all studies addressing the outcome, regardless of whether the outcome was considered a measure of efficacy or an unintended effect. Key Questions Key Question 1. What is the evidence that the active and lyophilized forms of probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus) as single ingredients or in combination with other probiotics or prebiotics in all delivery vehicles (and formulations) when used to cure, treat, mitigate or prevent a disease or reduce disease risk are safe in the short term? Long term? The question of whether probiotic interventions are safe cannot be answered with sufficient confidence based on the existing literature. The existing literature includes primarily the genera Lactobacillus, alone and in combination with other genera, often Bifidobacterium; adverse events associated with other genera are not well documented. Case studies indicated that primarily fungemia, but also bacteremia, and incidences of sepsis have been linked to administered probiotic organisms. Although the confidence of matching strains has only recently been improved through DNA-based matching methods, the existing reports indicate that an association between administered probiotic strains and observed infections must be considered (Liong, 2008). RCTs, CCTs, and case series did not report that they routinely monitor for the kinds of infections identified in case reports. This is particularly distressing as the identified case studies span a long period; the infectious potential of probiotic organisms is not a recent observation (Jensen, 1976; Richard, 1988). Most controlled trials did not state what harms were monitored, and the safety of the probiotic products was not addressed systematically. Poor reporting of adverse events is not specific to studies on probiotic products but a general concern of intervention studies (Ioannidis, 2004). None of the identified case series, CCTs, or parallel and crossover RCTs reported an infections caused by the administered probiotic strains. However, these studies did not monitor routinely for such infections. The absence of reliable evidence on adverse events should not be mistaken for evidence of the absence of adverse events. The adverse events reported in RCTs in 107 the current literature do not suggest a widespread risk, but future studies that explicitly monitor for the safety issues of concern are needed to quantify the actual risk of specific adverse events in intervention studies. Frequently reported individual adverse events were deaths that occurred during the study followup period; many gastrointestinal incidences such as diarrhea, constipation, or nausea; and respiratory infections. These types of outcomes were reported for both study arms, participants using probiotics as well as participants in control groups. Across studies most incidences were distributed evenly across treatment groups; nonetheless, there were individual studies such as the PROPATRIA trial reported by Besselink et al. (2008), a study of failed effectiveness reported a higher mortality rate in the probiotic treatment group than in the control group in patients with acute pancreatitis, which indicates that individual outcomes such as mortality should be monitored. In particular, as the mechanism of action must be investigated further, the study reported no incidences of infections caused by the administered probiotics organisms (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains). In a further publication, this mortality rate was determined to be increased in those taking probiotics who had organ failure, as compared to those who did not (Besselink, 2009). The analysis of individual outcomes also suggests that treatment failures should be highlighted in current research. Although treatment failures were not considered per se for this review, failed efficacy was sometimes considered a safety concern (Besselink, 2008; Boyle, 2008) and a central outcome of the study. Individual outcomes such as mortality should be assessed in a risk–benefit analysis that includes the outcome regardless of whether it was investigated as a safety concern or efficacy measure (i.e., where probiotics were given to reduce mortality). To approach the question of safety of probiotics, we also systematically investigated the quantity of adverse events reported in probiotics studies. This information is meaningful only in comparison to a control group, a comparable group with similar patient characteristics, co interventions, and other similar circumstances that permit investigation of whether adverse events are increased with probiotics use. We investigated two alternative measures, the number of patients with adverse events in each treatment group and the number of adverse-event incidences per treatment group. Each measure has inherent advantages and disadvantages, and the measures are not identical, as a single participant can experience multiple adverse events. Across all individual studies and identified adverse events, parallel RCTs did not indicate a statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events in either of the complementary measures. However, it has to be considered, though, that the existing literature is dominated by Lactobacillus-based interventions, both in combination with several other genera or alone. Finally, the current literature also does not permit statements on the long-term safety of probiotics. With few exceptions, the existing literature reports on short- and medium-term use of probiotics assessed for a short or medium-term followup period. Research on probiotics has increased dramatically in recent years and studies in the near future may report more information on long-term effects of probiotics. Key Question 2. What are characteristics and associations of the reported harms in Question 1? The reported adverse events were primarily gastrointestinal in nature, others concerned infections and infestations, and a large group of studies did not fit any particular category in the published system used to classify adverse events (DHHS, 2009). While the case studies primarily 108 reported infections suspected or confirmed to be caused by an administered probiotic organism, the majority of other studies reported gastrointestinal incidences. In the included RCTs, there was no indication that participants using probiotic organisms have a higher risk of experiencing gastrointestinal adverse events than those not using them and this was also the case for infections and infestations and all other reported adverse events across studies. Studies rarely reported efforts to monitor harms specific to probiotic product interventions, including infections due to the administered strains. Hence, evaluations of the safety might change with future, more targeted, assessment of adverse events (Liong, 2008). There is a lack of studies investigating potential interactions between probiotics and other, concomitantly administered, medications. The descriptions of cases experiencing serious adverse events suggest that either multiple medications or the underlying condition may have contributed to the severe adverse events reported but studies systematically addressing interaction effects are lacking. We identified only a very small number of studies addressing acquired antibiotic resistance as a patient outcome with clinical relevance. Evidence for potential harms came from case studies in patients with multiple morbidities. Reported resistance pertained only to selected antibiotics. However, it has to be noted that we restricted the current review to patient outcomes, only where antibiotic resistance and translocation were described as clinical adverse events were these eligible for inclusion in the review. This excluded, for example, in vitro and animal research on the potential, or lack of potential, for antibiotic resistance and translocation that has been published for the investigated genera (Abe, 2010; Corthesy, 2007; Ishibashi, 2001). Key Question 3. What is the evidence that harms of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus differ by product and delivery characteristics? We set out to answer a large number of research questions related to the interventions and delivery characteristics. However, identified studies lacked detail in their description of administered probiotic organisms. Many studies did not specify which probiotic strains were investigated, nor was there indication that intervention preparations were tested for identity of the included organisms, viability, or contaminants. The question of genus-specific safety profiles is not easy to answer with the existing literature. The review included probiotic organisms that were very different in nature (bacterial as well as yeast strains) with different histories and research experiences of using the genera as probiotic products (e.g., Lactobacillus versus Enterococcus). The number of identified fungemia case reports associated with of Saccharomyces boulardii [cerevisiae] outnumbered case reports of infections reported for the bacterial strains. However, RCTs, CCTs, and case series investigated primarily Lactobacillus, alone or in combination with Bifidobacterium strain interventions; the available evidence, including reports of the absence and the presence of adverse events as well as effectiveness studies, is very unbalanced across genera. The kind of postmarket reports of adverse events that participants might encounter when using probiotic products had to be elicited from studies that often investigated products that included different genera or gave different probiotic genera for very different purposes, to different participant groups, in different doses and potencies. Very few studies provided head-to head comparisons of different genera. For the included RCTs, we undertook stratified analyses for each genus in studies that used organisms from one genus only, for example, all studies using 109 exclusively Lactobacillus organisms. Stratified analyses by probiotic genus showed no increased risk of adverse events for any of the genera in studies using the genus in question exclusively. In addition, we undertook a metaregression and investigated each genus as a moderator in studies that used a particular genus alone or in combination with other genera (e.g., all studies including a Lactobacillus strain). There was some indication that interventions including Streptococcus strains showed a higher risk of adverse events compared to the other genera. However, this result was based on a small number of studies given the paucity of studies using genera other than Lactobacillus and direct evidence is missing. Included studies used unique interventions that comprised a large number of different species and strains to investigate the efficacy, and in some cases the safety, for use as probiotic agents. Typically, there were too few comparable studies to enable individual safety statements for species or strains: many studies used interventions that included more than one probiotic organism so that it was not possible to link encountered adverse events to specific species or strains, and as outlined before, the documentation and validation of the interventions as well as the monitored adverse events were lacking. Other factors, such as a history of safe use of species in the food production, data on the prevalence of opportunistic infections, or reports of resistance to antibiotic or antifungal medications, may be considered to determine the potential for safe use. (see e.g., EFSA opinion, 2007; [Cote, 2006.]). However, these factors do not preclude the occurrence of rare adverse events, and such known properties of genera or species are only useful if there is evidence to suggest that all strains within the genus or within a species can be expected to behave similarly. Assuming that because a genus or individual species has low toxicity, no strain of the genus or species and no intervention including organisms of that genus or species can cause adverse events in intervention studies appears to be an overgeneralization. There is also a lack of studies directly comparing product characteristics such as the mode of delivery. Indirect comparisons across the RCTs identified in this review indicated that the potential effect of different delivery vehicles should be investigated further. Subgroups indicated more adverse event incidences in the treatment group when probiotics were taken in a yogurt or other dairy product than when taken in any other vehicle. It must be kept in mind that no study actually compared adverse events between a yogurt/other dairy vehicle and any other vehicle within the same study; nevertheless, there are alternative explanations for such an observation. Probiotic organisms might maintain greater viability in dairy than nondairy vehicles, or the adverse events are actually attributable to lactose intolerance. Given that many consumers consume probiotics as part of dairy or yogurt products, this effect should be further investigated in direct comparisons. The possibility that the use of a particular food as a vehicle for probiotic organisms might alter their viability (and therefore the potential efficacy and toxicity) has been explored in a number of studies (Champagne, 2005), and some have reported that Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG isolated from 15 different manufactured food products (carriers) showed strain differences that could affect both efficacy and safety (Grzeskowiak, 2010). The only included studies that compared the form of probiotic organisms directly compared viable and heat-killed organisms. Heat-killed organisms are not included in prominent definitions of probiotics; hence, this comparison is of minor interest. There was no indication that active forms were associated with a higher number of adverse events. The characterization of organisms was too poor in included studies to allow a systematic investigation of the influence of the form. Also seldom tested or reported was the viability of the administered organisms: Considering that probiotics are live organisms and that they presumably need to remain live to be 110 fully functional, it is concerning that few studies demonstrated that they were indeed able to maintain the evaluated organisms in a live and robust state. Related to this concern, Bacillus species are capable of forming spores, which would affect the count of viable organisms in a preparation. Furthermore, because several of the genera of interest are primarily anaerobic, exposure to oxygen during storage could easily affect viability. Another factor that might lower the potency of probiotic products is the failure to consider the potential for cryogenic damage during lyophilization and/or storage and to compensate by adding a cryoprotectant (see e.g., Savini, 2010). We did not identify conclusive evidence in the existing literature showing that interventions with a mixture of different organisms reported more adverse events than studies using one probiotic strain only or that synbiotics (mixtures of prebiotics and probiotics) differ from probiotics; however, there is a lack of direct comparisons. Although the risk of adverse events (as well as the efficacy) is not necessarily comparable across species and strains, direct head-to head comparisons are largely absent in the literature and in practice, probiotic interventions often included several different probiotics genera, species, and strains. Key Question 4. How do the harms of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus vary based on (a) dose (cfu); (b) timing; (c) mode of administration (e.g., catheter); (d) age (all ages, including infants), gender, ethnicity, disease or immunologic status of the patient; (e) relationship to efficacy? Only a few primary studies explored the effect of intervention and participant characteristics on safety. Both the variation in definitions of high and low dose across published studies and other factors such as the inherent differences in the compared organisms as outlined previously precluded a systematic evaluation of a dose-response relationship. Very few published studies were identified that investigated the effects of long-term use of probiotics, that is, intervention durations of 1 year or longer; information on the safety of longterm use is lacking. Given the current research interest (Shane, 2010) studies will hopefully provide needed evidence on long-term interventions. There were few descriptions of the time of onset of harms relative to treatment and the further clinical course of adverse events. In the few studies that reported on the time of onset of gastrointestinal effects, most effects were observed within in the first 3 days of treatment. The onset of infections tended to occur 1 to several weeks after initiation of probiotics use; however, this information is primarily based on case studies and was not systematically reported. A further pertinent question may be the optimal time for administering probiotics, that is, early to prevent, rather than aiming to treat or improve particular conditions, which may be associated with the risk–benefit ratio of interventions (Arciero, 2010; Sanders, 2010). In indirect comparisons across all identified RCTs in this review, we found no evidence that a particular mechanism or route of administration of probiotic organisms (e.g., through enteral feeding) was associated with an increased risk of an adverse event relative to a control group. In the literature, serious adverse events associated with probiotic use have been linked to catheter use (e.g., Sanders, 2010). However, the route of administration is closely linked to the health status of participants. 111 With regard to the health status of participants, there was some indication that health status is associated with the risk for an adverse event when using probiotics. The majority of case studies reporting serious adverse events described a critically ill patient or someone suffering from multiple morbidities when they contracted a serious infection potentially caused by probiotic organisms. There was some indication in the metaregressions that health status may predict an increased risk of adverse events associated with probiotic organisms. However, a subgroup analysis of all controlled trials enrolling critically ill participants did not show a statistically significantly increased risk of experiencing adverse events for participants using probiotic organisms compared to control group participants with similar patient characteristics. Critically ill patients may be more prone to experience adverse events; however, these were not associated with the use of probiotics; adverse events were equally distributed across treatment groups. Further large controlled studies are needed to identify any increased risk for rare but pertinent adverse events, and the risk–benefit ratio should be considered (also Whelan, 2010). For studies enrolling patients with compromised health, it would appear appropriate to use a data monitoring committee. A study by the Society for Clinical Trials’ DAMOCLES Study Group found that only about 25 percent of articles presenting the main results of clinical trials mentioned having used a data monitoring committee to ensure the appropriate collection of data throughout the trial (Sydes, 2004). Such committees would also be helpful in standardizing the collection of adverse event data in large, well-powered trials as well as in some smaller trials in populations of interest; a data monitoring working group has provided a set of guidelines (STC, 2006). To assess the role of the age in the safety of probiotics, we stratified studies according to the age of participants and undertook separate analyses for studies in children, adults, or elderly participants. The stratified analyses did not indicate an increased risk of adverse events in any of the subgroups associated with the use of probiotics compared to corresponding control group participants. However it has to be noted that very few studies were identified that reported on elderly participants. The identified case studies described more male than female patients. In the RCTs, we investigated the results of subgroups in female only and male only studies as well as analyzing the percent of female participants as a factor in a meta-analysis. In these indirect comparisons across RCTs, we found no indication that encountered adverse events relative to control group incidences depend on the gender of the participants. The included studies did not provide enough information to investigate whether probiotic safety is associated with racial/ethnic characteristics. It should be kept in mind that the majority of included studies were conducted in European countries where ethnic characteristics are rarely assessed in research studies. The research field needs to advance much further in order to be able to answer such specific questions regarding the safety of probiotics; such evidence is not available for other more established interventions (such as antibiotics use) either. In total, 59 percent of included studies were explicitly described as effective by the study authors for the various applications of probiotic use under investigation. We found no indication that the efficacy of an intervention was related to the number of encountered adverse events across all included RCTs. 112 Key Question 5. How often does harm associated with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus lead to hospital admission or lengthened hospitalization? While several case studies reported a new hospitalization potentially associated with the consumption of a product including Saccharomyces, Lactobacillus, or Bacillus strains, none of the case series, CCTs, and parallel and crossover RCTs reported that a probiotics intervention led to a hospitalization in the intervention participants. A comparison of all reported hospitalizations regardless of the perceived association with the intervention treatment indicated no statistically significant risk in probiotics interventions compared to the number of hospitalizations in control group participants. However, the number of hospitalizations due to adverse events was only explicitly reported on in a few of the included studies. Older publications may not have associated a hospitalization with probiotics intake, and several studies were in participants already hospitalized. As outlined previously, the safety of probiotic products has only recently been considered as an issue warranting further investigation (Liong, 2008). A proportion of included studies reported on the presence or absence of serious adverse events following the Food and Drug Administration definition. Results for serious adverse event varied across RCTs, sometimes favoring the probiotics group and sometimes the control group, and differences across probiotic and control group were not statistically significant. The same result was obtained for Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces interventions, but there were too few studies (Bifidobacterium) or no studies (Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Bacillus) in order to analyze serious adverse events for other genera, as studies did not report on the presence or absence of serious adverse events. The reporting of adverse events appears to have improved in recent years, presumably due to stricter guidelines and higher standards imposed by journals, for example, making it mandatory to report on adverse events when reporting the results of RCTs (e.g., Item 19 of the CONSORT statement, “All important harms or unintended effects in each group”). Relevant to this review is that the reporting of the presence and absence of infections has increased in particular, possibly a reaction in part to the PROPATRIA trial reported by Besselink et al. (2008). We also investigated pertinent subgroups that were of particular interest to this evidence report. Most notably, we did not find evidence that health-compromised patients were at increased risk of experiencing more serious adverse events than health-compromised control group participants. However, it has to be taken into account that the monitoring and reporting of adverse events is lacking, existing interventions were again primarily Lactobacillus interventions, and future assessments may come to different conclusions as the evidence base improves. Key Question 6. How does harm associated with Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Bacillus relate to use of concomitant antibiotics, confounding diet therapies, corticosteroid use, immune suppressants, or other potential confounders? Multivariate analyses in primary research studies are suitable to systematically trace interactions between cointerventions and probiotic use. In studies where some of the participants use these cointerventions while others do not, this factor and its effect on the study outcome can be investigated. We did not identify studies meeting the review inclusion criteria that reported 113 statistical interactions between concomitant antibiotics, diet therapies, corticosteroid use, or immune suppressants and probiotics. Although the risk of adverse events in general might be higher in participants on multiple medications, the crucial issue for this Key Question is whether participants in probiotics interventions are more likely to experience adverse events compared to corresponding control group participants. Interactions between comorbidities and cotreatments are complex research questions (Fitzgerald, 2010). For example, we might assume an interaction between corticosteroids and probiotics when studies in participant samples using corticosteroids report a higher risk ratio of adverse events than other studies. In subgroup analyses of identified studies in which the intervention participants as well as the control group participants received corticosteroids, we found no statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events for intervention participants compared to control. Probiotic interventions have been the focus of much research interest for the prevention of side effects associated with antibiotics (Abernethy, 2008; Cots, 2008; D'Souza, 2002; Doron, 2008; Elmer, 1998; Jack, 2010; Johnston, 2005; Johnston, 2006; Kale-Pradhan, 2010; Katz, 2006; Marshall, 2008; McFarland, 2005; McFarland, 2009; McFarland, 2006; Oldfield, 2008; Rohde, 2009; Ruszczynski, 2008; Szajewska, 2005; Szajewska, 2006; Wilcox, 2009; Young, 1998; Zou, 2009). While efficacy studies for the prevention of side effects were not eligible for inclusion in the review, we included those studies that addressed side effects of probiotics in addition to side effects of antibiotics where feasible, through the design and the adverse event monitoring of the study. Across RCTs, there was no evidence for a statistically significantly increased risk of adverse events for intervention participants compared to controls or an interaction between antibiotics and probiotics. We identified only a few studies with concomitant diet therapies. Studies in participants using immune suppressants were also largely absent in the existing literature and patients on immune suppressants were systematically excluded from a number of RCTs. The existing evidence base is not sufficient to draw any meaningful conclusions from adverse events observed in the few studies that addressed these patients. 114 Future Research Our search of the published literature on probiotics failed to uncover answers to several of the questions posed by the sponsors and identified little information on several of the organisms of interest. Performing a formal gap analysis was beyond the scope of the review; however a major aim of these recommendations for future research must be to fill in the research gaps we identified. Monitoring and reporting. Future studies should describe the intervention and the results of interventions in more detail. This improved description would entail, first of all, documenting the investigated product with regard to the genus, species, and strain. As technology and methods develop, this should also entail a more reliable, DNA-based validation of the characteristics of the included microorganisms, that is, the valid identification of the studied organism and the purity or the identification of all included microorganism in the study product. There is a need for more reliable information on the identity, potency, and viability of the included microorganisms given to participants at the time of the intervention as this may depend on the storage and delivery vehicles chosen for interventions. Future studies should describe which adverse events were monitored to allow a clearer overview of the presence and absence of adverse events in probiotics studies, in order to quantify the risk of adverse events for future intervention participants. The reporting of adverse events should follow reporting guidelines such as the extension of the CONSORT statement for harms (Ioannidis, 2004). In addition, there are comprehensive systems for cataloging adverse events such as the CTCAE system. The mention of adverse events almost in passing, as is typical for the existing literature, is hindering knowledge accumulation. Generally, it should be standard to monitor and report on adverse events in interventions; general research into microbial behavior and early toxicity investigations cannot replace empirical evidence for the presence and absence of adverse events in studies aiming to reduce risk for, prevent, or treat diseases in human participants. Study designs. Long-term effects of probiotics interventions are largely unknown and should be considered in future studies; despite the large number of publications on probiotics, there is a lack of long-term assessment studies. There is also a need to evaluate the long-term use of probiotics, that is, intervention durations of more than a few weeks, as are currently typical. In addition, the current literature is dominated by clinical research studies; large cohort studies following populations who have self-selected to use probiotics as dietary supplements or food components are needed to fully understand the effectiveness and safety of probiotics. Population surveillance studies and case-control studies are largely absent from the literature. Research questions. Studies are needed to explore potential adverse events associated with interventions that include the genera Enterococcus and Bacillus, and possibly the use of some Streptococcus species, as well as the use of Saccharomyces in some patient groups; the majority of existing studies report on Lactobacillus, alone or in combination with other genera, most commonly Bifidobacterium strains. In addition, it is possible that safety results differ not only by genus but also by species or strains; hence, all probiotics research studies should report adverse events and not rely on results obtained with other species or strains. 115 The current literature rarely reports assessment efforts to monitor harms specific to probiotics, and more targeted assessments may change our understanding of the safety of probiotics from what is presented in this evidence report. The harms assessment should consider safety issues warranting further investigation as documented in this review. This process would include systematically monitoring for infections associated with probiotic organisms. Critical patient outcomes such as all-cause mortality or hospitalizations as well as treatment failures as suggested by reports of failed efficacy and effectiveness studies (for example, allergy sensitization) should be assessed in future primary research using controlled trials. Reviews should consider all studies measuring the outcome regardless of whether that outcome was utilized to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention or observed as an adverse event. There is also a lack of studies addressing complex research questions such as interactions with participant, product, or intervention factors associated with the use of probiotic products. These effects should be addressed with appropriate multivariate analyses, or where possible, in head-to-head comparisons. With regard to participant characteristics studies evaluating effects on elderly participants are largely absent from the current literature. There is indication that participants with compromised health should be monitored closely for potential adverse events associated with probiotics, such as through the use of data monitoring boards. Controlled trials are needed to determine whether these patients are more likely to experience adverse events compared to control groups with similar participant characteristics, in order to address riskbenefit questions. Interactions with delivery vehicles, in particular yogurt and dairy products, should be investigated further in direct, head-to-head comparisons in order to fully understand the effect of these vehicles. 116 Conclusions Despite a substantial number of publications on probiotics little evidence is available to answer specific questions regarding their safety in research studies. RCTs and case studies diverge in the outcomes they report, there is a lack of assessment and structured reporting of adverse events, and interventions are poorly documented. The available evidence in RCTs does not indicate an increased risk; however, rare adverse events are difficult to assess and the current literature is not well equipped to answer specific questions on the safety of probiotics in intervention studies with confidence. To quantify potential health risks the presence and absence of adverse events should be reported, adverse events should be monitored (particularly in healthcompromised participants), infections due to the administered organisms and treatment failures should be documented; and the effect of delivery vehicles should be assessed systematically. In addition, few studies currently exist that report on effects in the elderly, the long-term effects of probiotics use, or on interventions based on genera other than Lactobacillus. These limitations hinder conclusions regarding the safety of probiotics used to reduce risk and prevent or treat disease. 117 References Judicial Commission of the International Committee on Systematics of Bacteria. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2008;58(7):1764–1765. Allen SJ, Jordan S, Storey M, et al. Dietary Supplementation with Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria Is Well Tolerated and Not Associated with Adverse Events during Late Pregnancy and Early Infancy. J Nutr 2010 Mar;140(3):483–488. (DOA) DoA. Table for Grading Severity of Adult and Pediatric Adverse Events. http://www3niaidnihgov/research/resources/ DAIDSClinRsrch/PDF/Safety/DAIDSAEGr adingTablepdf. 2004. Allen SJ, Okoko B, Martinez EG, et al. Probiotics for treating infectious diarrhoea. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2003;4:4. Abad CL, Safdar N. The role of Lactobacillus probiotics in the treatment or prevention of urogenital infections: a systematic review (Provisional abstract). Journal of Chemotherapy 2009(3):243–252. An HM, Baek EH, Jang S, et al. Efficacy of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) supplement in management of constipation among nursing home residents. Nutr J 2010;9:5. Abe F, Muto M, Yaeshima T, et al. Safety evaluation of probiotic bifidobacteria by analysis of mucin degradation activity and translocation ability. Anaerobe 2010 Apr;16(2):131–136. Anukam K, Osazuwa E, Ahonkhai I, et al. Augmentation of antimicrobial metronidazole therapy of bacterial vaginosis with oral probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14: randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. Microbes Infect 2006 May;8(6):1450–1454. Abernethy AP. Probiotics to prevent antibioticrelated diarrhea. Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy 2008;22(1):29–30. Abrahamsson TR, Jakobsson T, Bottcher MF, et al. Probiotics in prevention of IgE-associated eczema: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007 May;119(5):1174–1180. Anukam KC, Osazuwa EO, Osadolor HB, et al. Yogurt containing probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and L. reuteri RC-14 helps resolve moderate diarrhea and increases CD4 count in HIV/AIDS patients. J Clin Gastroenterol 2008 Mar;42(3):239–243. Aguirre M, Collins M. Lactic acid bacteria and human clinical infection. J Appl Bacteriol 1993;75(2):95–107. Arunachalam K, Gill HS, Chandra RK. Enhancement of natural immune function by dietary consumption of Bifidobacterium lactis (HN019). Eur J Clin Nutr 2000 Mar;54(3):263–267. AHRQ AfHRaQ. Methods Reference Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. 2007. Aso Y, Akaza H, Kotake T, et al. Preventive effect of a Lactobacillus casei preparation on the recurrence of superficial bladder cancer in a double-blind trial. The BLP Study Group. Eur Urol 1995;27(2):104–109. Alander M, Matto J, Kneifel W, et al. Effect of galacto-oligosaccharide supplementation on human faecal microflora and on survival and persistence of Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12 in the gastrointestinal tract. J Dairy Sci In press. Aso Y, Akazan H. Prophylactic effect of a Lactobacillus casei preparation on the recurrence of superficial bladder cancer. BLP Study Group. Urol Int 1992;49(3):125– 129. Alberda C, Gramlich L, Meddings J, et al. Effects of probiotic therapy in critically ill patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2007 Mar;85(3):816–823. Awad H, Mokhtar H, Imam SS, et al. Comparison between killed and living probiotic usage versus placebo for the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis in neonates. Pak J Biol Sci 2010 Mar 15;13(6):253–262. Alfaleh K, Bassler D. Probiotics for prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008(1):CD005496. 118 Bajaj JS, Saeian K, Christensen KM, et al. Probiotic yogurt for the treatment of minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Am J Gastroenterol 2008 Jul;103(7):1707–1715. Bekkali NL, Bongers ME, Van den Berg MM, et al. The role of a probiotics mixture in the treatment of childhood constipation: a pilot study. Nutr J 2007;6:17. Barclay AR, Stenson B, Simpson JH, et al. Probiotics for necrotizing enterocolitis: a systematic review. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2007 Nov;45(5):569–576. Bellomo G, Finocchiaro C, Frigerio G. Une nouvelle approche pour le traitement des enterites en pediatrie. Med Hyg 1979;37:3781–3784. Benchimol EI, Mack DR. Probiotics in relapsing and chronic diarrhea. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2004 Aug;26(8):515–517. Barraud D, Blard C, Hein F, et al. Probiotics in the critically ill patient: a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Intensive Care Med 2010 May 26. Berman S, Eichelsdoerfer P, Yim D, et al. Daily ingestion of a nutritional probiotic supplement enhances innate immune function in healthy adults. Nutrition Research 2006 September 1;26(9):454–459. Barrett JS, Canale KE, Gearry RB, et al. Probiotic effects on intestinal fermentation patterns in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. World J Gastroenterol 2008 Aug 28;14(32):5020–5024. Besselink MG, van Santvoort HC, Buskens E, et al. [Probiotic prophylaxis in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis: a randomised, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2008 Mar 22;152(12):685–696. Barton LL, Rider ED, Coen RW. Bacteremic infection with Pediococcus: vancomycin resistant opportunist. Pediatrics 2001 Apr;107(4):775–776. Bassetti S, Frei R, Zimmerli W. Fungemia with Saccharomyces cerevisiae after treatment with Saccharomyces boulardii. Am J Med 1998 Jul;105(1):71–72. Besselink MG, van Santvoort HC, Buskens E, et al. Probiotic prophylaxis in predicted severe acute pancreatitis: a randomised, doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2008 Feb 23;371(9613):651–659. Basu S, Chatterjee M, Ganguly S, et al. Efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in acute watery diarrhoea of Indian children: a randomised controlled trial. J Paediatr Child Health 2007 Dec;43(12):837–842. Besselink MG, van Santvoort HC, Renooij W, et al. Intestinal barrier dysfunction in a randomized trial of a specific probiotic composition in acute pancreatitis. Ann Surg 2009 Nov;250(5):712–719. Basu S, Paul DK, Ganguly S, et al. Efficacy of Highdose Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in Controlling Acute Watery Diarrhea in Indian Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Gastroenterol 2008 Sep 22. Bibiloni R, Fedorak RN, Tannock GW, et al. VSL#3 probiotic-mixture induces remission in patients with active ulcerative colitis. Am J Gastroenterol 2005 Jul;100(7):1539–1546. Beausoleil M, Fortier N, Guenette S, et al. Effect of a fermented milk combining Lactobacillus acidophilus Cl1285 and Lactobacillus casei in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Can J Gastroenterol 2007 Nov;21(11):732–736. Bin-Nun A, Bromiker R, Wilschanski M, et al. Oral probiotics prevent necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight neonates. J Pediatr 2005 Aug;147(2):192–196. Black F, Einarsson K, Lidbeck A, et al. Effect of lactic acid producing bacteria on the human intestinal microflora during ampicillin treatment. Scand J Infect Dis 1991;23(2):247–254. Beck C, Necheles H. Beneficial effects of administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus in diarrheal and other intestinal disorders. Am J Gastroenterol 1961 May;35:522–530. Boge T, Remigy M, Vaudaine S, et al. A probiotic fermented dairy drink improves antibody response to influenza vaccination in the elderly in two randomised controlled trials. Vaccine 2009 Sep 18;27(41):5677–5684. Becker ME, Pederson CS. The physiological characters of Bacillus coagulans (Bacillus thermoacidurans). J Bacteriol 1950 Jun;59(6):717–725. 119 Borgia M, Sepe N, Brancato V. A controlled clinical study on Streptococcus faecium preparation for the prevention of side reactions during long termantibiotic treatments. Curr Ther Res 1982;31:265–271. Carlsson M, Gustafson Y, Haglin L, et al. The feasibility of serving liquid yoghurt supplemented with probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LB 21, and Lactococcus lactis L1A--a pilot study among old people with dementia in a residential care facility. J Nutr Health Aging 2009 Nov;13(9):813–819. Bourne KA, Beebe JL, Lue YA, et al. Bacteremia due to Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium or Lactobacillus; twenty-one cases and review of the literature. Yale J Biol Med 1978 Sep Oct;51(5):505–512. Cassone M, Serra P, Mondello F, et al. Outbreak of Saccharomyces cerevisiae subtype boulardii fungemia in patients neighboring those treated with a probiotic preparation of the organism. J Clin Microbiol 2003 Nov;41(11):5340–5343. Bousvaros A, Guandalini S, Baldassano RN, et al. A randomized, double-blind trial of Lactobacillus GG versus placebo in addition to standard maintenance therapy for children with Crohn's disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2005 Sep;11(9):833–839. Cesaro S, Chinello P, Rossi L, et al. Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia in a neutropenic patient treated with Saccharomyces boulardii. Support Care Cancer 2000 Nov;8(6):504– 505. Boyle RJ, Bath-Hextall FJ, Leonardi-Bee J, et al. Probiotics for the treatment of eczema: a systematic review. Clin Exp Allergy 2009 Aug;39(8):1117–1127. Champagne CP, Gardner NJ, Roy D. Challenges in the addition of probiotic cultures to foods. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2005;45(1):61–84. Boyle RJ, Bath-Hextall FJ, Leonardi-Bee J, et al. Probiotics for treating eczema [Intervention Review]. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2008(4):CD006135. Chande N, MacDonald JK, McDonald JW. Interventions for treating microscopic colitis: a Cochrane Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Functional Bowel Disorders Review Group systematic review of randomized trials. Am J Gastroenterol 2009 Jan;104(1):235–241; quiz 4, 42. Brenner DM, Moeller MJ, Chey WD, et al. The utility of probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review. Am J Gastroenterol 2009 Apr;104(4):1033–1049; quiz 50. Chande N, McDonald JW, Macdonald JK. Interventions for treating collagenous colitis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008(2):CD003575. Bruce AW, Reid G. Intravaginal instillation of lactobacilli for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections. Can J Microbiol 1988 Mar;34(3):339–343. Cherifi S, Robberecht J, Miendje Y. Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia in an elderly patient with Clostridium difficile colitis. Acta Clin Belg 2004 Jul-Aug;59(4):223–224. Bruni FM, Piacentini GL, Peroni DG, et al. Cow's milk allergic children can present sensitisation to probiotics. Acta Paediatr 2009 Feb;98(2):321–323. Chmielewska A, Szajewska H. Systematic review of randomised controlled trials: probiotics for functional constipation. World J Gastroenterol 2010 Jan 7;16(1):69–75. Burkhardt O, Kohnlein T, Pletz M, et al. Saccharomyces boulardii induced sepsis: successful therapy with voriconazole after treatment failure with fluconazole. Scand J Infect Dis 2005;37(1):69–72. Chou R, Aronson N, Atkins D, et al. Assessing harms when comparing medical interventions: AHRQ and the Effective Health-Care Program. J Clin Epidemiol 2008 Sep 25. Butterworth AD, Thomas AG, Akobeng AK. Probiotics for induction of remission in Crohn's disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008(3):CD006634. 120 Chouraqui JP, Grathwohl D, Labaune JM, et al. Assessment of the safety, tolerance, and protective effect against diarrhea of infant formulas containing mixtures of probiotics or probiotics and prebiotics in a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2008 May;87(5):1365–1373. Cote GL, Holt SM. Probiotics in food : health and nutritional properties and guidelines for evaluation. Corp Author(s): Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ; World Health Organization Prebiotic oligosaccharides via alternansucrase acceptor reactions. FAO food and nutrition paper, 85;. 2006.;2007(no.):10. Chouraqui JP, Van Egroo LD, Fichot MC. Acidified milk formula supplemented with bifidobacterium lactis: impact on infant diarrhea in residential care settings. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2004 Mar;38(3):288– 292. Cots J. Consumption of probiotics can reduce the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. FMC Formacion Medica Continuada en Atencion Primaria 2008 March 1;15(3):201. Cui LH, Wang SX, Wang XH, et al. Early enteral application of probiotics improved the changes of inflammatory mediators and its relationship with the prognosis in the patients with severe acute pancreatitis. Chinese Journal of New Drugs 2009;18(19):1854–1857. Cobo Sanz J, Corominola H, Mateos Guardia A. Impact of consumption of milk fermented with Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 on the children health between 3 and 8 years old. Nutricion Clinica y Dietetica Hospitalaria 2006 December 1;26(5):21–27. Colecchia A, Vestito A, La Rocca A, et al. Effect of a symbiotic preparation on the clinical manifestations of irritable bowel syndrome, constipation-variant. Results of an open, uncontrolled multicenter study. Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol 2006 Dec;52(4):349– 358. Cui Y, Wang F, Tang D, et al. Efficacy of Bacillus coagulans tablets in the treatment of acute and chronic diarrhea. International Journal of Immunotheraphy 2004 April 27;20(1):17–22. D'Souza AL, Rajkumar C, Cooke J, et al. Probiotics in prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhoea: meta-analysis. BMJ 2002 Jun 8;324(7350):1361. Conen A, Zimmerer S, Frei R, et al. A pain in the neck: probiotics for ulcerative colitis. Ann Intern Med 2009 Dec 15;151(12):895–897. de Boer WA, Thys JC, Borody TJ, et al. Proposal for use of a standard side effect scoring system in studies exploring Helicobacter pylori treatment regimens. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1996 Jul;8(7):641–643. Connolly E, Abrahamsson T, Bjorksten B. Safety of D(-)-lactic acid producing bacteria in the human infant. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2005 Oct;41(4):489–492. Cooper PA, Mokhachane M, Bolton K, et al. Growth of infants born from HIV positive mothers fed with acidified starter formula containing Bifidobacterium lactis [abstract]. Eur J Peds 2006;165(Suppl 13):114. De Clerck E, Rodriguez-Diaz M, Forsyth G, et al. Polyphasic characterization of Bacillus coagulans strains, illustrating heterogeneity within this species, and emended description of the species. Syst Appl Microbiol 2004 Feb;27(1):50–60. Correa NB, Peret Filho LA, Penna FJ, et al. A randomized formula controlled trial of Bifidobacterium lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus for prevention of antibioticassociated diarrhea in infants. J Clin Gastroenterol 2005 May-Jun;39(5):385–389. De Groote MA, Frank DN, Dowell E, et al. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG bacteremia associated with probiotic use in a child with short gut syndrome. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2005 Mar;24(3):278–280. Corthesy B, Gaskins HR, Mercenier A. Cross-talk between probiotic bacteria and the host immune system. J Nutr 2007 Mar;137(3 Suppl 2):781S–790S. De Preter V, Coopmans T, Rutgeerts P, et al. Influence of long-term administration of lactulose and Saccharomyces boulardii on the colonic generation of phenolic compounds in healthy human subjects. J Am Coll Nutr 2006 Dec;25(6):541–549. 121 de Roos NM, Schouten G, Katan MB. Yoghurt enriched with Lactobacillus acidophilus does not lower blood lipids in healthy men and women with normal to borderline high serum cholesterol levels. Eur J Clin Nutr 1999 Apr;53(4):277–280. Dewan P, Kaur I, Chattopadhya D, et al. A pilot study on the effects of curd (dahi) & leaf protein concentrate in children with protein energy malnutrition (PEM). Indian J Med Res 2007 Sep;126(3):199–203. DHHS USDoHaHS. Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v.4.0 (CTCAE). US Department of Health and Human Services and National Institute of Health and National Cancer Institute. 2009. De Simone C, Ciardi A, Grassi A, et al. Effect of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus on gut mucosa and peripheral blood B lymphocytes. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 1992;14(1-2):331–340. Di Pierro F, Catacchio V, Candidi C, et al. Rhatany based preparation in vulvovaginitis and vaginosis. Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2009;168(6):339–346. De Simone C, Famularo G. Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) wiht the newer probiotic vsl#3: a multicenter trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2001;(73):491S. Dekker JW, Wickens K, Black PN, et al. Safety aspects of probiotic bacterial strains Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis HN019 in human infants aged 0-2 years. International Dairy Journal 2009;19(3):149– 154. Doherty G, Bennett G, Patil S, et al. Interventions for prevention of post-operative recurrence of Crohn's disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2009(4):CD006873. Doron SI, Hibberd PL, Gorbach SL. Probiotics for prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. J Clin Gastroenterol 2008 Jul;42 Suppl 2:S58–63. Delia P, Sansotta G, Donato V, et al. Use of probiotics for prevention of radiationinduced diarrhea. World J Gastroenterol 2007 Feb 14;13(6):912–915. Dughera L, Elia C, Navino M, et al. Effects of symbiotic preparations on constipated irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. Acta Biomed 2007 Aug;78(2):111–116. Delia P, Sansotta G, Donato V, et al. Prevention of radiation-induced diarrhea with the use of VSL#3, a new high-potency probiotic preparation. Am J Gastroenterol 2002 Aug;97(8):2150–2152. Dugoua JJ, Machado M, Zhu X, et al. Probiotic safety in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces spp (Provisional abstract). Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada 2009(6):542–552. Dendukuri N, Costa V, McGregor M, et al. Probiotic therapy for the prevention and treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea: a systematic review. CMAJ 2005 Jul 19;173(2):167–170. Dupont C, Rivero M, Grillon C, et al. Alphalactalbumin-enriched and probiotic supplemented infant formula in infants with colic: growth and gastrointestinal tolerance. Eur J Clin Nutr 2010 Jul;64(7):765–767. Deshpande G, Rao S, Patole S. Probiotics for prevention of necrotising enterocolitis in preterm neonates with very low birthweight: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Lancet 2007 May 12;369(9573):1614–1620. Dylewski J, Psaradellis E, Sampalis J. Efficacy of BIO K+ CL1285(registered trademark) in the reduction of antibiotic-associated diarrhea - A placebo controlled double-blind randomized, multi-center study. Archives of Medical Science 2010;6(1):56–64. Deshpande G, Rao S, Patole S, et al. Updated meta analysis of probiotics for preventing necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates. Pediatrics 2010 May;125(5):921– 930. EFSA. Opinion of the Scientific Committee on a request from EFSA on the introduction of a Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) approach for assessment of selected microorganisms referred to EFSA. The EFSA Journal 2007;587:1–16. 122 EFSA. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to non characterised microorganisms pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. The EFSA Journal. 2009. Forestier C, Guelon D, Cluytens V, et al. Oral probiotic and prevention of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study in intensive care unit patients. Crit Care 2008;12(3):R69. EFSA EFSA. EFSA delivers advice on further 808 health claims. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). 2010 October 19, 2010. Fredenucci I, Chomarat M, Boucaud C, et al. Saccharomyces boulardii fungemia in a patient receiving Ultra-levure therapy. Clin Infect Dis 1998 Jul;27(1):222–223. Elmer GW, McFarland LV. Comment on 'The lack of therapeutic effect of Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibioticrelated diarrhoea in elderly patients'. J Infect 1998 Nov;37(3):307–308. Frohmader TJ, Chaboyer WP, Robertson IK, et al. Decrease in frequency of liquid stool in enterally fed critically ill patients given the multispecies probiotic VSL#3: a pilot trial. Am J Crit Care 2010 May;19(3):e1–11. Elmer GW, Moyer KA, Vega R, et al. Evaluation of Saccharomyces boulardii for patients with HIV-related chronic diarrhoea and in healthy volunteers receiving antifungals. Microecol Ther 1995;25:23–31. Fuccio L, Guido A, Eusebi LH, et al. Effects of probiotics for the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced diarrhea. J Clin Gastroenterol 2009 Jul;43(6):506–513. Falck G, Grahn-Hakansson E, Holm SE, et al. Tolerance and efficacy of interfering alphastreptococci in recurrence of streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis: a placebo-controlled study. Acta Otolaryngol 1999;119(8):944– 948. Fujimori S, Gudis K, Mitsui K, et al. A randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of synbiotic versus probiotic or prebiotic treatment to improve the quality of life in patients with ulcerative colitis. Nutrition 2009 May;25(5):520–525. FAO/WHO. Evaluation of Health and Nutritional Properties of Probiotics in Food including Powder Milk with Live Lactic Acid Bacteria. 2001. Fukuda. Post marketing surveillance of functional food: The efficacy and safety of yogurt containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 on constipation. 2008 September 22. FDA FUSFaDA. What is a serious adverse event? Furue H, Hara Y, Imamura Y, et al. Evaluation criteria of the enhanced effect of chemotherapy against solid cancer. Jpn J Soc Cancer Ther 1986;21:943–953. Felley CP, Corthesy-Theulaz I, Rivero JL, et al. Favourable effect of an acidified milk (LC 1) on Helicobacter pylori gastritis in man. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2001 Jan;13(1):25–29. Gabrielli M, Lauritano EC, Scarpellini E, et al. Bacillus clausii as a treatment of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Am J Gastroenterol 2009 May;104(5):1327–1328. Fitzgerald SP, Bean NG. An analysis of the interactions between individual comorbidities and their treatments- implications for guidelines and polypharmacy. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2010 Sep;11(7):475–484. Gao XW, Mubasher M, Fang CY, et al. Doseresponse efficacy of a proprietary probiotic formula of Lactobacillus acidophilus CL1285 and Lactobacillus casei LBC80R for antibiotic-associated diarrhea and Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea prophylaxis in adult patients. Am J Gastroenterol 2010 Jul;105(7):1636–1641. Force G, Aznar C, Marguet F, et al. Saccharomyces fungemia in AIDS patients after treatment for chronic diarrhea. The Fifth European Conference on Clinical Aspects and Treatment of HIV Infection - Copenhagen: 26–29 September. 1995. Garrido D, Suau A, Pochart P, et al. Modulation of the fecal microbiota by the intake of a Lactobacillus johnsonii La1-containing product in human volunteers. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2005 Jul 15;248(2):249–256. 123 Gawronska A, Szabunko M, Szajewska H. Probiotic therapy for functional abdominal pain. A systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Pediatria Wspolczesna 2005 December 1;7(4):303–309. Gracheva NM, Shcherbakov IT, Avakov AA, et al. [Treatment efficacy in acute intestinal infections, chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and viral hepatitis B using large doses of Russian Bifidumbacterin-forte]. Voen Med Zh 1999 May;320(5):51–57, 96. Gerasimov SV, Vasjuta VV, Myhovych OO, et al. Probiotic supplement reduces atopic dermatitis in preschool children: a randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled, clinical trial. Am J Clin Dermatol 2010;11(5):351–361. Gruenwald J, Graubaum HJ, Harde A. Effect of a probiotic multivitamin compound on stress and exhaustion. Adv Ther 2002 May Jun;19(3):141–150. Gibson RA, Barclay D, Marshall H, et al. Safety of supplementing infant formula with longchain polyunsaturated fatty acids and Bifidobacterium lactis in term infants: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Nutr 2009 Jan 12:1–8. Grzeskowiak L, Isolauri E, Salminen S, et al. Manufacturing process influences properties of probiotic bacteria. Br J Nutr 2010 Nov 9:1–8. Guarner F, Perdigon G, Corthier G, et al. Should yoghurt cultures be considered probiotic? Br J Nutr 2005 Jun;93(6):783–786. Gill HS, Rutherfurd KJ, Cross ML, et al. Enhancement of immunity in the elderly by dietary supplementation with the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis HN019. Am J Clin Nutr 2001 Dec;74(6):833–839. Guillemard E, Tondu F, Lacoin F, et al. Consumption of a fermented dairy product containing the probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN-114001 reduces the duration of respiratory infections in the elderly in a randomised controlled trial. Br J Nutr 2010 Jan;103(1):58–68. Gionchetti P, Rizzello F, Helwig U, et al. Prophylaxis of pouchitis onset with probiotic therapy: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Gastroenterology 2003 May;124(5):1202– 1209. Gurusamy KS, Kumar Y, Davidson BR. Methods of preventing bacterial sepsis and wound complications for liver transplantation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008(4):CD006660. Gionchetti P, Rizzello F, Morselli C, et al. High-dose probiotics for the treatment of active pouchitis. Dis Colon Rectum 2007 Dec;50(12):2075-82; discussion 82–84. Guyonnet D, Woodcock A, Stefani B, et al. Fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 improved self-reported digestive comfort amongst a general population of adults. A randomized, openlabel, controlled, pilot study. J Dig Dis 2009 Feb;10(1):61–70. Glintborg B. Long-term administration of lactobacillus reuteri (atcc55730) has noinfluence on gastric mucosal inflammation and colinization of helicobacter pylori in humans. A pilot study. International Journal of Probiotics 2007;1(4). Gniwotta E, Neumann-Mangoldt P, Schalm H. Therapie von Durchfallerkrankungen. Z Allg Med 1977;53:2118–2121. Haschke-Becher E, Brunser O, Cruchet S, et al. Urinary D-lactate excretion in infants receiving Lactobacillus johnsonii with formula. Ann Nutr Metab 2008;53(3 4):240–244. Gotteland M, Cruchet S. Suppressive effect of frequent ingestion of Lactobacillus johnsonii La1 on Helicobacter pylori colonization in asymptomatic volunteers. J Antimicrob Chemother 2003 May;51(5):1317–1319. Hemmerling A, Harrison W, Schroeder A, et al. Phase 1 dose-ranging safety trial of Lactobacillus crispatus CTV-05 for the prevention of bacterial vaginosis. Sex Transm Dis 2009 Sep;36(9):564–569. Hennequin C, Kauffmann-Lacroix C, Jobert A, et al. Possible role of catheters in Saccharomyces boulardii fungemia. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2000 Jan;19(1):16–20. 124 Henry S, D'Hondt L, Andre M, et al. Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia in a head and neck cancer patient: a case report and review of the literature. Acta Clin Belg 2004 Jul Aug;59(4):220–222. Hwang JB, Kang KJ, Kang YN, et al. Probiotic gastrointestinal allergic reaction caused by Saccharomyces boulardii. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2009 Jul;103(1):87–88. Ioannidis JP, Evans SJ, Gotzsche PC, et al. Better reporting of harms in randomized trials: an extension of the CONSORT statement. Ann Intern Med 2004 Nov 16;141(10):781–788. Hensgens C, Klastersky J. Intestinal colonization with lactobacilli strains in neutropenic patients. Biomedicine 1976;25:11–15. Higashikawa F, Noda M, Awaya T, et al. Improvement of constipation and liver function by plant-derived lactic acid bacteria: a double-blind, randomized trial. Nutrition 2010 Apr;26(4):367–374. Ishibashi N, Yamazaki S. Probiotics and safety. Am J Clin Nutr 2001 Feb;73(2 Suppl):465S–470S. Ishikawa H, Aiba Y, Nakanishi M. Suppression of periodontal pathogenic bacteria n the saliva of humans by the administration of Lactobacillus salivaruis T1 2711. J Jpn Soc Periodontol 2003;45:105–112. Hirata H, Nakamura Y, Yada H, et al. Clinical effects of new sour milk drink on mild and moderate hypertensive subjects. J New Remedies Clinics 2002;51:60–69. Ishikawa H, Akedo I, Otani T, et al. Randomized trial of dietary fiber and Lactobacillus casei administration for prevention of colorectal tumors. Int J Cancer 2005 Sep 20;116(5):762–767. Holubar SD, Cima RR, Sandborn WJ, et al. Treatment and prevention of pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for chronic ulcerative colitis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2010;6:CD001176. Ishikawa H, Akedo I, Umesaki Y, et al. Randomized controlled trial of the effect of bifidobacteria-fermented milk on ulcerative colitis. J Am Coll Nutr 2003 Feb;22(1):56– 63. Honeycutt TC, El Khashab M, Wardrop RM, 3rd, et al. Probiotic administration and the incidence of nosocomial infection in pediatric intensive care: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Pediatr Crit Care Med 2007 Sep;8(5):452–458; quiz 64. Isolauri E, Juntunen M, Rautanen T, et al. A human Lactobacillus strain (Lactobacillus casei sp strain GG) promotes recovery from acute diarrhea in children. Pediatrics 1991 Jul;88(1):90–97. Horvat M, Krebs B, Potrc S, et al. Preoperative synbiotic bowel conditioning for elective colorectal surgery. Wien Klin Wochenschr 2010 May;122 Suppl 2:26–30. Jack L, Coyer F, Courtney M, et al. Probiotics and diarrhoea management in enterally tube fed critically ill patients-What is the evidence? Intensive Crit Care Nurs 2010 Aug 6. Hoveyda N, Heneghan C, Mahtani KR, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis: probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. BMC Gastroenterol 2009;9:15. Jensen DP, Smith DL. Fever of unknown origin secondary to brewer's yeast ingestion. Arch Intern Med 1976 Mar;136(3):332–333. Husni RN, Gordon SM, Washington JA, et al. Lactobacillus bacteremia and endocarditis: review of 45 cases. Clin Infect Dis 1997 Nov;25(5):1048–1055. Jirapinyo P, Densupsoontorn N, Thamonsiri N, et al. Prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in infants by probiotics. J Med Assoc Thai 2002 Aug;85 Suppl 2:S739–742. Huynh HQ, deBruyn J, Guan L, et al. Probiotic preparation VSL#3 induces remission in children with mild to moderate acute ulcerative colitis: a pilot study. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2009 May;15(5):760–768. Johansson ML, Nobaek S, Berggren A, et al. Survival of Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 9843 (299v), and effect on the short-chain fatty acid content of faeces after ingestion of a rose-hip drink with fermented oats. Int J Food Microbiol 1998 Jun 30;42(1-2):29–38. Huys G, Vancanneyt M, D'Haene K, et al. Accuracy of species identity of commercial bacterial cultures intended for probiotic or nutritional use. Res Microbiol 2006 Nov;157(9):803– 810. 125 Johnston B, Cramer K, Vohra S. Does Lactobacillus GG prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children? Part A: Evidence-based answer and summary. Pediatrics and Child Health 2005 March 1;10(3):169–171. Kerac M, Bunn J, Seal A, et al. Probiotics and prebiotics for severe acute malnutrition (PRONUT study): a double-blind efficacy randomised controlled trial in Malawi. Lancet 2009 Jul 11;374(9684):136–144. Johnston BC, Supina AL, Ospina M, et al. Probiotics for the prevention of pediatric antibioticassociated diarrhea. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007(2):CD004827. Kianifar HR, Farid R, Ahanchian H, et al. Probiotics in the treatment of acute diarrhea in young children. Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences 2009;34(3):204–207. Johnston BC, Supina AL, Vohra S. Probiotics for pediatric antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a meta-analysis of randomized placebocontrolled trials. CMAJ 2006 Aug 15;175(4):377–383. Kim LS, Hilli L, Orlowski J, et al. Efficacy of probiotics and nutrients in functional gastrointestinal disorders: a preliminary clinical trial. Dig Dis Sci 2006 Dec;51(12):2134–2144. Jung MY, Kim JS, Chang YH. Bacillus acidiproducens sp. nov., vineyard soil isolates that produce lactic acid. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2009 Sep;59(Pt 9):2226– 2231. Kim MN, Kim N, Lee SH, et al. The effects of probiotics on PPI-triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Helicobacter 2008 Aug;13(4):261–268. Kirjavainen PV, Salminen SJ, Isolauri E. Probiotic bacteria in the management of atopic disease: underscoring the importance of viability. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2003 Feb;36(2):223–227. Kahn Ch M, Fuentes D F, Villarroel M G. Probiotics in acute infectious diarrhea. Revista Chilena de Pediatria 2009;80(2):129–136. Kajander K, Myllyluoma E, Rajilic-Stojanovic M, et al. Clinical trial: multispecies probiotic supplementation alleviates the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and stabilizes intestinal microbiota. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008 Jan 1;27(1):48–57. Kitajima H, Sumida Y, Tanaka R, et al. Early administration of Bifidobacterium breve to preterm infants: randomised controlled trial. Archives of Disease in Childhood -- Fetal & Neonatal Edition. 1997 Mar;76(2):F101– 107. Kajimoto O, Kurosaki T, Mizutani J, et al. Antihypertensive effects of the liquid yogurts containing "lactotripeptides (VPP, IPP)" in mild hypertensive subjects. J Nutr Food 2002;5:55–66. Klarin B, Johansson ML, Molin G, et al. Adhesion of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum 299v onto the gut mucosa in critically ill patients: a randomised open trial. Crit Care 2005 Jun;9(3):R285–293. Kale-Pradhan PB, Jassal HK, Wilhelm SM. Role of Lactobacillus in the prevention of antibioticassociated diarrhea: a meta-analysis. Pharmacotherapy 2010 Feb;30(2):119–126. Klarin B, Molin G, Jeppsson B, et al. Use of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 299 to reduce pathogenic bacteria in the oropharynx of intubated patients: a randomised controlled open pilot study. Crit Care 2008;12(6):R136. Karimi O, Pena AS, van Bodegraven AA. Probiotics (VSL#3) in arthralgia in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease: a pilot study. Drugs Today (Barc) 2005 Jul;41(7):453–459. Kniehl E, Becker A, Forster DH. Pseudo-outbreak of toxigenic Bacillus cereus isolated from stools of three patients with diarrhoea after oral administration of a probiotic medication. J Hosp Infect 2003 Sep;55(1):33–38. Karvonen A, Casas I, Vesikari T. Safety and possible antidiarrhoeal effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri after oral administration to neonates. Clinical Nutrition 2001;20(Suppl 3):63 abstract 216. Katz JA. Probiotics for the prevention of antibioticassociated diarrhea and Clostridium difficile diarrhea. J Clin Gastroenterol 2006 Mar;40(3):249–255. 126 Knight DJ, Gardiner D, Banks A, et al. Effect of synbiotic therapy on the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia in critically ill patients: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Intensive Care Med 2008 Dec 16. Lamiki P, Tsuchiya J, Pathak S, et al. Probiotics in diverticular disease of the colon: an open label study. J Gastrointestin Liver Dis 2010 Mar;19(1):31–36. Land MH, Rouster-Stevens K, Woods CR, et al. Lactobacillus sepsis associated with probiotic therapy. Pediatrics 2005 Jan;115(1):178–181. Kopp MV, Hennemuth I, Heinzmann A, et al. Randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial of probiotics for primary prevention: no clinical effects of Lactobacillus GG supplementation. Pediatrics 2008 Apr;121(4):e850–856. Langhendries JP, Detry J, Van Hees J, et al. Effect of a fermented infant formula containing viable bifidobacteria on the fecal flora composition and pH of healthy full-term infants. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1995 Aug;21(2):177– 181. Kotzampassi K, Giamarellos-Bourboulis EJ, Voudouris A, et al. Benefits of a synbiotic formula (Synbiotic 2000Forte) in critically Ill trauma patients: early results of a randomized controlled trial. World J Surg 2006 Oct;30(10):1848–1855. Larsen CN, Nielsen S, Kaestel P, et al. Doseresponse study of probiotic bacteria Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis BB-12 and Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei CRL-341 in healthy young adults. Eur J Clin Nutr 2006 Nov;60(11):1284–1293. Krasse P, Carlsson B, Dahl C, et al. Decreased gum bleeding and reduced gingivitis by the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri. Swed Dent J 2006;30(2):55–60. Larsson PG, Stray-Pedersen B, Ryttig KR, et al. Human lactobacilli as supplementation of clindamycin to patients with bacterial vaginosis reduce the recurrence rate; a 6 month, double-blind, randomized, placebocontrolled study. BMC Womens Health. 2008;8:3. Ku W. Probiotics provoked D-lactic acidosis in short bowel syndrome: Case report and literature review. HK J Paediatr 2006 July 1;11:246– 254. Kuitunen M, Kukkonen K, Savilahti E. Pro- and prebiotic supplementation induces a transient reduction in hemoglobin concentration in infants. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2009 Nov;49(5):626– 630. Lata J, Jurankova J, Stiburek O, et al. Probiotics in acute pancreatitis - A randomised, placebocontrolled, double-blind study. Vnitrni Lekarstvi 2010;56(2):111–114. Lawrence SJ, Korzenik JR, Mundy LM. Probiotics for recurrent Clostridium difficile disease. J Med Microbiol 2005 Sep;54(Pt 9):905–906. Kukkonen K, Savilahti E, Haahtela T, et al. Probiotics and prebiotic galacto oligosaccharides in the prevention of allergic diseases: a randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007 Jan;119(1):192–198. Ledoux D, Labombardi VJ, Karter D. Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteraemia after use of a probiotic in a patient with AIDS and Hodgkin's disease. Int J STD AIDS 2006 Apr;17(4):280–282. Kunz AN, Noel JM, Fairchok MP. Two cases of Lactobacillus bacteremia during probiotic treatment of short gut syndrome. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2004 Apr;38(4):457– 458. Lee HJ, Waller RD, Stebbings S, et al. The effects of an orally administered probiotic on sulfasalazine metabolism in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis: a preliminary study. Int J Rheum Dis 2010 Feb 1;13(1):48–54. La Rosa M, Bottaro G, Gulino N, et al. [Prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea with Lactobacillus sporogens and fructo oligosaccharides in children. A multicentric double-blind vs placebo study]. Minerva Pediatr 2003 Oct;55(5):447–452. Lestin F, Pertschy A, Rimek D. [Fungemia after oral treatment with Saccharomyces boulardii in a patient with multiple comorbidities]. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 2003 Nov 28;128(48):2531–2533. 127 Lewis CM, Zervos MJ. Clinical manifestations of enterococcal infection. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1990 Feb;9(2):111–117. Lolis N, Veldekis D, Moraitou H, et al. Saccharomyces boulardii fungaemia in an intensive care unit patient treated with caspofungin. Crit Care 2008;12(2):414. Lherm T, Monet C, Nougiere B, et al. Seven cases of fungemia with Saccharomyces boulardii in critically ill patients. Intensive Care Med 2002 Jun;28(6):797–801. Lombardo L, Vernetto A, Blanco I. Clinical evaluation of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei F19 with gluco-oligosaccharides in the short-term treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 2009;21(1):28–32. Li Y, Raftis E, Canchaya C, et al. Polyphasic analysis indicates that Lactobacillus salivarius subsp. salivarius and Lactobacillus salivarius subsp. salicinius do not merit separate subspecies status. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2006 Oct;56(Pt 10):2397–2403. Lu MC, Yang MD, Chen W, et al. Probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus can promote gastrointestinal functions effectively and safely in human. Clinical Nutrition 2004;23:856. Li Y, Shimizu T, Hosaka A, et al. Effects of bifidobacterium breve supplementation on intestinal flora of low birth weight infants. Pediatr Int 2004 Oct;46(5):509–515. Lungarotti MS, Mezzetti D, Radicioni M. Methaemoglobinaemia with concurrent blood isolation of Saccharomyces and Candida. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2003 Sep;88(5):F446. Ligaarden SC, Axelsson L, Naterstad K, et al. A candidate probiotic with unfavourable effects in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial. BMC Gastroenterol 2010;10:16. Luoto R, Isolauri E, Lehtonen L. Safety of Lactobacillus GG probiotic in infants with very low birth weight: twelve years of experience. Clin Infect Dis 2010 May 1;50(9):1327–1328. Lin HC, Hsu CH, Chen HL, et al. Oral probiotics prevent necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight preterm infants: a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics 2008 Oct;122(4):693–700. Luoto R, Laitinen K, Nermes M, et al. Impact of maternal probiotic-supplemented dietary counselling on pregnancy outcome and prenatal and postnatal growth: a doubleblind, placebo-controlled study. Br J Nutr 2010 Jun;103(12):1792–1799. Lin HC, Su BH, Chen AC, et al. Oral probiotics reduce the incidence and severity of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants. Pediatrics 2005 Jan;115(1):1–4. MacGregor G, Smith AJ, Thakker B, et al. Yoghurt biotherapy: contraindicated in immunosuppressed patients? Postgrad Med J 2002 Jun;78(920):366–367. Liong MT. Safety of probiotics: translocation and infection. Nutr Rev 2008 Apr;66(4):192– 202. Mackay AD, Taylor MB, Kibbler CC, et al. Lactobacillus endocarditis caused by a probiotic organism. Clin Microbiol Infect 1999 May;5(5):290–292. Lirussi F, Mastropasqua E, Orando S, et al. Probiotics for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and/or steatohepatitis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007(1):CD005165. Maldonado J, Lara-Villoslada F, Sierra S, et al. Safety and tolerance of the human milk probiotic strain Lactobacillus salivarius CECT5713 in 6-month-old children. Nutrition 2009 Dec 15. Ljungberg M, Korpela R, Ilonen J, et al. Probiotics for the prevention of beta cell autoimmunity in children at genetic risk of type 1 diabetes -the PRODIA study. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2006 Oct;1079:360–364. Malkov SV, Markelov VV, Polozov GY, et al. Significant delay of lethal outcome in cancer patients due to peroral administration of Bacillus oligonitrophilus KU-1. ScientificWorldJournal 2006;6:2177–2187. Loguercio C, Del Vecchio Blanco C, Coltorti M. Enterococcus lactic acid bacteria strain SF68 and lactulose in hepatic encephalopathy: a controlled study. J Int Med Res 1987 Nov Dec;15(6):335–343. 128 Mallon P, McKay D, Kirk S, et al. Probiotics for induction of remission in ulcerative colitis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007(4):CD005573. Mattarelli P, Bonaparte C, Pot B, et al. Proposal to reclassify the three biotypes of Bifidobacterium longum as three subspecies: Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum subsp. nov., Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis comb. nov. and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. suis comb. nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2008 Apr;58(Pt 4):767–772. Manley KJ, Fraenkel MB, Mayall BC, et al. Probiotic treatment of vancomycin-resistant enterococci: a randomised controlled trial. Med J Aust 2007 May 7;186(9):454–457. McFarland LV. Do probiotics have a role in the treatment and prevention of nosocomial infections? Australian Infection Control 2005 Mar;10(1):12–14, 6–22. Manzoni P, Mostert M, Leonessa ML, et al. Oral supplementation with Lactobacillus casei subspecies rhamnosus prevents enteric colonization by Candida species in preterm neonates: a randomized study. Clin Infect Dis 2006 Jun 15;42(12):1735–1742. McFarland LV. Evidence-based review of probiotics for antibiotic-associated diarrhea and Clostridium difficile infections. Anaerobe 2009 Dec;15(6):274–280. Marcobal A, Underwood MA, Mills DA. Rapid determination of the bacterial composition of commercial probiotic products by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2008 May;46(5):608– 611. McFarland LV. Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhea and the treatment of Clostridium difficile disease. Am J Gastroenterol 2006 Apr;101(4):812–822. Margreiter M, Ludl K, Phleps W, et al. Therapeutic value of a Lactobacillus gasseri and Bifidobacterium longum fixed bacterium combination in acute diarrhea: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2006 May;44(5):207–215. McFarland LV. Systematic review and meta-analysis of Saccharomyces boulardii in adult patients. World J Gastroenterol 2010 May 14;16(18):2202–2222. McFarland LV, Surawicz CM, Greenberg RN, et al. A randomized placebo-controlled trial of Saccharomyces boulardii in combination with standard antibiotics for Clostridium difficile disease. JAMA 1994 Jun 22 29;271(24):1913–1918. Marshall JC. Daily use of a Lactobacilli probiotic prevented antibiotic-associated diarrhea in hospitalized patients. ACP J Club 2008 Jul;149(1):10. McGroarty JA. Probiotic use of lactobacilli in the human female urogenital tract. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 1993 Apr;6(4):251–264. Martinez-Canavate A, Sierra S, Lara-Villoslada F, et al. A probiotic dairy product containing L. gasseri CECT5714 and L. coryniformis CECT5711 induces immunological changes in children suffering from allergy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2009 Sep;20(6):592–600. Mego M, Ebringer L, Drgona L, et al. Prevention of febrile neutropenia in cancer patients by probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium M-74. Pilot study phase I. Neoplasma 2005;52(2):159–164. Masco L, Ventura M, Zink R, et al. Polyphasic taxonomic analysis of Bifidobacterium animalis and Bifidobacterium lactis reveals relatedness at the subspecies level: reclassification of Bifidobacterium animalis as Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis subsp. nov. and Bifidobacterium lactis as Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis subsp. nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2004 Jul;54(Pt 4):1137–1143. Mego M, Koncekova R, Mikuskova E, et al. Prevention of febrile neutropenia in cancer patients by probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium M-74. Phase II study. Support Care Cancer 2006 Mar;14(3):285–290. Mathur S, Singh R. Antibiotic resistance in food lactic acid bacteria--a review. Int J Food Microbiol 2005 Dec 15;105(3):281–295. 129 Merenstein D, Murphy M, Fokar A, et al. Use of a fermented dairy probiotic drink containing Lactobacillus casei (DN-114 001) to decrease the rate of illness in kids: the DRINK study. A patient-oriented, doubleblind, cluster-randomized, placebocontrolled, clinical trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 2010 Jul;64(7):669–677. Morita H, Toh H, Oshima K, et al. Complete genome sequence of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 53103. J Bacteriol 2009 Dec;191(24):7630–7631. Morrow LE, Kollef MH, Casale TB. Probiotic Prophylaxis of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia: A Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2010 Jun 3. Merenstein DJ, Foster J, D'Amico F. A randomized clinical trial measuring the influence of kefir on antibiotic-associated diarrhea: the measuring the influence of Kefir (MILK) Study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2009 Aug;163(8):750–754. Munakata S, Arakawa C, Kohira R, et al. A case of D-lactic acid encephalopathy associated with use of probiotics. Brain Dev 2010 Sep;32(8):691–694. Munoz P, Bouza E, Cuenca-Estrella M, et al. Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia: an emerging infectious disease. Clin Infect Dis 2005 Jun 1;40(11):1625–1634. Metts J, Famula TR, Trenev N, et al. Lactobacillus acidophilus, strain NAS (H2O2 positive), in reduction of recurrent candidal vulvovaginitis. Journal of Applied Research 2003 Fall;3(4):340–348. Naito S, Koga H, Yamaguchi A, et al. Prevention of recurrence with epirubicin and lactobacillus casei after transurethral resection of bladder cancer. J Urol 2008 Feb;179(2):485–490. Miele E, Pascarella F, Giannetti E, et al. Effect of a probiotic preparation (VSL#3) on induction and maintenance of remission in children with ulcerative colitis. Am J Gastroenterol 2009 Feb;104(2):437–443. Neri M, Laterza F, Howell S, et al. Symptoms discriminate irritable bowel syndrome from organic gastrointestinal diseases and food allergy. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2000 Sep;12(9):981–988. Millar MR, Bacon C, Smith SL, et al. Enteral feeding of premature infants with Lactobacillus GG. Arch Dis Child 1993 Nov;69(5 Spec No):483–487. Newcomer AD, Park HS, O'Brien PC, et al. Response of patients with irritable bowel syndrome and lactase deficiency using unfermented acidophilus milk. Am J Clin Nutr 1983 Aug;38(2):257–263. Miller M. The fascination with probiotics for Clostridium difficile infection: lack of evidence for prophylactic or therapeutic efficacy. Anaerobe 2009 Dec;15(6):281– 284. Niault M, Thomas F, Prost J, et al. Fungemia due to Saccharomyces species in a patient treated with enteral Saccharomyces boulardii. Clin Infect Dis 1999 Apr;28(4):930. Mimura T, Rizzello F, Helwig U, et al. Once daily high dose probiotic therapy (VSL#3) for maintaining remission in recurrent or refractory pouchitis. Gut 2004 Jan;53(1):108–114. Niers L, Martin R, Rijkers G, et al. The effects of selected probiotic strains on the development of eczema (the PandA study). Allergy 2009 Sep;64(9):1349–1358. Miyaji M, Yasue N, Hayakawa T. Yogurt containing Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2716(LG21) ameliorates gastric mucosal inflammation in Helicobacter pylori infected patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Japanese Pharcology and Therapeutics 2006 May 4;34(1):91–96. Nobuta Y, Inoue T, Suzuki S, et al. The efficacy and the safety of lactobacillus brevis kb290 as a human probiotics. Int J of Probiotics and Prebiotics 2009;4(4):263–270. O'Mahony L, McCarthy J, Kelly P, et al. Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in irritable bowel syndrome: symptom responses and relationship to cytokine profiles. Gastroenterology 2005 Mar;128(3):541–551. Moayyedi P, Ford AC, Talley NJ, et al. The efficacy of probiotics in the therapy of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review. Gut 2008 Dec 17. 130 Oggioni MR, Pozzi G, Valensin PE, et al. Recurrent septicemia in an immunocompromised patient due to probiotic strains of Bacillus subtilis. J Clin Microbiol 1998 Jan;36(1):325–326. Parfenov AI, Ruchkina IN, Silvestrova S. [Clinical efficacy of activia tvorozhnaya in patients with the irritated bowels syndrome with the prevalence of constipations]. Eksp Klin Gastroenterol 2005(3):37–42. Oh MS, Phelps KR, Traube M, et al. D-lactic acidosis in a man with the short-bowel syndrome. N Engl J Med 1979 Aug 2;301(5):249–252. Parfenov AI, Ruchkina IN, Tsaregorodtsev TM, et al. [Clinical efficacy of Actimel for patients with the irritated bowel syndrome with prevailing diarrhea]. Eksp Klin Gastroenterol 2005(5):45–52. Ohishi A, Takahashi S, Ito Y, et al. Bifidobacterium septicemia associated with postoperative probiotic therapy in a neonate with omphalocele. J Pediatr 2010 Apr;156(4):679–681. Passeron T, Lacour JP, Fontas E, et al. Prebiotics and synbiotics: two promising approaches for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in children above 2 years. Allergy 2006 Apr;61(4):431– 437. Oldfield IEC. Probiotics for the prevention of diarrhea associated with antibiotics. Reviews in Gastroenterological Disorders 2008 June 1;8(3):221–222. Peral MC, Martinez MA, Valdez JC. Bacteriotherapy with Lactobacillus plantarum in burns. Int Wound J 2009 Feb;6(1):73–81. Olivares M, Diaz-Ropero MA, Gomez N, et al. Oral administration of two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus gasseri CECT5714 and Lactobacillus coryniformis CECT5711, enhances the intestinal function of healthy adults. Int J Food Microbiol 2006 Mar 15;107(2):104–111. Perapoch J, Planes AM, Querol A, et al. Fungemia with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in two newborns, only one of whom had been treated with ultra-levura. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2000 Jun;19(6):468– 470. Osborn DA, Sinn JK. Probiotics in infants for prevention of allergic disease and food hypersensitivity. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007(4):CD006475. Petrov MS, Loveday BP, Pylypchuk RD, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of enteral nutrition formulations in acute pancreatitis. Br J Surg 2009 Nov;96(11):1243–1252. Osipova IG, Sorokulova IB, Tereshkina NV, et al. [Safety of bacteria of the genus Bacillus, forming the base of some probiotics]. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol 1998 Nov-Dec(6):68–70. Petschow BW, Figueroa R, Harris CL, et al. Effects of feeding an infant formula containing Lactobacillus GG on the colonization of the intestine: a dose-response study in healthy infants. J Clin Gastroenterol 2005 Oct;39(9):786–790. Osterlund P, Ruotsalainen T, Korpela R, et al. Lactobacillus supplementation for diarrhoea related to chemotherapy of colorectal cancer: a randomised study. Br J Cancer 2007 Oct 22;97(8):1028–1034. Piarroux R, Millon L, Bardonnet K, et al. Are live saccharomyces yeasts harmful to patients? Lancet 1999 May 29;353(9167):1851–1852. Ouwehand AC, Nermes M, Collado MC, et al. Specific probiotics alleviate allergic rhinitis during the birch pollen season. World J Gastroenterol 2009 Jul 14;15(26):3261– 3268. Piechno S, Seguin P, Gangneux JP. [Saccharomyces boulardii fungal sepsis: beware of the yeast]. Can J Anaesth 2007 Mar;54(3):245–246. Pillai A, Nelson R. Probiotics for treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated colitis in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008(1):CD004611. Panigrahi P, Parida S, Pradhan L, et al. Long-term colonization of a Lactobacillus plantarum synbiotic preparation in the neonatal gut. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2008 Jul;47(1):45–53. Pitrou I, Boutron I, Ahmad N, et al. Reporting of safety results in published reports of randomized controlled trials. Arch Intern Med 2009 Oct 26;169(19):1756–1761. 131 Pletinex M, Legein J, Vandenplas Y. Fungemia with Saccharomyces boulardii in a 1-year old girl with protracted diarrhoea. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1995;21:113–115. Reid G, Bruce A, Taylor M. Instillation of Lactobacillus and stimulation of indigenous organisms to prevent recurrence of urinary tract infections. Microecol Ther 1995(23):32–45. Posteraro B, Sanguinetti M, Romano L, et al. Molecular tools for differentiating probiotic and clinical strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Int J Food Microbiol 2005 Sep 15;103(3):295–304. Reid G, Bruce AW, Fraser N, et al. Oral probiotics can resolve urogenital infections. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 2001 Feb;30(1):49–52. Prantera C, Scribano ML, Falasco G, et al. Ineffectiveness of probiotics in preventing recurrence after curative resection for Crohn's disease: a randomised controlled trial with Lactobacillus GG. Gut 2002 Sep;51(3):405–409. Reid G, Bruce AW, Taylor M. Influence of three-day antimicrobial therapy and lactobacillus vaginal suppositories on recurrence of urinary tract infections. Clin Ther 1992 Jan Feb;14(1):11–16. Reuman PD, Duckworth DH, Smith KL, et al. Lack of effect of Lactobacillus on gastrointestinal bacterial colonization in premature infants. Pediatr Infect Dis 1986 Nov-Dec;5(6):663– 668. Presterl E, Kneifel W, Mayer HK, et al. Endocarditis by Lactobacillus rhamnosus due to yogurt ingestion? Scand J Infect Dis 2001;33(9):710–714. Puccio G, Cajozzo C, Meli F, et al. Clinical evaluation of a new starter formula for infants containing live Bifidobacterium longum BL999 and prebiotics. Nutrition 2007 Jan;23(1):1–8. Richard V, Van der Auwera P, Snoeck R, et al. Nosocomial bacteremia caused by Bacillus species. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1988 Dec;7(6):783–785. Rijnders BJ, Van Wijngaerden E, Verwaest C, et al. Saccharomyces fungemia complicating Saccharomyces boulardii treatment in a non immunocompromised host. Intensive Care Med 2000 Jun;26(6):825. Rampengan NH, Manoppo J, Warouw SM. Comparison of efficacies between live and killed probiotics in children with lactose malabsorption. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 2010 Mar;41(2):474–481. Ranganathan N, Friedman EA, Tam P, et al. Probiotic dietary supplementation in patients with stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease: a 6-month pilot scale trial in Canada. Curr Med Res Opin 2009 Aug;25(8):1919–1930. Rio ME, Zago Beatriz L, Garcia H, et al. [The nutritional status change the effectiveness of a dietary supplement of lactic bacteria on the emerging of respiratory tract diseases in children]. Arch Latinoam Nutr 2002 Mar;52(1):29–34. Rautio M, Jousimies-Somer H, Kauma H, et al. Liver abscess due to a Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain indistinguishable from L. rhamnosus strain GG. Clin Infect Dis 1999 May;28(5):1159–1160. Riquelme AJ, Calvo MA, Guzman AM, et al. Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia after Saccharomyces boulardii treatment in immunocompromised patients. J Clin Gastroenterol 2003 Jan;36(1):41–43. Rayes N, Seehofer D, Hansen S, et al. Early enteral supply of lactobacillus and fiber versus selective bowel decontamination: a controlled trial in liver transplant recipients. Transplantation 2002 Jul 15;74(1):123–127. Rohde CL, Bartolini V, Jones N. The use of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea with special interest in Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. Nutr Clin Pract 2009 Feb Mar;24(1):33–40. Rayes N, Seehofer D, Theruvath T, et al. Supply of pre- and probiotics reduces bacterial infection rates after liver transplantation--a randomized, double-blind trial. Am J Transplant 2005 Jan;5(1):125–130. Rolfe VE, Fortun PJ, Hawkey CJ, et al. Probiotics for maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006(4):CD004826. 132 Roos K, Holm SE, Grahn-Hakansson E, et al. Recolonization with selected alphastreptococci for prophylaxis of recurrent streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis--a randomized placebo-controlled multicentre study. Scand J Infect Dis 1996;28(5):459– 462. Sakamoto I, Igarashi M, Kimura K, et al. Suppressive effect of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL 2716 (LG21) on Helicobacter pylori infection in humans. J Antimicrob Chemother 2001 May;47(5):709–710. Salminen E, Elomaa I, Minkkinen J, et al. Preservation of intestinal integrity during radiotherapy using live Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures. Clin Radiol 1988 Jul;39(4):435–437. Rosenfeldt V, Michaelsen KF, Jakobsen M, et al. Effect of probiotic Lactobacillus strains on acute diarrhea in a cohort of nonhospitalized children attending day-care centers. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2002 May;21(5):417–419. Salminen MK, Tynkkynen S, Rautelin H, et al. The efficacy and safety of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG on prolonged, noninfectious diarrhea in HIV Patients on antiretroviral therapy: a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study. HIV Clin Trials 2004 Jul-Aug;5(4):183–191. Rosenfeldt V PA, Larsen CN, Moller PL, Tvede M, Sandstrom B, Jakobsen M, Michaelsen KF. Faecal recovery, mucosal adhesion, gastrointestinal effects and tolerance of mixed cultures of potential probiotic Lactobacilli. Microbial Ecology in Health & Disease 2003;15(1):2–9. Salminen MK, Tynkkynen S, Rautelin H, et al. Lactobacillus bacteremia during a rapid increase in probiotic use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in Finland. Clin Infect Dis 2002 Nov 15;35(10):1155–1160. Rougé C, Piloquet H, Butel MJ, et al. Oral supplementation with probiotics in very low-birth-weight preterm infants: a randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2009 Apr 15;89(6):1828–1835. Salminen S, Ouwehand A, Benno Y, et al. Probiotics: how should they be defined? Trends in Food Science and Technology 1999;10(3):107– 110. Ruiz-Palacios G, Tuz F, Arteaga F, et al. Tolerance and fecal colinization with Lactobacillus reuteri in children fed a beverage with a mixture of Lactobacillus spp. Pediatr Res 1996;39(4):184A. Samanta M, Sarkar M, Ghosh P, et al. Prophylactic probiotics for prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight newborns. J Trop Pediatr 2009 Apr;55(2):128–131. Ruszczynski M, Szajewska H. Probiotics for the treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pediatria Wspolczensna 2008 September 16;10(2):96–104. Sanders ME, Akkermans LMA, Haller D, et al. Safety assessment of probiotics for human use. Gut Microbes 2010;1(3):1–22. Saavedra JM, Abi-Hanna A, Moore N, et al. Longterm consumption of infant formulas containing live probiotic bacteria: tolerance and safety. Am J Clin Nutr 2004 Feb;79(2):261–267. Satokari RM, Vaughan EE, Akkermans AD, et al. Polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis monitoring of fecal bifidobacterium populations in a prebiotic and probiotic feeding trial. Syst Appl Microbiol 2001 Jul;24(2):227–231. Sachdeva A, Nagpal J. Effect of fermented milkbased probiotic preparations on Helicobacter pylori eradication: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2009 Jan;21(1):45–53. Savini M, Cecchini C, Verdenelli MC, et al. Pilotscale Production and Viability Analysis of Freeze-Dried Probiotic Bacteria Using Different Protective Agents. Nutrients 2010;2:330–339. Saint-Marc Th, Blehaut H, Musial Ch, et al. AIDS related diarrhea: a double-blind trial of Saccharomyces boulardii. Sem Hôp Paris 1995;71:735–741. Sazawal S, Dhingra U, Hiremath G ea. Probiotic prebiotic fortified milk in prevention of morbidities among children: communitybased, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. PLOS One. In press. 133 Scalabrin DM, Johnston WH, Hoffman DR, et al. Growth and tolerance of healthy term infants receiving hydrolyzed infant formulas supplemented with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG: randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2009 Sep;48(7):734–744. Spanhaak S, Havenaar R, Schaafsma G. The effect of consumption of milk fermented by Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota on the intestinal microflora and immune parameters in humans. Eur J Clin Nutr 1998 Dec;52(12):899–907. Spinosa MR, Wallet F, Courcol R, J., et al. The trouble in tracing opportunistic pathogens: cholangitis due to Bacillus in a French hospital caused by a strain related to an Italian probiotic? Microb Ecol Health Dis 2000;12:99–101. Schleifer K, Kilpper-Balz R. Transfer of Streptococcus faecalis and Streptococcus faecium to the genus Enterococcus nom. rev. as Enterococcus faecalis comb. nov. and Enterococcus faecium comb. Int J Sys Bacteriol 1984;34:31–34. Srinivasan R, Meyer R, Padmanabhan R, et al. Clinical safety of Lactobacillus casei shirota as a probiotic in critically ill children. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2006 Feb;42(2):171–173. Schmid K, Schlothauer R, Friedrich U, et al. Development of Probiotic Food Ingredients. In: Probiotics in Food Safety and Human Health. CRC [Book]. 2006. Schneider SM, Girard-Pipau F, Filippi J, et al. Effects of Saccharomyces boulardii on fecal shortchain fatty acids and microflora in patients on long-term total enteral nutrition. World J Gastroenterol 2005 Oct 21;11(39):6165– 6169. STC SWGoDM, Dixon D, Freedman R, et al. Guidelines for data and safety monitoring for clinical trials not requiring traditional data monitoring committees. Clin Trials 2006;3:314. Stotzer PO, Blomberg L, Conway PL, et al. Probiotic treatment of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth by Lactobacillus fermentum KLD. Scand J Infect Dis 1996;28(6):615– 619. Seppo L, Jauhiainen T, Poussa T, et al. A fermented milk high in bioactive peptides has a blood pressure-lowering effect in hypertensive subjects. Am J Clin Nutr 2003 Feb;77(2):326–330. Stratiki Z, Costalos C, Sevastiadou S, et al. The effect of a bifidobacter supplemented bovine milk on intestinal permeability of preterm infants. Early Hum Dev 2007 Sep;83(9):575–579. Shane A, Cabana M, Vidry S, et al. Guide to designing, conducting, publishing, and communicating results of clinical studies involving probiotic applications in human participants. Gut Microbes 2010;1(4):243– 253. Sullivan A, Barkholt L, Nord CE. Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus F19 prevent antibioticassociated ecological disturbances of Bacteroides fragilis in the intestine. J Antimicrob Chemother 2003 Aug;52(2):308–311. Simren M, Ohman L, Olsson J, et al. Clinical trial: the effects of a fermented milk containing three probiotic bacteria in patients with irritable bowel syndrome - a randomized, double-blind, controlled study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010 Jan 15;31(2):218–227. Svedlund J, Sjodin I, Dotevall G. GSRS--a clinical rating scale for gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and peptic ulcer disease. Dig Dis Sci 1988 Feb;33(2):129–134. Song MJ, Park DI, Park JH, et al. The effect of probiotics and mucoprotective agents on PPI-based triple therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori. Helicobacter 2010 Jun;15(3):206–213. Sydes MR, Altman DG, Babiker AB, et al. Reported use of data monitoring committees in the main published reports of randomized controlled trials: a cross-sectional study. Clin Trials 2004 Feb;1(1):48–59. Songisepp E, Kals J, Kullisaar T, et al. Evaluation of the functional efficacy of an antioxidative probiotic in healthy volunteers. Nutr J 2005;4:22. 134 Sykora J, Valeckova K, Amlerova J, et al. Effects of a specially designed fermented milk product containing probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN 114 001 and the eradication of H. pylori in children: a prospective randomized doubleblind study. J Clin Gastroenterol 2005 Sep;39(8):692–698. Tommasi C, Equitani F, Masala M, et al. Diagnostic difficulties of Lactobacillus casei bacteraemia in immunocompetent patients: A case report. J Med Case Reports 2008;2:315. Tomoda T, Nakano Y, Kageyama T. Effect of yogurt and yogurt supplemented with Bifidobacterium and/or lactulose in healthy persons: a comparative study Bifidobacteria Microflora 1991;10:123–130. Szajewska H. Probiotics and prebiotics in preterm infants: Where are we? Where are we going? Early Hum Dev 2010 Jan 22. Szajewska H, Mrukowicz J. Meta-analysis: non pathogenic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2005 Sep 1;22(5):365–372. Trautmann M, Synowzik I, Nadji-Ohl M, et al. Fungemia due to Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii. Chemotherapie Journal 2008 April 1;17(2):57–61. Tsuchiya J, Barreto R, Okura R, et al. Single-blind follow-up study on the effectiveness of a symbiotic preparation in irritable bowel syndrome. Chin J Dig Dis 2004;5(4):169– 174. Szajewska H, Mrukowicz JZ. Probiotics in the treatment and prevention of acute infectious diarrhea in infants and children: a systematic review of published randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled trials. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2001 Oct;33 Suppl 2:S17–25. Tung JM, Dolovich LR, Lee CH. Prevention of Clostridium difficile infection with Saccharomyces boulardii: a systematic review. Can J Gastroenterol 2009 Dec;23(12):817–821. Szajewska H, Ruszczynski M, Radzikowski A. Probiotics in the prevention of antibioticassociated diarrhea in children: a meta analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Pediatr 2006 Sep;149(3):367–372. Turchet P, Laurenzano M, Auboiron S, et al. Effect of fermented milk containing the probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN-114001 on winter infections in free-living elderly subjects: a randomised, controlled pilot study. J Nutr Health Aging 2003;7(2):75–77. Szajewska H, Ruszczynski M, Syska P. The effects of probiotics in preterm and low-birth weight infants: A systematic review. Pediatria Polska 2004 August 30;79(7):543– 550. Tasli L, C. M, C. DS, et al. Lactobacilli lozenges in the management of oral ulcers of Behcet's syndrome. Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2006 September 1;24(5 SUPPL. 42):S83–S86. Tursi A, Brandimarte G, Giorgetti GM, et al. Mesalazine and/or Lactobacillus casei in maintaining long-term remission of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon. Hepatogastroenterology 2008 May Jun;55(84):916–920. Taylor AL, Dunstan JA, Prescott SL. Probiotic supplementation for the first 6 months of life fails to reduce the risk of atopic dermatitis and increases the risk of allergen sensitization in high-risk children: a randomized controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007 Jan;119(1):184–191. Tursi A, Brandimarte G, Giorgetti GM, et al. Mesalazine and/or Lactobacillus casei in preventing recurrence of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon: a prospective, randomized, open-label study. J Clin Gastroenterol 2006 Apr;40(4):312–316. Tempe JD. Prophylaxe von Diarrhoen unter kontinuierlicher enteraler Ernahrung. Therapiewoche 1985;35:3505–509. Tursi A, Brandimarte G, Papa A, et al. Treatment of Relapsing Mild-to-Moderate Ulcerative Colitis With the Probiotic VSL#3 as Adjunctive to a Standard Pharmaceutical Treatment: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Am J Gastroenterol 2010 Jun 1. 135 Uehara S, Monden K, Nomoto K, et al. A pilot study evaluating the safety and effectiveness of Lactobacillus vaginal suppositories in patients with recurrent urinary tract infection. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2006 Aug;28 Suppl 1:S30–34. Vlieger AM, Robroch A, van Buuren S, et al. Tolerance and safety of Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei in combination with Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis in a prebiotic-containing infant formula: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Nutr 2009 Mar 31:1–7. Underwood MA, Salzman NH, Bennett SH, et al. A randomized placebo-controlled comparison of 2 prebiotic/probiotic combinations in preterm infants: impact on weight gain, intestinal microbiota, and fecal short-chain fatty acids. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2009 Feb;48(2):216–225. Vouloumanou EK, Makris GC, Karageorgopoulos DE, et al. Probiotics for the prevention of respiratory tract infections: a systematic review. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2009 Jan 27. Wada M, Nagata S, Saito M, et al. Effects of the enteral administration of Bifidobacterium breve on patients undergoing chemotherapy for pediatric malignancies. Support Care Cancer 2010 Jun;18(6):751–759. Urban M, Bolton K, Mokhachane M, et al. Growth of infants born to HIV-infected women when fed a biologically acidified starter formula with and without probiotics. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008 March 1;21(1):28–32. Wang MF, Lin HC, Wang YY, et al. Treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis with lactic acid bacteria. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2004 Apr;15(2):152–158. van der Aa LB, Heymans HS, van Aalderen WM, et al. Effect of a new synbiotic mixture on atopic dermatitis in infants: a randomizedcontrolled trial. Clin Exp Allergy 2010 May;40(5):795–804. Wang P, Wu T, Liu G. Probiotic agents for the treatment of diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome [Protocol] Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009;(1). Vendt N, Grunberg H, Tuure T, et al. Growth during the first 6 months of life in infants using formula enriched with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG: double-blind, randomized trial. J Hum Nutr Diet 2006 Feb;19(1):51– 58. Watkinson PJ, Barber VS, Dark P, et al. The use of pre- pro- and synbiotics in adult intensive care unit patients: systematic review. Clin Nutr 2007 Apr;26(2):182–192. Weiss B, Bujanover Y, Yahav Y, et al. Probiotic supplementation affects pulmonary exacerbations in patients with cystic fibrosis: a pilot study. Pediatr Pulmonol 2010 Jun;45(6):536–540. Venugopalan V, Shriner KA, Wong-Beringer A. Regulatory oversight and safety of probiotic use. Emerg Infect Dis 2010 Nov;16(11):1661–1665. Viechtbauer W. Conducting Meta-Analyses in R with the metafor Package. Journal of Statistical Software 2010;36(3):1–48. Weizman Z, Alsheikh A. Safety and tolerance of a probiotic formula in early infancy comparing two probiotic agents: a pilot study. J Am Coll Nutr 2006 Oct;25(5):415– 419. Viggiano M, Badetti C, Bernini V, et al. [Saccharomyces boulardii fungemia in a patient with severe burns]. Ann Fr Anesth Reanim 1995;14(4):356–58. Weizman Z, Asli G, Alsheikh A. Effect of a probiotic infant formula on infections in child care centers: comparison of two probiotic agents. Pediatrics 2005 Jan;115(1):5–9. Vleggaar FP, Monkelbaan JF, van Erpecum KJ. Probiotics in primary sclerosing cholangitis: a randomized placebo-controlled crossover pilot study. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2008 Jul;20(7):688–692. Wheeler JG, Shema SJ, Bogle ML, et al. Immune and clinical impact of Lactobacillus acidophilus on asthma. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1997 Sep;79(3):229–233. Whelan K, Judd PA, Taylor MA. Assessment of fecal output in patients receiving enteral tube feeding: validation of a novel chart. Eur J Clin Nutr 2004 Jul;58(7):1030–1037. 136 Whelan K, Myers CE. Safety of probiotics in patients receiving nutritional support: a systematic review of case reports, randomized controlled trials, and nonrandomized trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2010 Jan 20;94:687–703. Yang YX, He M, Hu G, et al. Effect of a fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN 173010 on Chinese constipated women. World J Gastroenterol 2008 Oct 28;14(40):6237–6243. Wilcox M, JA. S. Results of study of probiotic yoghurt drink to prevent antibioticassociated diarrhoea are not widely applicable. 2009. Yazdankhah S, Midtvedt T, Narvhus J, et al. The use of probiotics for critically ill patients in hospitals. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 2009;21(3-4):114–121. Wind RD, Tolboom H, Klare I, et al. Tolerance and safety of the potentially probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus PRSF-L477: a randomised, double-blind placebocontrolled trial in healthy volunteers. Br J Nutr 2010 Aug 9:1–11. Yim JH, H. KD, K. KJ, et al. Therapeutic effects of probiotics in patients with atopic dermatitis. Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 2006 November 1;16(11):1699–1705. Young R, Whitney D, Hanner T, et al. Prevention of antibiotic-asscoiated diarrhea utilizing Lactobacillus GG. Gastroenterology 1998;114:A435. Wolf BW, Wheeler KB, Ataya DG, et al. Safety and tolerance of Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation to a population infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Food Chem Toxicol 1998 Dec;36(12):1085– 1094. Zahradnik RT, Magnusson I, Walker C, et al. Preliminary assessment of safety and effectiveness in humans of ProBiora3(trademark) a probiotic mouthwash. Journal of Applied Microbiology 2009;107(2):682–690. World Gastroenterology Organisation. World Gastroenterology Organisation practice guideline: Probiotics and prebiotics. Arab Journal of Gastroenterology 2008;10(1):33– 42. Zein EF, Karaa S, Chemaly A, et al. [Lactobacillus rhamnosus septicemia in a diabetic patient associated with probiotic use: a case report]. Ann Biol Clin (Paris) 2008 Mar Apr;66(2):195–198. Worthley DL, Le Leu RK, Whitehall VL, et al. A human, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic supplementation: effects on luminal, inflammatory, epigenetic, and epithelial biomarkers of colorectal cancer. Am J Clin Nutr 2009 Sep;90(3):578–586. Ziegler E, Jeter J, Drulis J. Formula with reduced content of improved, partially hydrolyzed protein and probiotics: Infant growth and health 2003 October 1;151:S65–71. Zigra PI, Maipa VE, Alamanos YP. Probiotics and remission of ulcerative colitis: a systematic review. Neth J Med 2007 Dec;65(11):411– 418. Wu QR, J. Z, D. HJ, et al. Probiotic agents for ulcerative colitis: A systematic review. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine 2008 September 29;8(5):315–321. Zou J, Dong J, Yu X. Meta-analysis: Lactobacillus containing quadruple therapy versus standard triple first-line therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Helicobacter 2009 Oct;14(5):97–107. Xiao JZ, Kondo S, Takahashi N, et al. Effects of milk products fermented by Bifidobacterium longum on blood lipids in rats and healthy adult male volunteers. J Dairy Sci 2003 Jul;86(7):2452–2461. Zunic P, Lacotte J, Pegoix M, et al. [Saccharomyces boulardii fungemia. Apropos of a case]. Therapie 1991 Nov-Dec;46(6):498–499. Xiao SD, Zhang DZ, Lu H, et al. Multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus LB in patients with chronic diarrhea. Adv Ther 2003 Sep Oct;20(5):253–260. 137 Included Studies That Addressed Specific Adverse Events Abrahamsson, T. R., T. Jakobsson, et al. "Probiotics in prevention of IgE-associated eczema: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial." J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007;119(5):1174– 1180. PubMed. Agerbaek, M., L. Gerdes, et al. . "Hypocholesterolaemic effect of new fermented milk product in healthy middle-aged men." Eur J Clin Nutr 1995;49:346–352. Reference Mining Aihara, K., O. Kajimoto, et al. "Effect of powdered fermented milk with Lactobacillus helveticus on subjects with high-normal blood pressure or mild hypertension." J Am Coll Nutr 2005;24(4):257–265. PubMed. Alberda, C., L. Gramlich, et al. "Effects of probiotic therapy in critically ill patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85(3):816–823. PubMed. Allen, S. J., S. Jordan, et al. "Dietary Supplementation with Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria Is Well Tolerated and Not Associated with Adverse Events during Late Pregnancy and Early Infancy." J Nutr 2010;140(3):483–488. Expert Identified An, H. M., E. H. Baek, et al. "Efficacy of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) supplement in management of constipation among nursing home residents." Nutr J 2010;9:5. PubMed. 2010 update. Anderson, A. D., C. E. McNaught, et al. "Randomised clinical trial of synbiotic therapy in elective surgical patients." Gut 2004;53(2):241–245. PubMed. Andriulli, A., M. Neri, et al. "Clinical trial on the efficacy of a new symbiotic formulation, Flortec, in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a multicenter, randomized study." J Clin Gastroenterol 2008;42 Suppl 3 Pt 2:S218–223. PubMed. Anukam, K., M. Duru, et al. "Oral use of probiotics as an adjunctive therapy to fluconazole in the treatment of yeast vaginitis: A study of nigerian women in an outdoor clinic." Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 2009;21(2):72–77. Embase. 20100813 update. Anukam, K., E. Osazuwa, et al. "Augmentation of antimicrobial metronidazole therapy of bacterial vaginosis with oral probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14: randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial." Microbes Infect 2006;8(6):1450– 1454. PubMed. Anukam, K. C., E. O. Osazuwa, et al. "Yogurt containing probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and L. reuteri RC-14 helps resolve moderate diarrhea and increases CD4 count in HIV/AIDS patients." J Clin Gastroenterol 2008;42(3):239–243. PubMed. Arunachalam, K., H. S. Gill, et al. "Enhancement of natural immune function by dietary consumption of Bifidobacterium lactis (HN019)." Eur J Clin Nutr 2000;54(3):263–267. PubMed. Aso, Y., H. Akaza, et al. "Preventive effect of a Lactobacillus casei preparation on the recurrence of superficial bladder cancer in a double-blind trial. The BLP Study Group." Eur Urol 1995;27(2):104–109. Reference Mining 138 Aso, Y. and H. Akazan. "Prophylactic effect of a Lactobacillus casei preparation on the recurrence of superficial bladder cancer. BLP Study Group." Urol Int 1992;49(3):125–129. Reference Mining Awad, H., H. Mokhtar, et al. "Comparison between killed and living probiotic usage versus placebo for the prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis in neonates." Pak J Biol Sci 2010;13(6):253–262. PubMed. 2010 update. Baerheim, A., E. Larsen, et al. "Vaginal application of lactobacilli in the prophylaxis of recurrent lower urinary tract infection in women." Scand J Prim Health Care 1994;12(4):239–243. Reference Mining Bajaj, J. S., K. Saeian, et al. "Probiotic yogurt for the treatment of minimal hepatic encephalopathy." Am J Gastroenterol 2008;103(7):1707–1715. PubMed. Banaszkiewicz, A. and H. Szajewska. "Ineffectiveness of Lactobacillus GG as an adjunct to lactulose for the treatment of constipation in children: a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial." J Pediatr 2005;146(3):364–369. PubMed. Barraud, D., C. Blard, et al. "Probiotics in the critically ill patient: a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial." Intensive Care Med 2010. PubMed. 2010 update. Barreto-Zuniga, R., Y. Naito, et al.. "Anti-endotoxin capacity and reticulo-endothelial function in alcohol-related liver cirrhosis: A randomized pilot study comparing a probiotic preparation versus lactulose." International Medical Journal Tokyo 2001;8(2):101–108. Embase titles. Barrett, J. S., K. E. Canale, et al. "Probiotic effects on intestinal fermentation patterns in patients with irritable bowel syndrome." World J Gastroenterol 2008;14(32):5020–5024. PubMed. Barton, L. L., E. D. Rider, et al. "Bacteremic infection with Pediococcus: vancomycin-resistant opportunist." Pediatrics 2001;107(4):775–776. PubMed. Bassetti, S., R. Frei, et al. "Fungemia with Saccharomyces cerevisiae after treatment with Saccharomyces boulardii." Am J Med 1998;105(1):71–72. Reference Mining Basu, S., M. Chatterjee, et al. "Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in persistent diarrhea in Indian children: a randomized controlled trial." J Clin Gastroenterol 2007;41(8):756–760. PubMed. Basu, S., M. Chatterjee, et al. "Efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in acute watery diarrhoea of Indian children: a randomised controlled trial." J Paediatr Child Health 432007;(12):837–842. PubMed. Basu, S., D. K. Paul, et al. "Efficacy of High-dose Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in Controlling Acute Watery Diarrhea in Indian Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial." J Clin Gastroenterol 2008. PubMed. Beausoleil, M., N. Fortier, et al. "Effect of a fermented milk combining Lactobacillus acidophilus Cl1285 and Lactobacillus casei in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Can J Gastroenterol2007;21(11):732–736. PubMed. 139 Beck, C. and H. Necheles. "Beneficial effects of administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus in diarrheal and other intestinal disorders." Am J Gastroenterol 1961;35: 522–530. Reference Mining Bekkali, N. L., M. E. Bongers, et al. "The role of a probiotics mixture in the treatment of childhood constipation: a pilot study." Nutr J 2007;6:17. PubMed. Bellomo, G., C. Finocchiaro, et al. "Une nouvelle approche pour le traitement des enterites en pediatrie." Med Hyg 1979;37:3781–3784. Hand Search Bellomo, G., C. Finocchiaro, et al. "Une nouvelle approche pour le traitement des enterites en pediatrie." Med Hyg 1979;37:3781–3784. Hand Search Benchimol, E. I. and D. R. Mack. "Probiotics in relapsing and chronic diarrhea." J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2004;26(8):515–517. PubMed. Berman, S., P. Eichelsdoerfer, et al. "Daily ingestion of a nutritional probiotic supplement enhances innate immune function in healthy adults." Nutrition Research 2006;26(9):454–459. Embase titles. Bertolami, M. C., A. A. Faludi, et al. "Evaluation of the effects of a new fermented milk product (Gaio) on primary hypercholesterolemia." Eur J Clin Nutr 1999;53(2):97–101. Reference Mining Besselink, M. G., H. C. van Santvoort, et al. "Probiotic prophylaxis in predicted severe acute pancreatitis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Lancet 2008;371(9613):651– 659. PubMed. Bibiloni, R., R. N. Fedorak, et al. "VSL#3 probiotic-mixture induces remission in patients with active ulcerative colitis." Am J Gastroenterol 2005;100(7):1539–1546. PubMed. Bin-Nun, A., R. Bromiker, et al. "Oral probiotics prevent necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight neonates." J Pediatr 2005;147(2):192–196. PubMed. Black, F., K. Einarsson, et al. "Effect of lactic acid producing bacteria on the human intestinal microflora during ampicillin treatment." Scand J Infect Dis 1991;23(2):247–254. Reference Mining Boge, T., M. Remigy, et al. "A probiotic fermented dairy drink improves antibody response to influenza vaccination in the elderly in two randomised controlled trials." Vaccine 2009;27(41):5677–5684. PubMed. 2010 update. Boge, T., M. Remigy, et al. "A probiotic fermented dairy drink improves antibody response to influenza vaccination in the elderly in two randomised controlled trials." Vaccine 2009;27(41):5677–5684. Hand Search Borgia M, Sepe N, et al. "A controlled clinical study on Streptococcus faecium preparation for the prevention of side reactions during long termantibiotic treatments." Curr Ther Res 1982;31:265–271. Hand Search Bousvaros, A., S. Guandalini, et al. "A randomized, double-blind trial of Lactobacillus GG versus placebo in addition to standard maintenance therapy for children with Crohn's disease." Inflamm Bowel Dis 2005;11(9):833–839. PubMed. 140 Bravo, M. V., D. Bunout, et al. "[Effect of probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii on prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in adult outpatients with amoxicillin treatment]." Rev Med Chil 2008;136(8):981–988. PubMed. Brophy, S., C. L. Burrows, et al. "Internet-based randomised controlled trials for the evaluation of complementary and alternative medicines: probiotics in spondyloarthropathy." BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2008;9:4. PubMed. Bruce, A. W. and G. Reid. "Intravaginal instillation of lactobacilli for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections." Can J Microbiol 1988;34(3):339–343. Reference Mining Bruni, F. M., G. L. Piacentini, et al. "Cow's milk allergic children can present sensitisation to probiotics." Acta Paediatr 2009;98(2):321–323. PubMed. Bruno, F. and G. Frigerio. "Eine neuartige Moglichkeit zur Behandlung der EnteritisKontrollierte Doppel-blindversuche mitdem Stamm SF68 " Schweiz Rundsch Med Prax 1981;70:1717–1720. Reference Mining Bruzzese, E., V. Raia, et al. "Effect of Lactobacillus GG supplementation on pulmonary exacerbations in patients with cystic fibrosis: a pilot study." Clin Nutr 2007;26(3):322–328. PubMed. Bu, L. N., M. H. Chang, et al. "Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus Lcr35 in children with chronic constipation." Pediatr Int 2007;49(4):485–490. PubMed. Burkhardt, O., T. Kohnlein, et al. "Saccharomyces boulardii induced sepsis: successful therapy with voriconazole after treatment failure with fluconazole." Scand J Infect Dis 2005;37(1):69– 72. Reference Mining Carlsson, M., Y. Gustafson, et al. "The feasibility of serving liquid yoghurt supplemented with probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus rhamnosus LB 21, and Lactococcus lactis L1A--a pilot study among old people with dementia in a residential care facility." J Nutr Health Aging 2009;13(9):813–819. PubMed. 2010 update. Cesaro, S., P. Chinello, et al. "Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia in a neutropenic patient treated with Saccharomyces boulardii." Support Care Cancer 2000;8(6):504–505. Reference Mining Chen, S., Z. Yen, et al. "Nonsurgical management of partial adhesive small-bowel obstruction with oral therapy: A randomized controlled trial." Canadian Medical Association Journal 2005;173(10):1165–1169. Embase titles. Chen, Y. S., Y. L. Lin, et al. "Randomized placebo-controlled trial of lactobacillus on asthmatic children with allergic rhinitis." Pediatr Pulmonol2010. PubMed. 2010 update. Cherifi, S., J. Robberecht, et al. "Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia in an elderly patient with Clostridium difficile colitis." Acta Clin Belg 2004;59(4):223–224. PubMed. Chou, I. C., H. T. Kuo, et al. "Lack of effects of oral probiotics on growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm very low birth weight infants." J Pediatr 2010;156(3):393–396. PubMed. 2010 update. 141 Chouraqui, J. P., D. Grathwohl, et al. "Assessment of the safety, tolerance, and protective effect against diarrhea of infant formulas containing mixtures of probiotics or probiotics and prebiotics in a randomized controlled trial." Am J Clin Nutr 2008;87(5):1365–1373. PubMed. Chouraqui, J. P., L. D. Van Egroo, et al. "Acidified milk formula supplemented with bifidobacterium lactis: impact on infant diarrhea in residential care settings." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2004;38(3):288–292. PubMed. Cobo Sanz, J., H. Corominola, et al. "Impact of consumption of milk fermented with Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 on the children health between 3 and 8 years old." Nutricion Clinica y Dietetica Hospitalaria 2006;26(5):21–27. Embase titles. Coccorullo, P., C. Strisciuglio, et al. "Lactobacillus reuteri (DSM 17938) in Infants with Functional Chronic Constipation: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study." J Pediatr 2010. PubMed. 2010 update. Colecchia, A., A. Vestito, et al. "Effect of a symbiotic preparation on the clinical manifestations of irritable bowel syndrome, constipation-variant. Results of an open, uncontrolled multicenter study." Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol 2006;52(4):349–358. PubMed. Conen, A., S. Zimmerer, et al. "A pain in the neck: probiotics for ulcerative colitis." Ann Intern Med 2009;151(12):895–897. Expert Identified Connolly, E., T. Abrahamsson, et al. "Safety of D(-)-lactic acid producing bacteria in the human infant." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2005;41(4):489–492. PubMed. Cooper, P. A., M. Mokhachane, et al. "Growth of infants born from HIV positive mothers fed with acidified starter formula containing Bifidobacterium lactis [abstract]." Eur J Peds 2006;165(Suppl 13):114. Reference Mining Correa, N. B., L. A. Peret Filho, et al. "A randomized formula controlled trial of Bifidobacterium lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus for prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in infants." J Clin Gastroenterol 2005;39(5):385–389. PubMed. Cui, L. H., S. X. Wang, et al. "Early enteral application of probiotics improved the changes of inflammatory mediators and its relationship with the prognosis in the patients with severe acute pancreatitis." Chinese Journal of New Drugs 2009;18(19):1854–1857. Embase. 20100813 update. Cui, Y., F. Wang, et al. "Efficacy of Bacillus coagulans tablets in the treatment of acute and chronic diarrhea." International Journal of Immunotheraphy 2004;20(1):17–22. Embase titles. Cunningham-Rundles, S., S. Ahrne, et al. "Probiotics and immune response." Am J Gastroenterol 2000;95(1 Suppl):S22–25. PubMed. Czaja, C. A., A. E. Stapleton, et al. "Phase I trial of a Lactobacillus crispatus vaginal suppository for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection in women." Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol 2007: 35387. PubMed. Dadak, L., M. Stouracova, et al. "Impact of synbiotics (Synbiotics 2000 Forte) on monocyte function in long-term ICU patients." Crit Care 2006;10:S89. Expert Identified 142 De Groote, M. A., D. N. Frank, et al. "Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG bacteremia associated with probiotic use in a child with short gut syndrome." Pediatr Infect Dis J 2005;24(3):278–280. PubMed. De Preter, V., T. Coopmans, et al. "Influence of long-term administration of lactulose and Saccharomyces boulardii on the colonic generation of phenolic compounds in healthy human subjects." J Am Coll Nutr 2006;25(6):541–549. Reference Mining de Roos, N. M., G. Schouten, et al. "Yoghurt enriched with Lactobacillus acidophilus does not lower blood lipids in healthy men and women with normal to borderline high serum cholesterol levels." Eur J Clin Nutr 1999;53(4):277–280. Reference Mining De Simone, C., A. Ciardi, et al. "Effect of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus on gut mucosa and peripheral blood B lymphocytes." Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 1992;14(1-2):331–340. Reference Mining De Simone, C. and G. Famularo. "Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) wiht the newer probiotic vsl#3: a multicenter trial." Am J Clin Nutr 2001;(73):491S. Reference Mining Dekker, J. W., K. Wickens, et al.. "Safety aspects of probiotic bacterial strains Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis HN019 in human infants aged 0-2 years." International Dairy Journal 2009;19(3):149–154. Agricola. Delia, P., G. Sansotta, et al. "Use of probiotics for prevention of radiation-induced diarrhea." World J Gastroenterol 2007;13(6):912–915. PubMed. Delia, P., G. Sansotta, et al. "Prevention of radiation-induced diarrhea with the use of VSL#3, a new high-potency probiotic preparation." Am J Gastroenterol 2002;97(8):2150–2152. PubMed. Dewan, P., I. Kaur, et al. "A pilot study on the effects of curd (dahi) & leaf protein concentrate in children with protein energy malnutrition (PEM)." Indian J Med Res 2007;126(3):199–203. PubMed. Di Pierro, F., V. Catacchio, et al. "Rhatany-based preparation in vulvovaginitis and vaginosis." Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2009;168(6):339–346. Embase. 20100813 update. Dolin, B. J. "Effects of a proprietary Bacillus coagulans preparation on symptoms of diarrheapredominant irritable bowel syndrome." Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol2009; 31(10):655– 659. PubMed. 2010 update. Dubey, A. P., K. Rajeshwari, et al. "Use of VSL[sharp]3 in the treatment of rotavirus diarrhea in children: preliminary results." J Clin Gastroenterol 2008;42 Suppl 3 Pt 1:S126–129. PubMed. Dughera, L., C. Elia, et al. "Effects of symbiotic preparations on constipated irritable bowel syndrome symptoms." Acta Biomed 2007;78(2):111–116. PubMed. Duman, D. G., S. Bor, et al. "Efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii in prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea due to Helicobacterpylori eradication." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2005;17(12):1357–1361. PubMed. Dupont, C., M. Rivero, et al. "Alpha-lactalbumin-enriched and probiotic-supplemented infant formula in infants with colic: growth and gastrointestinal tolerance." Eur J Clin Nutr 2010;64(7):765–767. PubMed. 2010 update. 143 Dylewski, J., E. Psaradellis, et al. "Efficacy of BIO K+ CL1285(registered trademark) in the reduction of antibiotic-associated diarrhea - A placebo controlled double-blind randomized, multi-center study." Archives of Medical Science 2010;6(1):56–64. Embase. 20100813 update. Ehrstrom, S., K. Daroczy, et al. "Lactic acid bacteria colonization and clinical outcome after probiotic supplementation in conventionally treated bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginal candidiasis." Microbes Infect. PubMed. 2010 update. Elmer, G. W., K. A. Moyer, et al. "Evaluation of Saccharomyces boulardii for patients with HIVrelated chronic diarrhoea and in healthy volunteers receiving antifungals." Microecol Ther 25:23–31. Reference Mining Eriksson, K., B. Carlsson, et al. (2005). "A double-blind treatment study of bacterial vaginosis with normal vaginal lactobacilli after an open treatment with vaginal clindamycin ovules." Acta Derm Venereol 85(1):42–46. PubMed. Falck, G., E. Grahn-Hakansson, et al. (1999). "Tolerance and efficacy of interfering alphastreptococci in recurrence of streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis: a placebo-controlled study." Acta Otolaryngol 119(8):944–948. Reference Mining Felley, C. P., I. Corthesy-Theulaz, et al. (2001). "Favourable effect of an acidified milk (LC-1) on Helicobacter pylori gastritis in man." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 13(1):25–29. Reference Mining Feng, F., H. Zhang, et al. (1999). "A double blind randomized control study of the domestic microecologic agents golden Bifido for treatment to acute diarrhoea." West China Med J 14:281–283. Reference Mining Folster-Holst, R., F. Muller, et al. (2006). "Prospective, randomized controlled trial on Lactobacillus rhamnosus in infants with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis." Br J Dermatol 155(6):1256–1261. PubMed. Force, G., C. Aznar, et al. (1995). "Saccharomyces fungemia in AIDS patients after treatment for chronic diarrhea." The Fifth European Conference on Clinical Aspects and Treatment of HIV Infection - Copenhagen: 26–29 September. Reference Mining Forestier, C., D. Guelon, et al. (2008). "Oral probiotic and prevention of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study in intensive care unit patients." Crit Care 12(3):R69. PubMed. Fredenucci, I., M. Chomarat, et al. (1998). "Saccharomyces boulardii fungemia in a patient receiving Ultra-levure therapy." Clin Infect Dis 27(1):222–223. Reference Mining French, P. and R. Penny (2009). "Use of probiotic bacteria aas an adjuvant for an influenza vaccine." Int J of Probiotics and Prebiotics 4(3):175–180. Update Search Frohmader, T. J., W. P. Chaboyer, et al. (2010). "Decrease in frequency of liquid stool in enterally fed critically ill patients given the multispecies probiotic VSL#3: a pilot trial." Am J Crit Care 1995;19(3):e1–11. PubMed. 2010 update. Fujimori, S., K. Gudis, et al. "A randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of synbiotic versus probiotic or prebiotic treatment to improve the quality of life in patients with ulcerative colitis." Nutrition 2009;25(5):520–525. PubMed. 144 Fukuda. "Post marketing surveillance of functional food: The efficacy and safety of yogurt containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 on constipation." 2008. Embase titles. Gabrielli, M., E. C. Lauritano, et al.. "Bacillus clausii as a treatment of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth." Am J Gastroenterol 2009;104(5):1327–1328. PubMed. 2010 update. Gade, J. and P. Thorn. "Paraghurt for patients with irritable bowel syndrome. A controlled clinical investigation from general practice." Scand J Prim Health Care 1989;7(1):23–26. Reference Mining Galpin, L., M. J. Manary, et al. "Effect of Lactobacillus GG on intestinal integrity in Malawian children at risk of tropical enteropathy." Am J Clin Nutr 2005;82(5):1040–1045. PubMed. Gao, X. W., M. Mubasher, et al. "Dose-response efficacy of a proprietary probiotic formula of Lactobacillus acidophilus CL1285 and Lactobacillus casei LBC80R for antibiotic-associated diarrhea and Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea prophylaxis in adult patients." Am J Gastroenterol 2010;105(7):1636–1641. PubMed. 2010 update. Garcia Vilela, E., M. De Lourdes De Abreu Ferrari, et al. "Influence of Saccharomyces boulardii on the intestinal permeability of patients with Crohn's disease in remission." Scand J Gastroenterol 2008;43(7):842–848. PubMed. Garrido, D., A. Suau, et al. "Modulation of the fecal microbiota by the intake of a Lactobacillus johnsonii La1-containing product in human volunteers." FEMS Microbiol Lett 2005;248(2):249– 256. PubMed. Gerasimov, S. V., V. V. Vasjuta, et al. "Probiotic supplement reduces atopic dermatitis in preschool children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial." Am J Clin Dermatol 2010;11(5):351–361. PubMed. 2010 update. Gibson, R. A., D. Barclay, et al. "Safety of supplementing infant formula with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and Bifidobacterium lactis in term infants: a randomised controlled trial." Br J Nutr 2009: 1–8. PubMed. Gill, H. S., K. J. Rutherfurd, et al. "Enhancement of immunity in the elderly by dietary supplementation with the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis HN019." Am J Clin Nutr 2001;74(6):833–839. PubMed. Gionchetti, P., F. Rizzello, et al. "Prophylaxis of pouchitis onset with probiotic therapy: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Gastroenterology 2003;124(5):1202–1209. PubMed. Gionchetti, P., F. Rizzello, et al. "High-dose probiotics for the treatment of active pouchitis." Dis Colon Rectum 2007;50(12):2075–2082; discussion 2082–2074. PubMed. Gionchetti, P., F. Rizzello, et al. "Oral bacteriotherapy as maintenance treatment in patients with chronic pouchitis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Gastroenterology 2000;119(2):305– 309. PubMed. Glintborg, B. "Long-term administration of Lactobacillus Reuteri (ATCC55720) has noinfluence on gastric mucosal inflammation and colonization of helicobacter pyloris in humans a pilot study.” International journal of probiotics 2007;1(4). Reference Mining Gniwotta, E., P. Neumann-Mangoldt, et al. "Therapie von Durchfallerkrankungen." Z Allg Med 1997;53: 2118–2121. Reference Mining 145 Goossens, D., D. Jonkers, et al. "The effect of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v on the bacterial composition and metabolic activity in faeces of healthy volunteers: a placebo-controlled study on the onset and duration of effects." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2003;18(5):495–505. PubMed. Gotteland, M. and S. Cruchet. "Suppressive effect of frequent ingestion of Lactobacillus johnsonii La1 on Helicobacter pylori colonization in asymptomatic volunteers." J Antimicrob Chemother 2003;51(5):1317–1319. Reference Mining Gracheva, N. M., I. T. Shcherbakov, et al. "[Treatment efficacy in acute intestinal infections, chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and viral hepatitis B using large doses of Russian Bifidumbacterin-forte]." Voen Med Zh 1999;320(5):51–57, 96. PubMed. Gruber, C., M. Wendt, et al. "Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG as treatment of atopic dermatitis in infancy." Allergy 2007;62(11):1270–1276. PubMed. Gruenwald, J., H. J. Graubaum, et al. "Effect of a probiotic multivitamin compound on stress and exhaustion." Adv Ther 2002;19(3):141–150. PubMed. Guillemard, E., F. Tondu, et al. "Consumption of a fermented dairy product containing the probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN-114001 reduces the duration of respiratory infections in the elderly in a randomised controlled trial." Br J Nutr 2010;103(1):58–68. PubMed. 2010 update. Guyonnet, D., A. Woodcock, et al. "Fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 improved self-reported digestive comfort amongst a general population of adults. A randomized, open-label, controlled, pilot study." J Dig Dis 2009;10(1):61–70. PubMed. Habermann, W., K. Zimmermann, et al. "Influence of a bacterial immunostimulant (human Enterococcus faecalis bacterin) on the recurrence of relapses in patients with chronic brochitis." Arzneimittelforschung 2001;51: 931–937. Reference Mining Habermann, W., K. Zimmermann, et al. "[Reduction of acute recurrence in patients with chronic recurrent hypertrophic sinusitis by treatment with a bacterial immunostimulant (Enterococcus faecalis Bacteriae of human origin]." Arzneimittelforschung 2002;52(8):622–627. PubMed. Haschke-Becher, E., O. Brunser, et al. "Urinary D-lactate excretion in infants receiving Lactobacillus johnsonii with formula." Ann Nutr Metab 2008;53(3–4):240–244. PubMed. Hatakka, K., M. Mutanen, et al. "Lactobacillus rhamnosus LC705 together with Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp shermanii JS administered in capsules is ineffective in lowering serum lipids." J Am Coll Nutr 2008;27(4):441–447. PubMed. Heimburger, D. C., D. G. Sockwell, et al. "Diarrhea with enteral feeding: prospective reappraisal of putative causes." Nutrition 1994;10(5):392–396. Expert Identified Hemmerling, A., W. Harrison, et al. "Phase 1 dose-ranging safety trial of Lactobacillus crispatus CTV-05 for the prevention of bacterial vaginosis." Sex Transm Dis 2009;36(9):564–569. PubMed. 2010 update. Hennequin, C., C. Kauffmann-Lacroix, et al. "Possible role of catheters in Saccharomyces boulardii fungemia." Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2000;19(1):16–20. PubMed. Henry, S., L. D'Hondt, et al. "Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia in a head and neck cancer patient: a case report and review of the literature." Acta Clin Belg 2004;59(4):220–222. Reference Mining 146 Hensgens, C. and J. Klastersky. "Intestinal colonization with lactobacilli strains in neutropenic patients." Biomedicine 1976;25: 11–15. Reference Mining Higashikawa, F., M. Noda, et al. "Improvement of constipation and liver function by plantderived lactic acid bacteria: a double-blind, randomized trial." Nutrition 2010;26(4):367–374. PubMed. 2010 update. Hilton, E., P. Kolakowski, et al. "Efficacy of Lactobacillus GG as a Diarrheal Preventive in Travelers." J Travel Med 1997;4(1):41–43. PubMed. Hirata, H., Y. Nakamura, et al. "Clinical effects of new sour milk drink on mild and moderate hypertensive subjects." J New Remedies Clinics 2002;51: 60–69. Reference Mining Hochter, W., D. Chase, et al. "Saccharomyces boulardii in the treatment of acute adult diarrhoea [Saccharomyces boulardii bei acuter Erwachsenendiarrhoe]." Munchener medizinische Wochenschrift 1990;132: 188–192. Reference Mining Honeycutt, T. C., M. El Khashab, et al. "Probiotic administration and the incidence of nosocomial infection in pediatric intensive care: a randomized placebo-controlled trial." Pediatr Crit Care Med 2007;8(5):452–458; quiz 464. PubMed. Hong, K. S., H. W. Kang, et al. "Effect of probiotics on symptoms in Korean adults with irritable bowel syndrome." Gut Liver 2009;3(2):101–107. PubMed. 2010 update. Horvat, M., B. Krebs, et al. "Preoperative synbiotic bowel conditioning for elective colorectal surgery." Wien Klin Wochenschr 2010;122 Suppl 2: 26–30. PubMed. 2010 update. Huynh, H. Q., J. deBruyn, et al. "Probiotic preparation VSL#3 induces remission in children with mild to moderate acute ulcerative colitis: a pilot study." Inflamm Bowel Dis 2009;15(5):760– 768. PubMed. Hwang, J. B., K. J. Kang, et al. "Probiotic gastrointestinal allergic reaction caused by Saccharomyces boulardii." Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2009;103(1):87–88. PubMed. 2010 update. Ishikawa, H., Y. Aiba, et al. "Suppression of periodontal pathogenic bacteria n the saliva of humans by the administration of Lactobacillus salivaruis T1 2711." J Jpn Soc Periodontol 2003;45: 105–112. Reference Mining Ishikawa, H., I. Akedo, et al. "Randomized trial of dietary fiber and Lactobacillus casei administration for prevention of colorectal tumors." Int J Cancer 2005;116(5):762–767. PubMed. Ishikawa, H., I. Akedo, et al. "Randomized controlled trial of the effect of bifidobacteria fermented milk on ulcerative colitis." J Am Coll Nutr 2003;22(1):56–63. PubMed. Isolauri, E., J. Joensuu, et al. "Improved immunogenicity of oral D x RRV reassortant rotavirus vaccine by Lactobacillus casei GG." Vaccine 1995;13(3):310–312. Reference Mining Isolauri, E., M. Juntunen, et al. "A human Lactobacillus strain (Lactobacillus casei sp strain GG) promotes recovery from acute diarrhea in children." Pediatrics 1991;88(1):90–97. Reference Mining Jensen, D. P. and D. L. Smith. "Fever of unknown origin secondary to brewer's yeast ingestion." Arch Intern Med 1976;136(3):332–333. Reference Mining 147 Jirapinyo, P., N. Densupsoontorn, et al. "Prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in infants by probiotics." J Med Assoc Thai 2002;85 Suppl 2: S739–742. PubMed. Johansson, M. L., S. Nobaek, et al. "Survival of Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 9843 (299v), and effect on the short-chain fatty acid content of faeces after ingestion of a rose-hip drink with fermented oats." Int J Food Microbiol 1998;42(1–2):29–38. PubMed. Kadooka, Y., M. Sato, et al. "Regulation of abdominal adiposity by probiotics (Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055) in adults with obese tendencies in a randomized controlled trial." Eur J Clin Nutr 2010;64(6):636–643. PubMed. 2010 update. Kajander, K., K. Hatakka, et al. "A probiotic mixture alleviates symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome patients: a controlled 6-month intervention." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2005;22(5):387–394. PubMed. Kajander, K., E. Myllyluoma, et al. "Clinical trial: multispecies probiotic supplementation alleviates the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and stabilizes intestinal microbiota." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008;27(1):48–57. PubMed. Kajimoto, O., T. Kurosaki, et al. "Antihypertensive effects of the liquid yogurts containing "lactotripeptides (VPP, IPP)" in mild hypertensive subjects." J Nutr Food 2002;5: 55–66. Reference Mining Karimi, O., A. S. Pena, et al. "Probiotics (VSL#3) in arthralgia in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease: a pilot study." Drugs Today (Barc) 2005;41(7):453–459. PubMed. Karvonen, A., I. Casas, et al. "Safety and possible antidiarrhoeal effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri after oral administration to neonates." Clinical Nutrition 2001;20(Suppl 3):63 abstract 216. Reference Mining Kawamura, T., K. Ohnuki, et al. "[A clinical study on a Lactobacillus casei preparation (LBG 01) in patients with chronic irregular bowel movement and abdominal discomfort]." Jpn Pharmacol Ther 1981;9:4361–4370. Reference Mining Kerac, M., J. Bunn, et al. "Probiotics and prebiotics for severe acute malnutrition (PRONUT study): a double-blind efficacy randomised controlled trial in Malawi." Lancet 2009;374(9684):136–144. PubMed. 2010 update. Kianifar, H. R., R. Farid, et al. "Probiotics in the treatment of acute diarrhea in young children." Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences 2009;34(3):204–207. Embase. 20100813 update. Kim, L. S., L. Hilli, et al. "Efficacy of probiotics and nutrients in functional gastrointestinal disorders: a preliminary clinical trial." Dig Dis Sci 2006;51(12):2134–2144. Hand Search Kim, L. S., L. Hilli, et al. "Efficacy of probiotics and nutrients in functional gastrointestinal disorders: a preliminary clinical trial." Dig Dis Sci 2006;51(12):2134–2144. Hand Search Kim, M. N., N. Kim, et al. "The effects of probiotics on PPI-triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication." Helicobacter 2008;13(4):261–268. PubMed. Kirchhelle, A., N. Fruhwein, et al. "[Treatment of persistent diarrhea with S. boulardii in returning travelers. Results of a prospective study]." Fortschr Med 1996;114(11):136–140. Reference Mining 148 Kirjavainen, P. V., S. J. Salminen, et al. "Probiotic bacteria in the management of atopic disease: underscoring the importance of viability." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2003;36(2):223–227. PubMed. Kitajima, H., Y. Sumida, et al.. "Early administration of Bifidobacterium breve to preterm infants: randomised controlled trial." Archives of Disease in Childhood -- Fetal & Neonatal Edition 1997;76(2):F101–107. CINAHL. Klarin, B., M. L. Johansson, et al.. "Adhesion of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum 299v onto the gut mucosa in critically ill patients: a randomised open trial." Crit Care 2005;9(3):R285–293. PubMed. Klarin, B., G. Molin, et al."Use of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 299 to reduce pathogenic bacteria in the oropharynx of intubated patients: a randomised controlled open pilot study." Crit Care 2008;12(6):R136. PubMed. Kniehl, E., A. Becker, et al. "Pseudo-outbreak of toxigenic Bacillus cereus isolated from stools of three patients with diarrhoea after oral administration of a probiotic medication." J Hosp Infect 2003;55(1):33–38. PubMed. Knight, D. J., D. Gardiner, et al. "Effect of synbiotic therapy on the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia in critically ill patients: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Intensive Care Med 2008. PubMed. Koning, C. J., D. M. Jonkers, et al. "The effect of a multispecies probiotic on the intestinal microbiota and bowel movements in healthy volunteers taking the antibiotic amoxycillin." Am J Gastroenterol 2008;103(1):178–189. PubMed. Kopp, M. V., I. Hennemuth, et al. "Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of probiotics for primary prevention: no clinical effects of Lactobacillus GG supplementation." Pediatrics 2008;121(4):e850–856. PubMed. Kotzampassi, K., E. J. Giamarellos-Bourboulis, et al. "Benefits of a synbiotic formula (Synbiotic 2000Forte) in critically Ill trauma patients: early results of a randomized controlled trial." World J Surg 2006;30(10):1848–1855. PubMed. Krasse, P., B. Carlsson, et al. "Decreased gum bleeding and reduced gingivitis by the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri." Swed Dent 2006;J 30(2):55–60. PubMed. Ku, W. "Probiotics provoked D-lactic acidosis in short bowel syndrome: Case report and literature review." HK J Paediatr 2006;11: 246–254. Embase titles. Kuitunen, M., K. Kukkonen, et al. "Pro- and prebiotic supplementation induces a transient reduction in hemoglobin concentration in infants." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2009;49(5):626– 630. PubMed. 2010 update. Kunz, A. N., J. M. Noel, et al. "Two cases of Lactobacillus bacteremia during probiotic treatment of short gut syndrome." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2004;38(4):457–458. PubMed. Kurugol, Z. and G. Koturoglu "Effects of Saccharomyces boulardii in children with acute diarrhoea." Acta Paediatr 2005;94(1):44–47. PubMed. 149 La Rosa, M., G. Bottaro, et al. "[Prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea with Lactobacillus sporogens and fructo-oligosaccharides in children. A multicentric double-blind vs placebo study]." Minerva Pediatr 2003;55(5):447–452. PubMed. Laitinen, K., T. Poussa, et al. "Probiotics and dietary counselling contribute to glucose regulation during and after pregnancy: a randomised controlled trial." Br J Nutr 2008: 1–9. PubMed. Lamiki, P., J. Tsuchiya, et al. "Probiotics in diverticular disease of the colon: an open label study." J Gastrointestin Liver Dis 2010;19(1):31–36. PubMed. 2010 update. Land, M. H., K. Rouster-Stevens, et al. "Lactobacillus sepsis associated with probiotic therapy." Pediatrics 2005;115(1):178–181. PubMed. Langhendries, J. P., J. Detry, et al. "Effect of a fermented infant formula containing viable bifidobacteria on the fecal flora composition and pH of healthy full-term infants." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1995;21(2):177–181. Reference Mining Larsen, C. N., S. Nielsen, et al. "Dose-response study of probiotic bacteria Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis BB-12 and Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei CRL-341 in healthy young adults." Eur J Clin Nutr 2006;60(11):1284–1293. PubMed. Larsson, P. G., B. Stray-Pedersen, et al. "Human lactobacilli as supplementation of clindamycin to patients with bacterial vaginosis reduce the recurrence rate; a 6-month, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study." BMC Womens Health 2008;8: 3. PubMed. Lata, J., J. Jurankova, et al. "Probiotics in acute pancreatitis - A randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study." Vnitrni Lekarstvi 2010;56(2):111–114. Embase. 20100813 update. Lawrence, S. J., J. R. Korzenik, et al. "Probiotics for recurrent Clostridium difficile disease." J Med Microbiol 2005;54(Pt 9):905–906. PubMed. Ledoux, D., V. J. Labombardi, et al. "Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteraemia after use of a probiotic in a patient with AIDS and Hodgkin's disease." Int J STD AIDS 2006;17(4):280–282. PubMed. Lee, H. J., R. D. Waller, et al. "The effects of an orally administered probiotic on sulfasalazine metabolism in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis: a preliminary study." Int J Rheum Dis 2010;13(1):48–54. PubMed. 2010 update. Lestin, F., A. Pertschy, et al. "[Fungemia after oral treatment with Saccharomyces boulardii in a patient with multiple comorbidities]." Dtsch Med Wochenschr 2003;128(48):2531–2533. PubMed. Lherm, T., C. Monet, et al.. "Seven cases of fungemia with Saccharomyces boulardii in critically ill patients." Intensive Care Med 2002;28(6):797–801. Reference Mining Li, Y., T. Shimizu, et al. "Effects of bifidobacterium breve supplementation on intestinal flora of low birth weight infants." Pediatr Int 2004;46(5):509–515. Reference Mining Ligaarden, S. C., L. Axelsson, et al. "A candidate probiotic with unfavourable effects in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial." BMC Gastroenterol 2010;10:16. PubMed. 2010 update. 150 Lighthouse, J., Y. Naito, et al.. "Endotoxinemia and benzodiazepine-like substances in compensated cirrhotic patients: A randomized study comparing the effect of rifaximine alone and in association with a symbiotic preparation." Hepatology Research 2004;28(3):155–160. Embase titles. Lin, H. C., C. H. Hsu, et al. "Oral probiotics prevent necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight preterm infants: a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial." Pediatrics 2008;122(4):693– 700. PubMed. Lin, H. C., B. H. Su, et al. "Oral probiotics reduce the incidence and severity of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants." Pediatrics 2005;115(1):1–4. PubMed. Lin, S. Y., J. W. Ayres, et al. "Lactobacillus effects on cholesterol: in vitro and in vivo results." J Dairy Sci 1989;72(11):2885–2899. Reference Mining Ljungberg, M., R. Korpela, et al. "Probiotics for the prevention of beta cell autoimmunity in children at genetic risk of type 1 diabetes--the PRODIA study." Ann N Y Acad Sci 2006;1079: 360–364. PubMed. Loguercio, C., C. Del Vecchio Blanco, et al. "Enterococcus lactic acid bacteria strain SF68 and lactulose in hepatic encephalopathy: a controlled study." J Int Med Res 1987;15(6):335–343. Reference Mining Lolis, N., D. Veldekis, et al. "Saccharomyces boulardii fungaemia in an intensive care unit patient treated with caspofungin." Crit Care 2008;12(2):414. PubMed. Lombardo, L., A. Vernetto, et al. "Clinical evaluation of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei F19 with gluco-oligosaccharides in the short-term treatment of irritable bowel syndrome." Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 2009;21(1):28–32. Embase. 20100813 update. Lonnermark, E., V. Friman, et al. "Intake of Lactobacillus plantarum reduces certain gastrointestinal symptoms during treatment with antibiotics." J Clin Gastroenterol 2010;44(2):106–112. PubMed. 2010 update. Lu, M. C., M. D. Yang, et al."Probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus can promote gastrointestinal functions effectively and safely in human." Clinical Nutrition 2004;23: 856. MANTIS. Lungarotti, M. S., D. Mezzetti, et al. "Methaemoglobinaemia with concurrent blood isolation of Saccharomyces and Candida." Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2003;88(5):F446. Reference Mining Luoto, R., E. Isolauri, et al. "Safety of Lactobacillus GG probiotic in infants with very low birth weight: twelve years of experience." Clin Infect Dis 2010;50(9):1327–1328. PubMed. 2010 update. Luoto, R., K. Laitinen, et al."Impact of maternal probiotic-supplemented dietary counselling on pregnancy outcome and prenatal and postnatal growth: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study." Br J Nutr 2010;103(12):1792–1799. PubMed. 2010 update. Mackay, A. D., M. B. Taylor, et al. "Lactobacillus endocarditis caused by a probiotic organism." Clin Microbiol Infect 1999;5(5):290–292. PubMed. Makelainen, H., R. Tahvonen, et al. "In vivo safety assessment of two Bifidobacterium longum strains." Microbiol Immunol 2003;47(12):911–914. PubMed. 151 Malaguarnera, M., M. P. Gargante, et al. "Bifidobacterium combined with fructo-oligosaccharide versus lactulose in the treatment of patients with hepatic encephalopathy." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2010;22(2):199–206. PubMed. 2010 update. Malaguarnera, M., F. Greco, et al. "Bifidobacterium longum with fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) treatment in minimal hepatic encephalopathy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study." Dig Dis Sci 2007;52(11):3259–3265. PubMed. Maldonado, J., F. Lara-Villoslada, et al. "Safety and tolerance of the human milk probiotic strain Lactobacillus salivarius CECT5713 in 6-month-old children." Nutrition 2009. PubMed. 2010 update. Malin, M., P. Verronen, et al. "Increased bacterial urease activity in faeces in juvenile chronic arthritis: evidence of altered intestinal microflora?" Br J Rheumatol 1996;35(7):689–694. Reference Mining Malkov, S. V., V. V. Markelov, et al. "Significant delay of lethal outcome in cancer patients due to peroral administration of Bacillus oligonitrophilus KU-1." ScientificWorldJournal 2006;6: 2177–2187. PubMed. Mandel, D. R., K. Eichas, et al.. "Bacillus coagulans: a viable adjunct therapy for relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis according to a randomized, controlled trial." BMC Complement Altern Med 2010;10: 1. PubMed. 2010 update. Manley, K. J., M. B. Fraenkel, et al.. "Probiotic treatment of vancomycin-resistant enterococci: a randomised controlled trial." Med J Aust 2007;186(9):454–457. PubMed. Manzoni, P., M. Mostert, et al. "Oral supplementation with Lactobacillus casei subspecies rhamnosus prevents enteric colonization by Candida species in preterm neonates: a randomized study." Clin Infect Dis 2006;42(12):1735–1742. PubMed. Margreiter, M., K. Ludl, et al. "Therapeutic value of a Lactobacillus gasseri and Bifidobacterium longum fixed bacterium combination in acute diarrhea: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial." Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2006;44(5):207–215. PubMed. Marotta, Y. Naito, et al. "Disrupted mucosal barrier in quiescent ulcerative colitis: Effect of metronidazole and of a symbiotic preparation in a pilot cross-over study." Chinese Journal of Digestive Diseases 2003;4(6):180–185. Embase titles. Marrazzo, J. M., R. L. Cook, et al. "Women's satisfaction with an intravaginal Lactobacillus capsule for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis." J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2006;15(9):1053– 1060. PubMed. Marseglia, G. L., M. Tosca, et al. "Efficacy of Bacillus clausii spores in the prevention of recurrent respiratory infections in children: a pilot study." Ther Clin Risk Manag 2007;3(1):13– 17. PubMed. Marteau, P., M. Lemann, et al. "Ineffectiveness of Lactobacillus johnsonii LA1 for prophylaxis of postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease: a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled GETAID trial." Gut 2006;55(6):842–847. PubMed. Martinez, R. C., S. A. Franceschini, et al. "Improved treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis with fluconazole plus probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14." Lett Appl Microbiol 2009;48(3):269–274. PubMed. 152 Martinez, R. C., S. A. Franceschini, et al. "Improved cure of bacterial vaginosis with single dose of tinidazole (2 g), Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1, and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Can J Microbiol 2009;55(2):133–138. PubMed. Martinez-Canavate, A., S. Sierra, et al. "A probiotic dairy product containing L. gasseri CECT5714 and L. coryniformis CECT5711 induces immunological changes in children suffering from allergy." Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2009;20(6):592–600. PubMed. 2010 update. Mayanagi, G., M. Kimura, et al. "Probiotic effects of orally administered Lactobacillus salivarius WB21-containing tablets on periodontopathic bacteria: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial." J Clin Periodontol 2009;36(6):506–513. PubMed. 2010 update. McFarland, L. V., C. M. Surawicz, et al. "Prevention of beta-lactam-associated diarrhea by Saccharomyces boulardii compared with placebo." Am J Gastroenterol 1995;90(3):439–448. Reference Mining McFarland, L. V., C. M. Surawicz, et al. "A randomized placebo-controlled trial of Saccharomyces boulardii in combination with standard antibiotics for Clostridium difficile disease." JAMA 1994;271(24):1913–1918. Reference Mining McNaught, C. E., N. P. Woodcock, et al. "A prospective randomised study of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 299V on indices of gut barrier function in elective surgical patients." Gut 2002;51(6):827–831. PubMed. Mego, M., L. Ebringer, et al. "Prevention of febrile neutropenia in cancer patients by probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium M-74. Pilot study phase I." Neoplasma 2005;52(2):159–164. PubMed. Mego, M., R. Koncekova, et al. "Prevention of febrile neutropenia in cancer patients by probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium M-74. Phase II study." Support Care Cancer 2006;14(3):285–290. PubMed. Merenstein, D., M. Murphy, et al. "Use of a fermented dairy probiotic drink containing Lactobacillus casei (DN-114 001) to decrease the rate of illness in kids: the DRINK study. A patient-oriented, double-blind, cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial." Eur J Clin Nutr 2010;64(7):669–677. PubMed. 2010 update. Merenstein, D. J., J. Foster, et al. "A randomized clinical trial measuring the influence of kefir on antibiotic-associated diarrhea: the measuring the influence of Kefir (MILK) Study." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2009;163(8):750–754. PubMed. 2010 update. Metts, J., T. R. Famula, et al. "Lactobacillus acidophilus, strain NAS (H2O2 positive), in reduction of recurrent candidal vulvovaginitis." Journal of Applied Research 2003;3(4):340–348. CINAHL. Michetti, P., G. Dorta, et al. "Effect of whey-based culture supernatant of Lactobacillus acidophilus (johnsonii) La1 on Helicobacter pylori infection in humans." Digestion 1999;60(3):203–209. Reference Mining Miele, E., F. Pascarella, et al. "Effect of a probiotic preparation (VSL#3) on induction and maintenance of remission in children with ulcerative colitis." Am J Gastroenterol 2009;104(2):437–443. PubMed. 153 Millar, M. R., C. Bacon, et al. "Enteral feeding of premature infants with Lactobacillus GG." Arch Dis Child 1993;69(5 Spec No):483–487. PubMed. Mimura, T., F. Rizzello, et al. "Once daily high dose probiotic therapy (VSL#3) for maintaining remission in recurrent or refractory pouchitis." Gut 2004;53(1):108–114. PubMed. Miyaji, M., N. Yasue, et al. "Yogurt containing Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2716(LG21) ameliorates gastric mucosal inflammation in Helicobacter pylori infected patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms." Japanese Pharcology and Therapeutics 2006;34(1):91–96. Embase titles. Morrow, L. E., M. H. Kollef, et al. "Probiotic Prophylaxis of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia: A Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial." Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2010. PubMed. 2010 update. Mukerji, S. S., M. A. Pynnonen, et al. "Probiotics as adjunctive treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis: a randomized controlled trial."Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2009;140(2):202– 208. PubMed. Munakata, S., C. Arakawa, et al. "A case of D-lactic acid encephalopathy associated with use of probiotics." Brain Dev 2010;32(8):691–694. PubMed. 2010 update. Munoz, P., E. Bouza, et al. "Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia: an emerging infectious disease." Clin Infect Dis 2005;40(11):1625–1634. PubMed. Muting, D., W. Eschrich, et al. "The effect of bacterium bifidum on intestinal bacterial flora and toxic protein metabolites in chronic liver disease." Am J Proctol 1968;19(5):336–342. Reference Mining Naito, S., H. Koga, et al. "Prevention of recurrence with epirubicin and lactobacillus casei after transurethral resection of bladder cancer." J Urol 2008;179(2):485–490. PubMed. Newcomer, A. D., H. S. Park, et al. "Response of patients with irritable bowel syndrome and lactase deficiency using unfermented acidophilus milk." Am J Clin Nutr 1983;38(2):257–263. Reference Mining Niault, M., F. Thomas, et al. "Fungemia due to Saccharomyces species in a patient treated with enteral Saccharomyces boulardii." Clin Infect Dis 1999;28(4):930. PubMed. Niers, L., R. Martin, et al. "The effects of selected probiotic strains on the development of eczema (the PandA study)." Allergy 2009;64(9):1349–1358. Reference Mining Niv, E., T. Naftali, et al. "The efficacy of Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 in the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome--a double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study." Clin Nutr 2005;24(6):925–931. PubMed. Nobuta, Y., T. Inoue, et al. "The efficacy and the safety of lactobacillus brevis kb290 as a human probiotics." Int J of Probiotics and Prebiotics 2009;4(4):263–270. Update Search Nobuta, Y., T. Inoue, et al. "The efficacy and the safety of lactobacillus brevis kb290 as a human probiotics." Int J of Probiotics and Prebiotics 2009;4(4):263–270. Hand Search Oggioni, M. R., G. Pozzi, et al. "Recurrent septicemia in an immunocompromised patient due to probiotic strains of Bacillus subtilis." J Clin Microbiol 1998;36(1):325–326. PubMed. 154 Oh, M. S., K. R. Phelps, et al. "D-lactic acidosis in a man with the short-bowel syndrome." N Engl J Med 1979;301(5):249–252. Reference Mining Ohishi, A., S. Takahashi, et al. "Bifidobacterium septicemia associated with postoperative probiotic therapy in a neonate with omphalocele." J Pediatr 2007;156(4):679–681. PubMed. 2010 update. Ojetti, V., G. Gigante, et al. "The effect of oral supplementation with Lactobacillus reuteri or tilactase in lactose intolerant patients: randomized trial." Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2010;14(3):163–170. PubMed. 2010 update. Olah, A., T. Belagyi, et al. "[Combination of early nasojejunal feeding with modern synbiotic therapy in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis (prospective, randomized, double-blind study)]." Magy Seb 2005;58(3):173–178. PubMed. Olivares, M., M. A. Diaz-Ropero, et al. "Oral administration of two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus gasseri CECT5714 and Lactobacillus coryniformis CECT5711, enhances the intestinal function of healthy adults." Int J Food Microbiol 2006;107(2):104–111. PubMed. O'Mahony, L., J. McCarthy, et al. "Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in irritable bowel syndrome: symptom responses and relationship to cytokine profiles." Gastroenterology 2005;128(3):541–551. PubMed. Osterlund, P., T. Ruotsalainen, et al. "Lactobacillus supplementation for diarrhoea related to chemotherapy of colorectal cancer: a randomised study." Br J Cancer 2007;97(8):1028–1034. PubMed. Ouwehand, A. C., M. Nermes, et al. "Specific probiotics alleviate allergic rhinitis during the birch pollen season." World J Gastroenterol 2009;15(26):3261–3268. PubMed. 2010 update. Ozkinay, E., M. C. Terek, et al. "The effectiveness of live lactobacilli in combination with low dose oestriol (Gynoflor) to restore the vaginal flora after treatment of vaginal infections." BJOG 2005;112(2):234–240. Reference Mining Panigrahi, P., S. Parida, et al. "Long-term colonization of a Lactobacillus plantarum synbiotic preparation in the neonatal gut." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2008;47(1):45–53. PubMed. Parent, D., M. Bossens, et al. "Therapy of bacterial vaginosis using exogenously-applied Lactobacilli acidophili and a low dose of estriol: a placebo-controlled multicentric clinical trial." Arzneimittelforschung 1996;46(1):68–73. Reference Mining Parfenov, A. I., I. N. Ruchkina, et al. "[Clinical efficacy of activia tvorozhnaya in patients with the irritated bowels syndrome with the prevalence of constipations]." Eksp Klin Gastroenterol 2005;(3):37–42. PubMed. Parfenov, A. I., I. N. Ruchkina, et al. "[Clinical efficacy of Actimel for patients with the irritated bowel syndrome with prevailing diarrhea]." Eksp Klin Gastroenterol 2005;(5):45–52. PubMed. Parra, M. D., B. E. Martinez de Morentin, et al. "Daily ingestion of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei DN114001 improves innate-defense capacity in healthy middle-aged people." J Physiol Biochem 2004;60(2):85–91. PubMed. Passeron, T., J. P. Lacour, et al. "Prebiotics and synbiotics: two promising approaches for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in children above 2 years." Allergy 2006;61(4):431–437. PubMed. 155 Peral, M. C., M. A. Martinez, et al. "Bacteriotherapy with Lactobacillus plantarum in burns." Int Wound J 2009;6(1):73–81. PubMed. Perapoch, J., A. M. Planes, et al. "Fungemia with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in two newborns, only one of whom had been treated with ultra-levura." Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2000;19(6):468–470. Reference Mining Pereg, D., A. Kotliroff, et al. "Probiotics for patients with compensated liver cirrhosis: A doubleblind placebo-controlled study." Nutrition 2010. PubMed. 2010 update. Petschow, B. W., R. Figueroa, et al. "Effects of feeding an infant formula containing Lactobacillus GG on the colonization of the intestine: a dose-response study in healthy infants." J Clin Gastroenterol 2005;39(9):786–790. Reference Mining Piarroux, R., L. Millon, et al. "Are live saccharomyces yeasts harmful to patients?" Lancet 1999;353(9167):1851–1852. Reference Mining Piechno, S., P. Seguin, et al. "[Saccharomyces boulardii fungal sepsis: beware of the yeast]." Can J Anaesth 2007;54(3):245–246. PubMed. Pletinex, M., J. Legein, et al. "Fungemia with Saccharomyces boulardii in a 1-year old girl with protracted diarrhoea." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1995;21: 113–115. Reference Mining Prantera, C., M. L. Scribano, et al. "Ineffectiveness of probiotics in preventing recurrence after curative resection for Crohn's disease: a randomised controlled trial with Lactobacillus GG." Gut 2002;51(3):405–409. PubMed. Pregliasco, F., G. Anselmi, et al. "A new chance of preventing winter diseases by the administration of synbiotic formulations." J Clin Gastroenterol 2008;42 Suppl 3 Pt 2: S224–233. Hand Search Pregliasco, F., G. Anselmi, et al. "A new chance of preventing winter diseases by the administration of synbiotic formulations." J Clin Gastroenterol 2008;42 Suppl 3 Pt 2: S224–233. Hand Search Pregliasco, F., G. Anselmi, et al. "A new chance of preventing winter diseases by the administration of synbiotic formulations." J Clin Gastroenterol 2008;42 Suppl 3 Pt 2: S224–233. Hand Search Presterl, E., W. Kneifel, et al. "Endocarditis by Lactobacillus rhamnosus due to yogurt ingestion?" Scand J Infect Dis 2001;33(9):710–714. PubMed. Puccio, G., C. Cajozzo, et al. "Clinical evaluation of a new starter formula for infants containing live Bifidobacterium longum BL999 and prebiotics." Nutrition 2007;23(1):1–8. PubMed. Rampengan, N. H., J. Manoppo, et al. "Comparison of efficacies between live and killed probiotics in children with lactose malabsorption." Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 2010;41(2):474–481. PubMed. 2010 update. Ranganathan, N., E. A. Friedman, et al. "Probiotic dietary supplementation in patients with stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease: a 6-month pilot scale trial in Canada." Curr Med Res Opin 2009;25(8):1919–1930. PubMed. 2010 update. Rautava, S., S. Salminen, et al. "Specific probiotics in reducing the risk of acute infections in infancy - a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study." Br J Nutr 2008: 1–5. PubMed. 156 Rautio, M., H. Jousimies-Somer, et al. "Liver abscess due to a Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain indistinguishable from L. rhamnosus strain GG." Clin Infect Dis 1999;28(5):1159–1160. Reference Mining Rayes, N., S. Hansen, et al. "Early enteral supply of fiber and Lactobacilli versus conventional nutrition: a controlled trial in patients with major abdominal surgery." Nutrition 2002;18(7– 8):609–615. Reference Mining Rayes, N., D. Seehofer, et al. "Early enteral supply of lactobacillus and fiber versus selective bowel decontamination: a controlled trial in liver transplant recipients." Transplantation 2002;74(1):123–127. PubMed. Rayes, N., D. Seehofer, et al. "Effect of enteral nutrition and synbiotics on bacterial infection rates after pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy: a randomized, double-blind trial." Ann Surg 2007;246(1):36–41. PubMed. Rayes, N., D. Seehofer, et al. "Supply of pre- and probiotics reduces bacterial infection rates after liver transplantation--a randomized, double-blind trial." Am J Transplant 2005;5(1):125– 130. PubMed. Reid, G., A. Bruce, et al. "Instillation of Lactobacillus and stimulation of indigenous organisms to prevent recurrence of urinary tract infections." Microecol Ther 1995;(23):32–45. Reference Mining Reid, G., A. W. Bruce, et al. "Oral probiotics can resolve urogenital infections." FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 2001;30(1):49–52. PubMed. Reid, G., A. W. Bruce, et al. "Influence of three-day antimicrobial therapy and lactobacillus vaginal suppositories on recurrence of urinary tract infections." Clin Ther 1992;14(1):11–16. Reference Mining Ren, Y. F. and L. L. Wang. "[Effects of probiotics on intestinal bacterial colonization in premature infants]." Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi 2010;12(3):192–194. PubMed. 2010 update. Reuman, P. D., D. H. Duckworth, et al. "Lack of effect of Lactobacillus on gastrointestinal bacterial colonization in premature infants." Pediatr Infect Dis 1986;5(6):663–668. Reference Mining Richard, V., P. Van der Auwera, et al. "Nosocomial bacteremia caused by Bacillus species." Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1988;7(6):783–785. Reference Mining Richelsen, B., K. Kristensen, et al. "Long-term (6 months) effect of a new fermented milk product on the level of plasma lipoproteins--a placebo-controlled and double blind study." Eur J Clin Nutr 1996;50(12):811–815. Reference Mining Rijnders, B. J., E. Van Wijngaerden, et al. "Saccharomyces fungemia complicating Saccharomyces boulardii treatment in a non-immunocompromised host." Intensive Care Med 2000;26(6):825. PubMed. Rio, M. E., L. Zago Beatriz, et al. "[The nutritional status change the effectiveness of a dietary supplement of lactic bacteria on the emerging of respiratory tract diseases in children]." Arch Latinoam Nutr 2002;52(1):29–34. PubMed. 157 Riquelme, A. J., M. A. Calvo, et al. "Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia after Saccharomyces boulardii treatment in immunocompromised patients." J Clin Gastroenterol 2003;36(1):41–43. PubMed. Roos, K., E. G. Hakansson, et al. "Effect of recolonisation with "interfering" alpha streptococci on recurrences of acute and secretory otitis media in children: randomised placebo controlled trial." BMJ 2001;322(7280):210–212. Reference Mining Roos, K., S. E. Holm, et al.. "Recolonization with selected alpha-streptococci for prophylaxis of recurrent streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis--a randomized placebo-controlled multicentre study." Scand J Infect Dis 1996;28(5):459–462. Reference Mining Rose, M. A., F. Stieglitz, et al. "Efficacy of probiotic Lactobacillus GG on allergic sensitization and asthma in infants at risk." Clin Exp Allergy 2010;40(9):1398–1405. PubMed. 2010 update. Rosenfeldt, V., K. F. Michaelsen, et al. "Effect of probiotic Lactobacillus strains on acute diarrhea in a cohort of nonhospitalized children attending day-care centers." Pediatr Infect Dis J 2002;21(5):417–419. PubMed. Rosenfeldt V, P. A., Larsen CN, Moller PL, Tvede M, Sandstrom B, Jakobsen M, Michaelsen KF. "Faecal recovery, mucosal adhesion, gastrointestinal effects and tolerance of mixed cultures of potential probiotic Lactobacilli." Microbial Ecology in Health & Disease 2003;15(1):2–9. Hand Search Rosenfeldt V, P. A., Larsen CN, Moller PL, Tvede M, Sandstrom B, Jakobsen M, Michaelsen KF. "Faecal recovery, mucosal adhesion, gastrointestinal effects and tolerance of mixed cultures of potential probiotic Lactobacilli." Microbial Ecology in Health & Disease 2003;15(1):2–9. Hand Search Rougé, C., H. Piloquet, et al. "Oral supplementation with probiotics in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89(6):1828–1835. PubMed. Ruiz-Palacios, G., F. Tuz, et al. "Tolerance and fecal colinization with Lactobacillus reuteri in children fed a beverage with a mixture of Lactobacillus spp." Pediatr Res 1996;39(4):184A. Reference Mining Saavedra, J. M., A. Abi-Hanna, et al. "Long-term consumption of infant formulas containing live probiotic bacteria: tolerance and safety." Am J Clin Nutr 2004;79(2):261–267. PubMed. Safdar, N., R. Barigala, et al. "Feasibility and tolerability of probiotics for prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in hospitalized US military veterans." J Clin Pharm Ther 2008;33(6):663–668. PubMed. Sahagun-Flores, J., L. Lopez-Pena, et al. "Eradication of Helicobacter pylori: triple treatment scheme plus Lactobacillus vs. triple treatment alone." Cir Cir 2007;75(5):333–336. Hand Search Saint-Marc Th, Blehaut H, et al. "AIDS related diarrhea: a double-blind trial of Saccharomyces boulardii." Sem Hôp Paris 1995;71: 735–741. Hand Search Sakamoto, I., M. Igarashi, et al. "Suppressive effect of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL 2716 (LG21) on Helicobacter pylori infection in humans." J Antimicrob Chemother 2001;47(5):709–710. PubMed. 158 Salminen, E., I. Elomaa, et al. "Preservation of intestinal integrity during radiotherapy using live Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures." Clin Radiol 1988;39(4):435–437. Reference Mining Salminen, M. K., S. Tynkkynen, et al. "The efficacy and safety of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG on prolonged, noninfectious diarrhea in HIV Patients on antiretroviral therapy: a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study." HIV Clin Trials 2004;5(4):183–191. PubMed. Samanta, M., M. Sarkar, et al. "Prophylactic probiotics for prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight newborns." J Trop Pediatr 2009;55(2):128–131. PubMed. Satokari, R. M., E. E. Vaughan, et al. "Polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis monitoring of fecal bifidobacterium populations in a prebiotic and probiotic feeding trial." Syst Appl Microbiol 2001;24(2):227–231. PubMed. Savino, F., E. Pelle, et al. "Lactobacillus reuteri (American Type Culture Collection Strain 55730) versus simethicone in the treatment of infantile colic: a prospective randomized study." Pediatrics 2007;119(1):e124–130. PubMed. Sazawal, S., Dhingra U, et al. (In press). "Probiotic-prebiotic fortified milk in prevention of morbidities among children: community-based, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. ." PLOS One. Hand Search Scalabrin, D. M., W. H. Johnston, et al. "Growth and tolerance of healthy term infants receiving hydrolyzed infant formulas supplemented with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG: randomized, double-blind, controlled trial." Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2009;48(7):734–744. PubMed. 2010 update. Schneider, S. M., F. Girard-Pipau, et al. "Effects of Saccharomyces boulardii on fecal shortchain fatty acids and microflora in patients on long-term total enteral nutrition." World J Gastroenterol 2005;11(39):6165–6169. PubMed. Schrezenmeir, J., K. Heller, et al. "Benefits of oral supplementation with and without synbiotics in young children with acute bacterial infections." Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2004;43(3):239–249. PubMed. Schultz, M., A. Timmer, et al. "Lactobacillus GG in inducing and maintaining remission of Crohn's disease." BMC Gastroenterol 2004;4: 5. PubMed. Seppo, L., T. Jauhiainen, et al. "A fermented milk high in bioactive peptides has a blood pressure-lowering effect in hypertensive subjects." Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77(2):326–330. Reference Mining Shen, B., A. Brzezinski, et al. "Maintenance therapy with a probiotic in antibiotic-dependent pouchitis: experience in clinical practice." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2005;22(8):721–728. PubMed. Sierra, S., F. Lara-Villoslada, et al. "Intestinal and immunological effects of daily oral administration of Lactobacillus salivarius CECT5713 to healthy adults." Anaerobe 2010;16(3):195–200. PubMed. 2010 update. Simons, L. A., S. G. Amansec, et al. "Effect of Lactobacillus fermentum on serum lipids in subjects with elevated serum cholesterol." Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2006;16(8):531–535. PubMed. 159 Simren, M., L. Ohman, et al. "Clinical trial: the effects of a fermented milk containing three probiotic bacteria in patients with irritable bowel syndrome - a randomized, double-blind, controlled study." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010;31(2):218–227. PubMed. 2010 update. Song, M. J., D. I. Park, et al. "The effect of probiotics and mucoprotective agents on PPI-based triple therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori." Helicobacter 2010;15(3):206–213. PubMed. 2010 update. Songisepp, E., J. Kals, et al. . "Evaluation of the functional efficacy of an antioxidative probiotic in healthy volunteers." Nutr J 2005;4: 22. PubMed. Songisepp, E., J. Kals, et al. "Evaluation of the functional efficacy of an antioxidative probiotic in healthy volunteers." Nutr J 2005;4: 22. Hand Search Sood, A., V. Midha, et al. "The probiotic preparation, VSL#3 induces remission in patients with mild-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis." Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2009;7(11):1202–1209, 1209 e1201. PubMed. 2010 update. Spanhaak, S., R. Havenaar, et al. "The effect of consumption of milk fermented by Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota on the intestinal microflora and immune parameters in humans." Eur J Clin Nutr 1998;52(12):899–907. PubMed. Srinivasan, R., R. Meyer, et al. "Clinical safety of Lactobacillus casei shirota as a probiotic in critically ill children." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2006;42(2):171–173. PubMed. Stockert, K., B. Schneider, et al. "Laser acupuncture and probiotics in school age children with asthma: a randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study of therapy guided by principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine." Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2007;18(2):160–166. PubMed. Stotzer, P. O., L. Blomberg, et al. "Probiotic treatment of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth by Lactobacillus fermentum KLD." Scand J Infect Dis 1996;28(6):615–619. PubMed. Stratiki, Z., C. Costalos, et al. "The effect of a bifidobacter supplemented bovine milk on intestinal permeability of preterm infants." Early Hum Dev 2007;83(9):575–579. PubMed. Sullivan, A., L. Barkholt, et al. "Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus F19 prevent antibiotic-associated ecological disturbances of Bacteroides fragilis in the intestine." J Antimicrob Chemother 2003;52(2):308–311. PubMed. Sykora, J., K. Valeckova, et al. "Effects of a specially designed fermented milk product containing probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 and the eradication of H. pylori in children: a prospective randomized double-blind study." J Clin Gastroenterol 2005;39(8):692–698. PubMed. Tamura, M., T. Shikina, et al. "Effects of probiotics on allergic rhinitis induced by Japanese cedar pollen: randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial." Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2007;143(1):75–82. PubMed. Tasli, L., M. C., et al. "Lactobacilli lozenges in the management of oral ulcers of Behcet's syndrome." Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2006;24(5 SUPPL. 42):S83–S86. Embase titles. 160 Taylor, A. L., J. A. Dunstan, et al. "Probiotic supplementation for the first 6 months of life fails to reduce the risk of atopic dermatitis and increases the risk of allergen sensitization in high-risk children: a randomized controlled trial." J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007;119(1):184–191. PubMed. Tempe, J. D. "Prophylaxe von Diarrhoen unter kontinuierlicher enteraler Ernahrung." Therapiewoche 1985;35: 3505–3509. Reference Mining Teran, C. G., C. N. Teran-Escalera, et al. "Nitazoxanide vs. probiotics for the treatment of acute rotavirus diarrhea in children: a randomized, single-blind, controlled trial in Bolivian children." Int J Infect Dis 2008. PubMed. Thomas, M. R., S. C. Litin, et al. "Lack of effect of Lactobacillus GG on antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial." Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2001;76(9):883–889. CINAHL. Tommasi, C., F. Equitani, et al. "Diagnostic difficulties of Lactobacillus casei bacteraemia in immunocompetent patients: A case report." J Med Case Reports 2008;2: 315. PubMed. Tomoda, T., Y. Nakano, et al. "Effect of yogurt and yogurt supplemented with Bifidobacterium and/or lactulose in healthy persons: a comparative study " Bifidobacteria Microflora 1991;10: 123–130. Reference Mining Trautmann, M., I. Synowzik, et al. "Fungemia due to Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii." Chemotherapie Journal 2008;17(2):57–61. Embase titles. Tsuchiya, J., R. Barreto, et al. "Single-blind follow-up study on the effectiveness of a symbiotic preparation in irritable bowel syndrome." Chin J Dig Dis 2004;5(4):169–174. PubMed. Turchet, P., M. Laurenzano, et al. "Effect of fermented milk containing the probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN-114001 on winter infections in free-living elderly subjects: a randomised, controlled pilot study." J Nutr Health Aging 2003;7(2):75–77. PubMed. Tursi, A., G. Brandimarte, et al. "Mesalazine and/or Lactobacillus casei in maintaining long-term remission of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon." Hepatogastroenterology 2008;55(84):916–920. PubMed. Tursi, A., G. Brandimarte, et al. "Low-dose balsalazide plus a high-potency probiotic preparation is more effective than balsalazide alone or mesalazine in the treatment of acute mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis." Med Sci Monit 2004;10(11):PI126–131. PubMed. Tursi, A., G. Brandimarte, et al. "Treatment of Relapsing Mild-to-Moderate Ulcerative Colitis With the Probiotic VSL#3 as Adjunctive to a Standard Pharmaceutical Treatment: A DoubleBlind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study." Am J Gastroenterol. PubMed 2010. 2010 update. Underwood, M. A., N. H. Salzman, et al. (2009). "A randomized placebo-controlled comparison of 2 prebiotic/probiotic combinations in preterm infants: impact on weight gain, intestinal microbiota, and fecal short-chain fatty acids." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 48(2):216–225. PubMed. Urban, M., K. Bolton, et al. "Growth of infants born to HIV-infected women when fed a biologically acidified starter formula with and without probiotics." South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008;21(1):28–32. Embase titles. 161 Urbancsek, H., T. Kazar, et al. "Results of a double-blind, randomized study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Antibiophilus in patients with radiation-induced diarrhoea." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2001;13(4):391–396. PubMed. Van Bodegraven, A. A., K. O., et al. "IBD-related spondylarthropathy and probiotics." EOS Rivista di Immunologia ed Immunofarmacologia 2004;24(1–2):52–55. Embase titles. van der Aa, L. B., H. S. Heymans, et al. "Effect of a new synbiotic mixture on atopic dermatitis in infants: a randomized-controlled trial." Clin Exp Allergy 2010;40(5):795–804. PubMed. 2010 update. Van Gossum, A., O. Dewit, et al. "Multicenter randomized-controlled clinical trial of probiotics (Lactobacillus johnsonii, LA1) on early endoscopic recurrence of Crohn's disease after lleo caecal resection." Inflamm Bowel Dis 2007;13(2):135–142. PubMed. Velaphi, S. C., P. A. Cooper, et al. "Growth and metabolism of infants born to women infected with human immunodeficiency virus and fed acidified whey-adapted starter formulas." Nutrition 2008;24(3):203–211. PubMed. Vendt, N., H. Grunberg, et al. "Growth during the first 6 months of life in infants using formula enriched with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG: double-blind, randomized trial." J Hum Nutr Diet 2006;19(1):51–58. PubMed. Viggiano, M., C. Badetti, et al. "[Saccharomyces boulardii fungemia in a patient with severe burns]." Ann Fr Anesth Reanim 1995;14(4):356–358. Reference Mining Vleggaar, F. P., J. F. Monkelbaan, et al. "Probiotics in primary sclerosing cholangitis: a randomized placebo-controlled crossover pilot study." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2008;20(7):688–692. PubMed. Vlieger, A. M., A. Robroch, et al. "Tolerance and safety of Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei in combination with Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis in a prebiotic-containing infant formula: a randomised controlled trial." Br J Nutr 2009: 1–7. PubMed. Wada, M., S. Nagata, et al. "Effects of the enteral administration of Bifidobacterium breve on patients undergoing chemotherapy for pediatric malignancies." Support Care Cancer 2010;18(6):751–759. PubMed. 2010 update. Wang, C., H. Shoji, et al. "Effects of oral administration of Bifidobacterium breve on fecal lactic acid and short-chain fatty acids in low birth weight infants." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2007;44: 252–257. Embase titles. Wang, M. F., H. C. Lin, et al. "Treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis with lactic acid bacteria." Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2004;15(2):152–158. PubMed. Weiss, B., Y. Bujanover, et al. "Probiotic supplementation affects pulmonary exacerbations in patients with cystic fibrosis: a pilot study." Pediatr Pulmonol 2010;45(6):536–540. PubMed. 2010 update. Weizman, Z. and A. Alsheikh. "Safety and tolerance of a probiotic formula in early infancy comparing two probiotic agents: a pilot study." J Am Coll Nutr 2006;25(5):415–419. PubMed. Weizman, Z., G. Asli, et al. "Effect of a probiotic infant formula on infections in child care centers: comparison of two probiotic agents." Pediatrics 2005;115(1):5–9. PubMed. 162 Weston, S., A. Halbert, et al. "Effects of probiotics on atopic dermatitis: a randomised controlled trial." Arch Dis Child 2005;90(9):892–897. PubMed. Wewalka, G., A. Stary, et al. "Efficacy of povidone-iodine vaginal suppositories in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis." Dermatology 2002;204 Suppl 1: 79–85. PubMed. Wheeler, J. G., S. J. Shema, et al. "Immune and clinical impact of Lactobacillus acidophilus on asthma." Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 1997;79(3):229–233. Reference Mining Wildt, S., L. K. Munck, et al. "Probiotic treatment of collagenous colitis: a randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Lactis." Inflamm Bowel Dis 2006;12(5):395–401. PubMed. Williams, E., J. Stimpson, et al. "Clinical trial: a multistrain probiotic preparation significantly reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in a double-blind placebo-controlled study." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008. PubMed. Wind, R. D., H. Tolboom, et al. "Tolerance and safety of the potentially probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus PRSF-L477: a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial in healthy volunteers." Br J Nutr 2010:1–11. PubMed. 2010 update. Wolf, B. W., K. Garleb, et al. "Safety and tolerance of Lactobacillus reuteri in healthy adult male subjects." Microbial Ecol Health Dis 1995;8: 41–50. Reference Mining Wolf, B. W., K. B. Wheeler, et al. "Safety and tolerance of Lactobacillus reuteri supplementation to a population infected with the human immunodeficiency virus." Food Chem Toxicol 1998;36(12):1085–1094. PubMed. Worthley, D. L., R. K. Le Leu, et al. "A human, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic supplementation: effects on luminal, inflammatory, epigenetic, and epithelial biomarkers of colorectal cancer." Am J Clin Nutr 2009;90(3):578–586. PubMed. 2010 update. Xia, Y., Z. Yang, et al. "[Effect of bowel preparation with probiotics on intestinal barrier after surgery for colorectal cancer.]." Zhonghua Wei Chang Wai Ke Za Zhi 2010;13(7):528–531. PubMed. 2010 update. Xiang, J. and Y. Feng. "Therapeutic effect of Medilac-S combined with sulfasalazine in treatment of ulcerative colitis: An analysis of 22 cases." World Chinese Journal of Digestology 2006;14(17):1742–1744. Embase titles. Xiao, J. Z., S. Kondo, et al. "Effects of milk products fermented by Bifidobacterium longum on blood lipids in rats and healthy adult male volunteers." J Dairy Sci 2003;86(7):2452–2461. PubMed. Xiao, S. D., D. Z. Zhang, et al. "Multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus LB in patients with chronic diarrhea." Adv Ther 2003;20(5):253–260. PubMed. Yang, Y. X., M. He, et al. "Effect of a fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN 173010 on Chinese constipated women." World J Gastroenterol 2008;14(40):6237–6243. PubMed. 163 Yao-Zong, Y.,L. Shi-Rong, et al. "Comparative efficacy of dioctahedral smectite (Smecta) and a probiotic preparation in chronic functional diarrhoea." Dig Liver Dis 2004;36(12):824–828. PubMed. Yim, J. H., K. D. H., et al. "Therapeutic effects of probiotics in patients with atopic dermatitis." Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 2006;16(11):1699–1705. Embase titles. Yonekura, S., Y. Okamoto, et al. "Effects of daily intake of Lactobacillus paracasei strain KW3110 on Japanese cedar pollinosis." Allergy Asthma Proc 2009;30(4):397–405. PubMed. 2010 update. Zahradnik, R. T., I. Magnusson, et al. "Preliminary assessment of safety and effectiveness in humans of ProBiora3(trademark) a probiotic mouthwash." Journal of Applied Microbiology 2009;107(2):682–690. Embase. 20100813 update. Zahradnik, R. T., I. Magnusson, et al. "Preliminary assessment of safety and effectiveness in humans of ProBiora3(trademark) a probiotic mouthwash." Journal of Applied Microbiology 2009;107(2):682–690. Hand Search Zein, E. F., S. Karaa, et al. "[Lactobacillus rhamnosus septicemia in a diabetic patient associated with probiotic use: a case report]." Ann Biol Clin (Paris) 2008;66(2):195–198. PubMed. Zhang, J. W., P. Du, et al. "[Effect of viable Bifidobacterium supplement on the immune status and inflammatory response in patients undergoing resection for colorectal cancer]." Zhonghua Wei Chang Wai Ke Za Zhi 2010;13(1):40–43. PubMed. 2010 update. Ziegler, E., J. Jeter, et al. "Formula with reduced content of improved, partially hydrolyzed protein and probiotics: Infant growth and health." Monatsschrift für Kinderheilkunde 2003;151: S65–71. Embase titles. Zocco, M., L. Zileri Dal Verme, et al. "Comparison of Lactobacillus GG and mesalazine in maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease." Gastroenterology 2003;124(4 Suppl 1):A201. Reference Mining Zunic, P., J. Lacotte, et al. "[Saccharomyces boulardii fungemia. Apropos of a case]." Therapie 1991;46(6):498–499. Reference Mining 164 Included Studies That Provide Nonspecific Safety Statements Agarwal, K. and S. Bhasin. "Feasibility studies to control acute diarrhoea in children by feeding fermented milk preparations Actimel and Indian Dahi." Eur J Clin Nutr 2002;56(4):S56–59. Embase titles. Agustina, R., W. Lukito, et al. "The effect of early nutritional supplementation with a mixture of probiotic, prebiotic, fiber and micronutrients in infants with acute diarrhea in Indonesia." Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2007;16(3):435–442. PubMed. Ahuja, M. C. and B. Khamar. "Antibiotic associated diarrhoea: a controlled study comparing plain antibiotic with those containing protected lactobacilli." J Indian Med Assoc 2002;100(5):334–335. PubMed. Alm, L., D. Humble, et al. "The effect of acidophilus milk in the treatment of constipation in hospitalized geriatric patients." XV Symp Swed Nutr Found 1983: 131–138. Reference Mining Amati, L., G. Marzulli, et al. "Administration of a synbiotic to free-living elderly and evaluation of serum cytokines. A pilot study." Curr Pharm Des 2010;16(7):854–858. PubMed. 2010 update. Arvola, T., K. Laiho, et al. "Prophylactic Lactobacillus GG reduces antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children with respiratory infections: a randomized study." Pediatrics 1999;104(5):e64. PubMed. Ataie-Jafari, A., B. Larijani, et al. "Cholesterol-lowering effect of probiotic yogurt in comparison with ordinary yogurt in mildly to moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects." Ann Nutr Metab 2009;54(1):22–27. PubMed. Attar, A., B. Flourie, et al. "Antibiotic efficacy in small intestinal bacterial overgrowth-related chronic diarrhea: a crossover, randomized trial." Gastroenterology 1999;117(4):794–797. PubMed. Baron, M. "Original research: A patented strain of Bacillus coagulans increased immune response to viral challenge." Postgraduate Medicine 2009;121(2). Embase. 20100813 update. Barone, C., R. Pettinato, et al. "Comparison of three probiotics in the treatment of acute diarrhea in mentally retarded children." Minerva Pediatr 2000;52(3):161–165. PubMed. Bausserman, M. and S. Michail. "The use of Lactobacillus GG in irritable bowel syndrome in children: a double-blind randomized control trial." J Pediatr 2005;147(2):197–201. PubMed. Bellomo, G., A. Mangiagle, et al. "A controlled double-blind study of SF68 strain as a new biological preparation for the treatment of diarrhoea in pediatrics." Curr Ther Res 1980;28: 927– 934. Reference Mining Benhamou. "Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children: A computer monitored double-blind outpatients trial comparing a protective and a probiotic agent." 1999. Embase titles. Bennet, R., S. L. Gorbach, et al. "Treatment of relapsing Clostridium difficile diarrhea with Lactobacillus GG." Nutrition Today 1996;31(Supple 1):35S–38S. Reference Mining 165 Bennet, R., C. E. Nord, et al. "Transient colonization of the gut of newborn infants by orally administered bifidobacteria and lactobacilli." Acta Paediatr 1992;81(10):784–787. Reference Mining Biller, J. A., A. J. Katz, et al. "Treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile colitis with Lactobacillus GG." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1995;21(2):224–226. Reference Mining Billoo, A. G., M. A. Memon, et al. "Role of a probiotic (Saccharomyces boulardii) in management and prevention of diarrhoea." World J Gastroenterol 2006;12(28):4557–4560. PubMed. Bittner, A. C., R. M. Croffut, et al. "Prescript-Assist probiotic-prebiotic treatment for irritable bowel syndrome: a methodologically oriented, 2-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, doubleblind clinical study." Clin Ther 2005;27(6):755–761. PubMed. Black, F., P. Anderson, et al. "Prophylactic efficacy of Lactobacilli on traveler's diarrhea." Travel Med: Suppl 1989;333–335. Reference Mining Bleichner, G., H. Blehaut, et al. "Saccharomyces boulardii prevents diarrhea in critically ill tubefed patients. A multicenter, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial." Intensive Care Med 1997;23(5):517–523. Reference Mining Bruce, A. W., G. Reid, et al. "Preliminary study on the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection in adult women using intravaginal lactobacilli " Int Urogynecol J 1992;3: 22–25. Hand Search Bruno, F., A. Nastasi, et al. "[Double-blind controlled study of the effect of the lactogenic enterococcus SF68 strain on various enterocolitis associated manifestations and on salmonella infections]." Clin Ter 1983;105(3):203–207. Reference Mining Bruns, R. and R. Raedsch. "Therapy of traveller's diarrhea." Med Welt 1995;46: 591–596. Reference Mining Buydens, P. and S. Debeuckelaere. "Efficacy of SF 68 in the treatment of acute diarrhea. A placebo-controlled trial." Scand J Gastroenterol 1996;31(9):887–891. Reference Mining Cadieux, P., J. Burton, et al. "Lactobacillus strains and vaginal ecology." JAMA 2002;287(15):1940–1941. PubMed. Caglar, E., S. K. Cildir, et al. "Salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli levels after ingestion of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 by straws or tablets." Acta Odontol Scand 2006;64(5):314–318. PubMed. Camarri, E., A. Belvisi, et al. "A double-blind comparison of two different treatments for acute enteritis in adults." Chemotherapy 1981;27(6):466–470. Reference Mining Can, M., B. A. Besirbellioglu, et al. "Prophylactic Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a prospective study." Med Sci Monit 2006;12(4):PI19–22. PubMed. Canani, R. B., P. Cirillo, et al. "Probiotics for treatment of acute diarrhoea in children: randomised clinical trial of five different preparations." BMJ 2007;335(7615):340. PubMed. 166 Carriero, C. "VAGINAL CAPSULES OF LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM P17630 FOR PREVENTION OF RELAPSE OF CANDIDA VULVOVAGINITIS: AN ITALIAN MULTICENTRE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY." International Journal of Probiotics 2007;2(2):155–162. Reference Mining Cetina-Sauri, G. and B. Sierra. "Evaluation therapeutique de Saccharomyces boulardii chez des enfants souffrant de diarrhee aigue." Ann Pediatr 1994;41: 397–400. Reference Mining Chapoy, P. "[Treatment of acute infantile diarrhea: controlled trial of Saccharomyces boulardii]." Ann Pediatr (Paris) 1985;32(6):561–563. Reference Mining Chapoy, P. "Therapiewoche." 1986:4022–4028. Reference Mining Chen, C. C., M. S. Kong, et al. "Probiotics have clinical, microbiologic, and immunologic efficacy in acute infectious diarrhea." Pediatr Infect Dis J 2010;29(2):135–138. PubMed. 2010 update. Chitapanarux, I., T. Chitapanarux, et al. "Randomized controlled trial of live lactobacillus acidophilus plus bifidobacterium bifidum in prophylaxis of diarrhea during radiotherapy in cervical cancer patients." Radiat Oncol 2010;5: 31. PubMed. 2010 update. Cildir, S. K., D. Germec, et al. "Reduction of salivary mutans streptococci in orthodontic patients during daily consumption of yoghurt containing probiotic bacteria." Eur J Orthod 2009. PubMed. Cindoruk, M., G. Erkan, et al. "Efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii in the 14–day triple anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy: a prospective randomized placebo-controlled doubleblind study." Helicobacter 2007;12(4):309–316. PubMed. Ciprandi, G., M. Tosca, et al. "Cytokines evaluation in nasal lavage of allergic children after Bacillus clausii administration: A pilot study." Pediatr Allergy and Immunology 2004;15(2):148–151. Embase titles. Cohen, L. A., J. S. Crespin, et al. "Soy isoflavone intake and estrogen excretion patterns in young women: effect of probiotic administration." In Vivo 2007;21(3):507–512. PubMed. Costalos, C., V. Skouteri, et al. "Enteral feeding of premature infants with Saccharomyces boulardii." Early Hum Dev 2003;74(2):89–96. PubMed. Cremonini, F., S. Di Caro, et al. "Effect of different probiotic preparations on anti-helicobacter pylori therapy-related side effects: a parallel group, triple blind, placebo-controlled study." Am J Gastroenterol 2002;97(11):2744–2749. PubMed. D'Apuzzo, V. and R. Salzberg. "Die Behandlung der akuten Diarrho in der Padiatrie mit Streptococcus faecium: resultate ciner Doppelblindstudie." Ther Umsch 1982;39: 1033–1035. Reference Mining De Francesco, V. and V. Stoppino. "Lactobacillus acidophilus administration added to omeprazole/ amoxycillin-based double therapy in Helicobacter pylori eradication [3]." Dig Liver Dis 2000;32(8):746–747. Embase titles. De Paula, J. A., E. Carmuega, et al. "Effect of the ingestion of a symbiotic yogurt on the bowel habits of women with functional constipation." Acta Gastroenterol Latinoam 2008;38(1):16–25. PubMed. 167 de Regt, M. J., R. J. Willems, et al. "Effects of probiotics on acquisition and spread of multiresistant enterococci." Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2010;54(7):2801–2805. PubMed. 2010 update. de Vrese, M., P. Winkler, et al. "Effect of Lactobacillus gasseri PA 16/8, Bifidobacterium longum SP 07/3, B. bifidum MF 20/5 on common cold episodes: a double blind, randomized, controlled trial." Clin Nutr 2005;24(4):481–491. PubMed. Del Piano, M., S. Carmagnola, et al. "Evaluation of the Intestinal Colonization by Microencapsulated Probiotic Bacteria in Comparison With the Same Uncoated Strains." J Clin Gastroenterol 2010. PubMed. 2010 update. Delforge, M., J. L. Maupas, et al. "[Treatment of functional colopathies: double-blind trial with perenterol]." Rev Med Liege 1983;38(23):885–888. Reference Mining Delia, A., G. Morgante, et al. "[Effectiveness of oral administration of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei F19 in association with vaginal suppositories of Lactobacillus acidofilus in the treatment of vaginosis and in the prevention of recurrent vaginitis]." Minerva Ginecol 2006;58(3):227–231. PubMed. Delia, P., D. Sansotta, et al. "Our experience of prophylactic treatment of diarrhea after pelvic radiotherapy." 2003;89(3):1–5. Embase titles. Diop, L., S. Guillou, et al. "Probiotic food supplement reduces stress-induced gastrointestinal symptoms in volunteers: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial." Nutr Res 2008;28(1):1–5. PubMed. Drago, L., E. De Vecchi, et al. "Activity of a Lactobacillus acidophilus-based douche for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis." J Altern Complement Med 2007;13(4):435–438. PubMed. Falcoa De Arruda, I., J. E. Aguilar-Nascimento, et al. "Early enteral nutrition with glutamine and probiotics in brain trauma patients. A randomized trial." Clinical Nutrition 2004;23: 853–854. MANTIS. Fan, Y. J., S. J. Chen, et al. "A probiotic treatment containing Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Enterococcus improves IBS symptoms in an open label trial." J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2006;7(12):987–991. PubMed. Fanigliulo, L., G. Comparato, et al. "Role of gut microflora and probiotic effects in the irritable bowel syndrome." Acta Biomed 2006;77(2):85–89. PubMed. Federico, A., C. Tuccillo, et al. "The effect of a new symbiotic formulation on plasma levels and peripheral blood mononuclear cell expression of some pro-inflammatory cytokines in patients with ulcerative colitis: A pilot study." European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences 2009;13(4):285–293. Embase. 20100813 update. Ferraz, R. R., N. C. Marques, et al. "Effects of Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium breve on urinary oxalate excretion in nephrolithiasis patients." Urol Res 2009;37(2):95–100. PubMed. 2010 update. 168 Fisberg M, M.-R. I., Tormo R, Tabernero Carrascoso M, Pedron Giner C, Arguelles Martin F, Pavon Belinchon P, Martinez Costa C, Perez Perez M, Gonzalez Caro J, Vasquez Garibay EM, Garcia Aranda JA, Alfonso Po IM, Da Silva Guerra AJM, Villagomez Martinez S, McCue M, Alarcon PA, Comer GM. "Effect of oral nutritional supplementation with or without synbiotics on sickness and catch-up growth in preschool children." International Pediatrics 2002;17(4):216– 222. Cochrane Central. Francavilla, R., E. Lionetti, et al. "Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori infection in humans by Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 and effect on eradication therapy: a pilot study." Helicobacter 2008;13(2):127–134. PubMed. Friedlander, A., M. M. Druker, et al. "Lactobacillus acidophillus and vitamin B complex in the treatment of vaginal infection." Panminerva Med 1986;28(1):51–53. Hand Search Fujimori, S., A. Tatsuguchi, et al. "High dose probiotic and prebiotic cotherapy for remission induction of active Crohn's disease." J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2007;22(8):1199–1204. PubMed. Fukushima, Y., Y. Kawata, et al. "Effect of a probiotic formula on intestinal immunoglobulin A production in healthy children." Int J Food Microbiol 1998;42(1–2):39–44. PubMed. Fukushima, Y., S. Miyaguchi, et al. "Improvement of nutritional status and incidence of infection in hospitalised, enterally fed elderly by feeding of fermented milk containing probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonii La1 (NCC533)." Br J Nutr 2007;98(5):969–977. PubMed. Furrie, E., S. Macfarlane, et al. "Synbiotic therapy (Bifidobacterium longum/Synergy 1) initiates resolution of inflammation in patients with active ulcerative colitis: a randomised controlled pilot trial." Gut 2005;54(2):242–249. PubMed. Gaon, D., H. Garcia, et al. "Effect of Lactobacillus strains and Saccharomyces boulardii on persistent diarrhea in children." Medicina (B Aires) 2003;63(4):293–298. PubMed. Gaon, D., C. Garmendia, et al. "Effect of Lactobacillus strains (L. casei and L. Acidophillus Strains cerela) on bacterial overgrowth-related chronic diarrhea." Medicina (B Aires) 2002;62(2):159–163. PubMed. Gawronska, A., P. Dziechciarz, et al. "A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of Lactobacillus GG for abdominal pain disorders in children." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2007;25(2):177–184. PubMed. Giaccari, S., S. Tronci, et al. "Long-term treatment with rifaximin and lactobacilli in post diverticulitic stenoses of the colon." Riv Eur Sci Med Farmacol 1993;15(1):29–34. Reference Mining Gill, H. and K. J. Rutherfurd. "Probiotic supplementation to enhance natural immunity in the elderly: effects of a newly characterized immunostimulatory strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 (DR20(TM)) on leucocyte phagocytosis." Nutrition Research 2001;21: 183–189. Reference Mining Giralt, J., J. P. Regadera, et al. "Effects of probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 in prevention of radiation-induced diarrhea: results from multicenter, randomized, placebocontrolled nutritional trial." Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2008;71(4):1213–1219. PubMed. Girola, M. and P. Ventura. "Efficacy of probiotic preparation with living, freere-dried lactic acid bacteria and yeast on child diarrhoea." 1995;61–72. Embase titles. 169 Gosselink, M. P., W. R. Schouten, et al. "Delay of the first onset of pouchitis by oral intake of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG." Dis Colon Rectum 2004;47(6):876–884. PubMed. Gracheva, N. M., A. F. Gavrilov, et al. "[The efficacy of the new bacterial preparation biosporin in treating acute intestinal infections]." Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol 1996;(1):75–77. PubMed. Grigor'ev, A. V., V. M. Bondarenko, et al. "[The development and clinical evaluation of the probiotic Bifidumbacterin forte]." Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol 1997;(3):92–96. PubMed. Grudianov, A. I., N. A. Dmitrieva, et al. "[Use of probiotics Bifidumbacterin and Acilact in tablets in therapy of periodontal inflammations]." Stomatologiia (Mosk) 2002;81(1):39–43. PubMed. Guandalini, S. "Use of Lactobacillus-GG in paediatric Crohn's disease." Dig Liver Dis 2002;34 Suppl 2: S63–65. PubMed. Guandalini, S., G. Magazzu, et al. "VSL#3 improves symptoms in children with irritable bowel syndrome: a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2010;51(1):24–30. PubMed. 2010 update. Guandalini, S., L. Pensabene, et al. "Lactobacillus GG administered in oral rehydration solution to children with acute diarrhea: a multicenter European trial." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2000;30(1):54–60. PubMed. Gupta, P., H. Andrew, et al. "Is lactobacillus GG helpful in children with Crohn's disease? Results of a preliminary, open-label study." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2000;31(4):453–457. PubMed. Guslandi, M., P. Giollo, et al. "A pilot trial of Saccharomyces boulardii in ulcerative colitis." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2003;15(6):697–698. PubMed. Guslandi, M., G. Mezzi, et al. "Saccharomyces boulardii in maintenance treatment of Crohn's disease." Dig Dis Sci 2000;45(7):1462–1464. PubMed. Guyonnet, D., O. Chassany, et al. "Effect of a fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010 on the health-related quality of life and symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome in adults in primary care: a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2007;26(3):475–486. PubMed. Guyonnet, D., A. Schlumberger, et al. "Fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN 173 010 improves gastrointestinal well-being and digestive symptoms in women reporting minor digestive symptoms: a randomised, double-blind, parallel, controlled study." Br J Nutr 2009;102(11):1654–1662. PubMed. 2010 update. Hafeez, A., P. Tariq, et al. "The efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii in the treatment of acute watery diarrhea in children: A multicentre randomized controlled trial." JCPSP 2002;12(7):432– 434. Embase titles. Hatakka, K., K. Blomgren, et al. "Treatment of acute otitis media with probiotics in otitis-prone children-a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised study." Clin Nutr 2007;26(3):314–321. PubMed. 170 Hatakka, K., J. Martio, et al. "Effects of probiotic therapy on the activity and activation of mild rheumatoid arthritis--a pilot study." Scand J Rheumatol 2003;32(4):211–215. PubMed. Hatakka, K., E. Savilahti, et al. "Effect of long term consumption of probiotic milk on infections in children attending day care centres: double blind, randomised trial." BMJ 2001;322(7298):1327. PubMed. Hickson, M., A. L. D'Souza, et al. "Use of probiotic Lactobacillus preparation to prevent diarrhoea associated with antibiotics: randomised double blind placebo controlled trial." BMJ 2007;335(7610):80. PubMed. Hojsak, I., S. Abdovic, et al. "Lactobacillus GG in the prevention of nosocomial gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections." Pediatrics 2010;125(5):e1171–1177. PubMed. 2010 update. Hojsak, I., N. Snovak, et al. "Lactobacillus GG in the prevention of gastrointestinal and respiratory tract infections in children who attend day care centers: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Clinical Nutrition 2010;29(3):312–316. Embase. 20100813 update. Hol, J., E. H. van Leer, et al. "The acquisition of tolerance toward cow's milk through probiotic supplementation: a randomized, controlled trial." J Allergy Clin Immunol 2008;121(6):1448– 1454. PubMed. Hoyos, A. B. "Reduced incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis associated with enteral administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium infantis to neonates in an intensive care unit." Int J Infect Dis 1999;3(4):197–202. PubMed. Htwe, K., K. S. Yee, et al. "Effect of Saccharomyces boulardii in the treatment of acute watery diarrhea in Myanmar children: a randomized controlled study." Am J Trop Med Hyg 2008;78(2):214–216. PubMed. Hun, L. "Bacillus coagulans significantly improved abdominal pain and bloating in patients with IBS." Postgrad Med 2009;121(2):119–124. PubMed. Hun, L. "Original research: Bacillus coagulans significantly improved abdominal pain and bloating in patients with IBS." Postgraduate Medicine 2009;121(2):119–124. Embase. 20100813 update. Iarustovskaia, O. V., M. T. Efendieva, et al. "[Use of low-frequency travelling magnetic field and normoflorins in combined therapy of patients with chronic nonspecific salpingoophoritis and concomitant colon disbacteriosis]." Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult 2008;(1):27–29. PubMed. Indrio, F., G. Riezzo, et al. "The effects of probiotics on feeding tolerance, bowel habits, and gastrointestinal motility in preterm newborns." J Pediatr 2008;152(6):801–806. PubMed. Indrio, F., G. Riezzo, et al. "Effects of probiotic and prebiotic on gastrointestinal motility in newborns." J Physiol Pharmacol 60 Suppl 2009;6: 27–31. PubMed. 2010 update. Jasinski C., Tanzi M.N., et al. "Efficacy of Lactobacillus GG in oral rehidratation solution." Pediatrika 2002;22(7):9–21. Embase titles. Kalliomaki, M., S. Salminen, et al. "Probiotics and prevention of atopic disease: 4-year followup of a randomised placebo-controlled trial." Lancet 2003;361(9372):1869–1871. PubMed. 171 Kalman, D. S., H. I. Schwartz, et al. "A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled parallel-group dual site trial to evaluate the effects of a Bacillus coagulans-based product on functional intestinal gas symptoms." BMC Gastroenterol 2009;9: 85. PubMed. 2010 update. Kanamori, Y., T. Iwanaka, et al. "Early use of probiotics is an important therapy in infants with severe congenital anomaly." Pediatr Int. PubMed 2009. 2010 update. Kaplas, N., E. Isolauri, et al. "Dietary counseling and probiotic supplementation during pregnancy modify placental phospholipid fatty acids." Lipids 2007;42(9):865–870. PubMed. Katelari, P. and I. Salma. "Lactobacilli to prevent traveller's diarrhoea." N Engl J Med 1995;333: 1360–1361. Reference Mining Kato, K., S. Mizuno, et al. "Randomized placebo-controlled trial assessing the effect of bifidobacteria-fermented milk on active ulcerative colitis." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2004;20(10):1133–1141. PubMed. Kawase, M., F. He, et al. "Clinical effects of cell preparation of lactobacillus gg and l. gasseri tmc0356 on perennial allergic rhinitis: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial." Int J of Probiotics and Prebiotics 2009;4(4):241–248. Update Search Kim, H. J., M. Camilleri, et al. "A randomized controlled trial of a probiotic, VSL#3, on gut transit and symptoms in diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2003;17(7):895–904. PubMed. Kim, H. J., M. I. Vazquez Roque, et al. "A randomized controlled trial of a probiotic combination VSL# 3 and placebo in irritable bowel syndrome with bloating." Neurogastroenterol Motil 2005;17(5):687–696. PubMed. Kim, J. Y., J. H. Kwon, et al. "Effect of probiotic mix (Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus) in the primary prevention of eczema: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial." Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010;21(2 Pt 2):e386–393. PubMed. 2010 update. Kim, Y. G., J. T. Moon, et al. "[The effects of probiotics on symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome]." Korean J Gastroenterol 2006;47(6):413–419. PubMed. Klarin, B., M. Wullt, et al. "Lactobacillus plantarum 299v reduces colonisation of Clostridium difficile in critically ill patients treated with antibiotics." Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2008;52(8):1096–1102. PubMed. Kocian, J. "[Lactobacilli in the treatment of dyspepsia due to dysmicrobia of various causes]." Vnitr Lek 1994;40(2):79–83. PubMed. Koebnick, C., I. Wagner, et al. "Probiotic beverage containing Lactobacillus casei Shirota improves gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with chronic constipation." Can J Gastroenterol 2003;17(11):655–659. PubMed. Kollaritsch, H., H. Holst, et al. "[Prevention of traveler's diarrhea with Saccharomyces boulardii. Results of a placebo controlled double-blind study]." Fortschr Med 1993;111(9):152–156. Reference Mining 172 Kollaritsch, H., P. Kremsner, et al. "Prevention of traveller's diarrhea: comparison of different non-antibiotic preparations." Travel Med Int1989: 9–17. Reference Mining Koning, C. J., D. Jonkers, et al. "The effect of a multispecies probiotic on the composition of the faecal microbiota and bowel habits in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients treated with antibiotics." Br J Nutr 2010;103(10):1452–1460. PubMed. 2010 update. Kontiokari, T. and K. Sundqvist. "Randomised trial of cranberry-lingonberry juice and Lactobacillus GG drink for the prevention of urinary tract infections in women." BMJ 2001;322(7302):1571. Embase titles. Korviakova, E. P. "[Use of loading doses of bifidumbacterin forte for treatment of patients with acute enteric infections]." Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol 2000;(6):58–61. PubMed. Kotowska, M., P. Albrecht, et al. "Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibioticassociated diarrhoea in children: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2005;21(5):583–590. PubMed. Kowalska-Duplaga, K., H. Fyderek, et al. "Efficacy of Trilac(R) in the treatment of acute diarrhoea in infants and young children - A multicentre, randomized, double-blind placebocontrolled study." Pediatria Wspolczesna 2004;6(3):295–299. Embase titles. Kowalska-Duplaga, K., M. Strus, et al. "Lactobif, a marketed probiotic product containing Bifidobacterium fuminantium was not effective in teh treatment of acute rotavirus diarrhoea in infants." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2002;34: 453. Reference Mining Kuisma, J., S. Mentula, et al. "Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG on ileal pouch inflammation and microbial flora." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2003;17(4):509–515. PubMed. Laake, K., A. Bjerneklett, et al. "Influence of fermented milk on clinical state fecal bacterial count and biochemical characteristic in patients with ileal-pouch-anal anastomosis." Microb Ecol Health Dis 1999;11: 211–217. Reference Mining Laake, K. O., P. D. Line, et al. "Assessment of mucosal inflammation and circulation in response to probiotics in patients operated with ileal pouch anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis." Scand J Gastroenterol 2003;38(4):409–414. PubMed. Laake, K. O., P. D. Line, et al. "Assessment of mucosal inflammation and blood flow in response to four weeks' intervention with probiotics in patients operated with a J-configurated ileal-pouch anal-anastomosis (IPAA)." Scand J Gastroenterol 2004;39(12):1228–1235. PubMed. Lara-Villoslada, F., S. Sierra, et al. "[Beneficial effects of consumption of a dairy product containing two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus coryniformis CECT5711 and Lactobacillus gasseri CECT5714 in healthy children]." Nutr Hosp 2007;22(4):496–502. PubMed. Le Luyer, B., G. Makhoul, et al. "[A multicentric study of a lactose free formula supplemented with Saccharomyces boulardii in children with acute diarrhea]." Arch Pediatr 2010;17(5):459– 465. PubMed. 2010 update. Levy, J. "Experience with live Lactobacillus plantarum 299V: a promising adjunct in the management of recurrent Clostridium difficile infections." Gastroenterology 1997;(112):A135. Reference Mining 173 Lewis, S. J., L. F. Potts, et al. "The lack of therapeutic effect of Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibiotic-related diarrhoea in elderly patients." J Infect 1998;36(2):171–174. PubMed. Leyer, G. J., S. Li, et al. "Probiotic effects on cold and influenza-like symptom incidence and duration in children." Pediatrics 2009;124(2):e172–179. PubMed. 2010 update. Lieske, J. C., D. S. Goldfarb, et al. "Use of a probiotic to decrease enteric hyperoxaluria." Kidney Int 2005;68(3):1244–1249. PubMed. Ligny, G. "Le traitment par le pereterol des troubles intestinaux secondaires a l'antibiotherapie etude en double aveugle et etude clinique simple." Ars medici 1976;31: 989–995. Reference Mining Lionetti, E., V. L. Miniello, et al. "Lactobacillus reuteri therapy to reduce side-effects during anti-Helicobacter pylori treatment in children: a randomized placebo controlled trial." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2006;24(10):1461–1468. PubMed. Marcone, V., E. Calzolari, et al. "Effectiveness of vaginal administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus following conventional metronidazole therapy: how to lower the rate of bacterial vaginosis recurrences." New Microbiol 2008;31(3):429–433. PubMed. Marschan, E., M. Kuitunen, et al. "Probiotics in infancy induce protective immune profiles that are characteristic for chronic low-grade inflammation." Clin Exp Allergy 2008;38(4):611–618. PubMed. Mastromarino, P., S. Macchia, et al. "Effectiveness of Lactobacillus-containing vaginal tablets in the treatment of symptomatic bacterial vaginosis." Clinical Microbiology and Infection 2009;15(1):67–74. Embase. Sample 200. Matsuzaki, T., M. Saito, et al. "A prospective uncontrolled trial of fermented milk drink containing viable Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota in the treatment of HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis." J Neurol Sci 2005;237(1–2):75–81. PubMed. Maupas, J., P. Champemont, et al. "Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Double blind trial of Saccharomyces boulardii. ." Med Chir Dig 1983;12: 77–79. Hand Search Mc Gee, R., P. M. O'Connor, et al. "Prolonged faecal excretion following a single dose of probiotic in low birth weight infants." Acta Paediatr 2010. PubMed. 2010 update. Mihatsch, W., S. Vossbeck, et al. "Effect of enteral administration of a probiotic strain of bifidobacteria on the incidence of nosocomial infections in preterm infants." Pediatr Res 2004;55: 448A. Expert Identified Miniello, V. L., L. Brunetti, et al. "Lactobacillus reuteri modulates cytokines production in exhaled breath condensate of children with atopic dermatitis." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2010;50(5):573–576. PubMed. 2010 update. Mitra, A. K. and G. H. Rabbani. "A double-blind, controlled trial of bioflorin (Streptococcus faecium SF68) in adults with acute diarrhea due to Vibrio cholerae and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli." Gastroenterology 1990;99(4):1149–1152. Reference Mining 174 Mohan, R., C. Koebnick, et al. "Effects of Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 supplementation on intestinal microbiota of preterm infants: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study." J Clin Microbiol 2006;44(11):4025–4031. PubMed. Monden, K. and H. Kumon. "Preventive effect of Lactobacillus vaginal suppositories on the recurrence of urinary tract infection." Nishinihon J Urol 2002;64: 302–306. Embase titles. Montalto, M., A. Gallo, et al. "Clinical trial: the effects of a probiotic mixture on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug enteropathy - a randomized, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled study." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010;32(2):209–214. PubMed. 2010 update. Morita, H., F. He, et al. "Preliminary human study for possible alteration of serum immunoglobulin E production in perennial allergic rhinitis with fermented milk prepared with Lactobacillus gasseri TMC0356." Microbiol Immunol 2006;50(9):701–706. PubMed. Morozova, L. V., M. M. Pozharitskaia, et al. "[The therapeutic efficacy of probiotics for the correction of microfloral imbalance in periodontitis]." Stomatologiia (Mosk) Spec 1996;No: 68– 69. PubMed. Myllyluoma, E., K. Kajander, et al. "Probiotic intervention decreases serum gastrin-17 in Helicobacter pylori infection." Dig Liver Dis 2007;39(6):516–523. PubMed. Nagasaki, A., H. Takahashi, et al. "Ulcerative colitis with multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection successfully treated with bifidobacterium." Digestion 2010;81(3):204–205. PubMed. 2010 update. Narayanappa, D. "Randomized double blinded controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Bifilac in patients with acute viral diarrhea." Indian J Pediatr 2008;75(7):709–713. PubMed. Naruszewicz, M., M. L. Johansson, et al. "Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v on cardiovascular disease risk factors in smokers." Am J Clin Nutr 2002;76(6):1249–1255. PubMed. Nasirova, S. R. and Q. N. Dj. "The clinico-laboratory appreciation of probiotics and biotherapeutic agents action to suckling babies with various gastrointestinal diseases." Azerbaijan Medical Journal 2007;(4):126–129. Embase titles. Niedzielin, K., H. Kordecki, et al. "A controlled, double-blind, randomized study on the efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum 299V in patients with irritable bowel syndrome." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2001;13(10):1143–1147. PubMed. Nobaek, S., M. L. Johansson, et al. "Alteration of intestinal microflora is associated with reduction in abdominal bloating and pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome." Am J Gastroenterol 2001;95(5):1231–1238. PubMed. Nobuta, Y., T. Inoue, et al. "The efficacy and the safety of lactobacillus brevis kb290 as a human probiotics." Int J of Probiotics and Prebiotics 2009;4(4):263–270. Update Search Okombo, J. and M. Liebman. "Probiotic-induced reduction of gastrointestinal oxalate absorption in healthy subjects." Urol Res 2010;38(3):169–178. PubMed. 2010 update. Oksanen, P. J., S. Salminen, et al. "Prevention of travellers' diarrhoea by Lactobacillus GG." Ann Med 1990;22(1):53–56. Reference Mining 175 Olivares, M., M. P. Diaz-Ropero, et al. "Oral intake of Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 enhances the effects of influenza vaccination." Nutrition 2007;23(3):254–260. PubMed. O'Sullivan, M. A. and C. A. O'Morain. "Bacterial supplementation in the irritable bowel syndrome. A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study." Dig Liver Dis 2000;32(4):294–301. PubMed. Ouwehand, A. C., K. Tiihonen, et al. "Influence of a combination of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and lactitol on healthy elderly: intestinal and immune parameters." Br J Nutr 2009;101(3):367–375. PubMed. Ozkan, T. B., E. Sahin, et al. "Effect of Saccharomyces boulardii in children with acute gastroenteritis and its relationship to the immune response." J Int Med Res 2007;35(2):201–212. Hand Search Pantoflickova, D. "Favourable effect of regular intake of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus johnsonii on Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis." Aliment Pharmocol Ther 2003;18: 805–813. Embase titles. Pedone, C. A., C. C. Arnaud, et al. "Multicentric study of the effect of milk fermented by Lactobacillus casei on the incidence of diarrhoea." Int J Clin Pract 2000;54(9):568–571. Reference Mining Peng, G. C. and C. H. Hsu. "The efficacy and safety of heat-killed Lactobacillus paracasei for treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis induced by house-dust mite." Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2005;16(5):433–438. PubMed. Pereg, D., O. Kimhi, et al. "The effect of fermented yogurt on the prevention of diarrhea in a healthy adult population." Am J Infect Control 2005;33(2):122–125. PubMed. Pirotta, M. and J. Gunn. "Effect of lactobacillus in preventing post-antibiotic vulvovaginal candidiasis: A randomised controlled trial." BMJ 2004;329(7465):548. Embase titles. Pitkala, K. H., T. E. Strandberg, et al. "Fermented cereal with specific bifidobacteria normalizes bowel movements in elderly nursing home residents. A randomized, controlled trial." J Nutr Health Aging 2007;11(4):305–311. PubMed. Pozharitskaia, M. M., L. V. Morozova, et al. "[The use of the new bacterial biopreparation Acilact in the combined treatment of periodontitis]." Stomatologiia (Mosk) 1994;73(2):17–20. Hand Search Rafter, J., M. Bennett, et al. "Dietary synbiotics reduce cancer risk factors in polypectomized and colon cancer patients." Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85(2):488–496. PubMed. Rao, A. V., A. C. Bested, et al. "A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of a probiotic in emotional symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome." Gut Pathog 2009;1(1):6. PubMed. Rautava, S., M. Kalliomaki, et al. "Probiotics during pregnancy and breast-feeding might confer immunomodulatory protection against atopic disease in the infant." J Allergy Clin Immunol 2002;109(1):119–121. PubMed. Reid, G., D. Beuerman, et al. "Probiotic Lactobacillus dose required to restore and maintain a normal vaginal flora." FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 2001;32(1):37–41. PubMed. 176 Reid, G., D. Charbonneau, et al. "Oral use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and L. fermentum RC-14 significantly alters vaginal flora: randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 64 healthy women." FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 2003;35(2):131–134. PubMed. Riccia, D. N., F. Bizzini, et al. "Anti-inflammatory effects of Lactobacillus brevis (CD2) on periodontal disease." Oral Dis 2007;13(4):376–385. Hand Search Ritchie, B. K., D. R. Brewster, et al. "Efficacy of Lactobacillus GG in aboriginal children with acute diarrhoeal disease: a randomised clinical trial." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2010;50(6):619–624. PubMed. 2010 update. Roessler, A., U. Friedrich, et al. "The immune system in healthy adults and patients with atopic dermatitis seems to be affected differently by a probiotic intervention." Clin Exp Allergy 2008;38(1):93–102. PubMed. Roggero, P., C. Volpe, et al. "[Crystalline lactulose and oral preparations of micro-organisms for the treatment of chronic aspecific diarrhea in children. A controlled clinical study]." Minerva Pediatr 1990;42(4):147–150. Reference Mining Romano, C., V. Ferrau, et al. "Lactobacillus reuteri in children with functional abdominal pain (FAP)." J Paediatr Child Health 2010. PubMed. 2010 update. Romeo, M. G., D. M. Romeo, et al. "Role of probiotics in the prevention of the enteric colonization by Candida in preterm newborns: incidence of late-onset sepsis and neurological outcome." J Perinatol 2010. PubMed. 2010 update. Roos, K., E. Grahn, et al. "Interfering alpha-streptococci as a protection against recurrent streptococcal tonsillitis in children." Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 1993;25(1–3):141–148. Reference Mining Roos, K., S. E. Holm, et al. "Alpha-streptococci as supplementary treatment of recurrent streptococcal tonsillitis: a randomized placebo-controlled study." Scand J Infect Dis 1993;25(1):31–35. Reference Mining Rossi, A., T. Rossi, et al. "The use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus in the therapy of bacterial vaginosis. Evaluation of clinical efficacy in a population of 40 women treated for 24 months." Arch Gynecol Obstet 2010;281(6):1065–1069. PubMed. 2010 update. Ruszczynski, M., A. Radzikowski, et al. "Clinical trial: effectiveness of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (strains E/N, Oxy and Pen) in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008;28(1):154–161. PubMed. Saavedra, J. M., N. A. Bauman, et al. "Feeding of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Streptococcus thermophilus to infants in hospital for prevention of diarrhoea and shedding of rotavirus." Lancet 1994;344(8929):1046–1049. Reference Mining Salamonne Toldy, E., D.-n. Kuttle, et al. "Kiserlet a huvely normal kemhatasanak helyreallitasara Lactobact-laktoz tartalmu huvelytablettaval." Gygyszereszet 1988;32: 641–645. Reference Mining Salazar-Lindo, E., P. Miranda-Langschwager, et al. "Lactobacillus casei strain GG in the treatment of infants with acute watery diarrhea: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial [ISRCTN67363048]." BMC Pediatr 2004;4:18. PubMed. 177 Sanges, M., G. Valente, et al. "Probiotics in spondyloarthropathy associated with ulcerative colitis: a pilot study." Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2009;13(3):233–234. PubMed. 2010 update. Savas-Erdeve, S., S. Gokay, et al. "Efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii in amebiasis associated diarrhea in children." Turk J Pediatr 2009;51(3):220–224. PubMed. 2010 update. Sazawal, S., U. Dhingra, et al. "Effects of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 and Prebiotic Oligosaccharide Added to Milk on Iron Status, Anemia, and Growth Among Children 1 to 4 Years Old." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2010. PubMed. 2010 update. Schaafsma, G., W. J. Meuling, et al. "Effects of a milk product, fermented by Lactobacillus acidophilus and with fructo-oligosaccharides added, on blood lipids in male volunteers." Eur J Clin Nutr 1998;52(6):436–440. Reference Mining Shanahan, F., F. Guarner, et al. "A one year, randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of a lactobacillus or a bidifobacterium probiotic for maintenance of steroid-induced remission of ulcerative colits." Gastroenterology 2006;130(No. 4, Suppl. 2,):pp. A44. Expert Identified Sharma, P., B. C. Sharma, et al. "An open-label randomized controlled trial of lactulose and probiotics in the treatment of minimal hepatic encephalopathy." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2008;20(6):506–511. PubMed. Sheu, B. S., H. C. Cheng, et al. "Pretreatment with Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium containing yogurt can improve the efficacy of quadruple therapy in eradicating residual Helicobacter pylori infection after failed triple therapy." Am J Clin Nutr 2006;83(4):864–869. PubMed. Shimauchi, H., G. Mayanagi, et al. "Improvement of periodontal condition by probiotics with Lactobacillus salivarius WB21: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study." J Clin Periodontol 2008;35(10):897–905. PubMed. Shimizu, K., H. Ogura, et al. "Synbiotics decrease the incidence of septic complications in patients with severe SIRS: a preliminary report." Dig Dis Sci 2009;54(5):1071–1078. PubMed. Shornikova, A. V., I. A. Casas, et al. "Bacteriotherapy with Lactobacillus reuteri in rotavirus gastroenteritis." Pediatr Infect Dis J 1997;16(12):1103–1107. Reference Mining Simenhoff, M. L., S. R. Dunn, et al. "Biomodulation of the toxic and nutritional effects of small bowel bacterial overgrowth in end-stage kidney disease using freeze-dried Lactobacillus acidophilus." Miner Electrolyte Metab 1996;22(1–3):92–96. Reference Mining Simren, M., A. Lindh, et al. "Effect of yoghurt containing three probiotic bacteria in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial." Gastroenterology 2007;132(Suppl 1):A210. Reference Mining Sinn, D. H., J. H. Song, et al. "Therapeutic effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus-SDC 2012, 2013 in patients with irritable bowel syndrome." Dig Dis Sci 2008;53(10):2714–2718. PubMed. Skerk, V., A. Tambic-Andrasevic, et al. "Research on the effectiveness and tolerability of vaginal administration of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus in women with symptoms of colpitis." Infektoloski Glasnik 2007;27(2):81–85. Embase titles. Skovbjerg, S., K. Roos, et al. "Spray bacteriotherapy decreases middle ear fluid in children with secretory otitis media." Arch Dis Child 2009;94(2):92–98. PubMed. 178 Sprunt, K., G. Leidy, et al. "Abnormal colonization of neonates in an ICU: conversion to normal colonization by pharyngeal implantation of alpha hemolytic streptococcus strain 215." Pediatr Res 1980;14(4 Pt 1):308–313. Reference Mining Stansbridge, E. M., V. Walker, et al. "Effects of feeding premature infants with Lactobacillus GG on gut fermentation." Arch Dis Child 1993;69(5 Spec No):488–492. PubMed. Stecksen-Blicks, C., I. Sjostrom, et al. "Effect of long-term consumption of milk supplemented with probiotic lactobacilli and fluoride on dental caries and general health in preschool children: a cluster-randomized study." Caries Res 2009;43(5):374–381. Hand Search Sugawara, G., M. Nagino, et al. "Perioperative synbiotic treatment to prevent postoperative infectious complications in biliary cancer surgery: a randomized controlled trial." Ann Surg 2006;244(5):706–714. PubMed. Sugita, T. and M. Togawa. "Efficacy of Lactobacillus preparation bioloactis powder in children with rotavirus enteritis." Japan Journal of Pediatrics 1994;47: 2755–2762. Reference Mining Sur, D., B. Manna, et al. "Role of probiotic in preventing acute diarrhoea in children: a community-based, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled field trial in an urban slum." Epidemiol Infect 2010:1–8. PubMed. 2010 update. Surawicz, C. M., G. W. Elmer, et al. "Prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea by Saccharomyces boulardii: a prospective study." Gastroenterology 1989;96(4):981–988. Reference Mining Surawicz, C. M., L. V. McFarland, et al. "The search for a better treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile disease: use of high-dose vancomycin combined with Saccharomyces boulardii." Clin Infect Dis 2000;31(4):1012–1017. PubMed. Szajewska, H., A. Gawronska, et al. "Lack of effect of Lactobacillus GG in breast-fed infants with rectal bleeding: a pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2007;45(2):247–251. PubMed. Szajewska, H., M. Kotowska, et al. "Efficacy of Lactobacillus GG in prevention of nosocomial diarrhea in infants." J Pediatr 2001;138(3):361–365. PubMed. Szymanski, H., M. Armanska, et al. "Bifidobacterium longum PL03, Lactobacillus rhamnosus KL53A, and Lactobacillus plantarum PL02 in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children: a randomized controlled pilot trial." Digestion 2008;78(1):13–17. PubMed. Szymanski, H., J. Pejcz, et al. "Treatment of acute infectious diarrhoea in infants and children with a mixture of three Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains--a randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2006;23(2):247–253. PubMed. Tandon, P., K. Moncrief, et al. "Effects of probiotic therapy on portal pressure in patients with cirrhosis: a pilot study." Liver Int 2009;29(7):1110–1115. PubMed. 2010 update. Thompson, L. U., D. J. Jenkins, et al. "The effect of fermented and unfermented milks on serum cholesterol." Am J Clin Nutr 1982;36(6):1106–1111. Reference Mining Tlaskal, P. "Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus reuteri and metabolites of intestinal bacteria as therapeutic agents in acute diarrhea in children " International Journal of Probiotics 2007;2(1):67. Reference Mining 179 Tubelius, P., V. Stan, et al. "Increasing work-place healthiness with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri: a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled study." Environ Health 2005;4: 25. PubMed. Tursi, A., G. Brandimarte, et al. "Balsalazide and/or high-potency probiotic mixture (VSL#3) in maintaining remission after attack of acute, uncomplicated diverticulitis of the colon." Int J Colorectal Dis 2007;22(9):1103–1108. PubMed. Twetman, S., B. Derawi, et al. "Short-term effect of chewing gums containing probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri on the levels of inflammatory mediators in gingival crevicular fluid." Acta Odontol Scand 2009;67(1):19–24. PubMed. Uehara, S., K. Monden, et al. "A pilot study evaluating the safety and effectiveness of Lactobacillus vaginal suppositories in patients with recurrent urinary tract infection." Int J Antimicrob Agents 2006;28 Suppl 1: S30–34. PubMed. Vandenplas, Y., H. Badriul, et al. "A multi-centre DBRPC-trial in developing countries with S. boulardii in acute gastroenteritis." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2007;44: e86. Hand Search Vanderhoof, J. A., D. B. Whitney, et al. "Lactobacillus GG in the prevention of antibioticassociated diarrhea in children." J Pediatr 1999;135(5):564–568. PubMed. Venturi, A., P. Gionchetti, et al. "Impact on the composition of the faecal flora by a new probiotic preparation: preliminary data on maintenance treatment of patients with ulcerative colitis." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 1999;13(8):1103–1108. PubMed. Wang, T. "The mechanism and efficacy of probiotics on infants' diarrhea." Journal of Dalian Medical College 1984;6(1):33–35. Reference Mining Wendakoon, C. N., A. B. Thomson, et al. "Lack of therapeutic effect of a specially designed yogurt for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection." Digestion 2002;65(1):16–20. PubMed. Whorwell, P. J., L. Altringer, et al. "Efficacy of an encapsulated probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 in women with irritable bowel syndrome." Am J Gastroenterol 2006;101(7):1581–1590. PubMed. Winkler, P., M. de Vrese, et al. "Effect of a dietary supplement containing probiotic bacteria plus vitamins and minerals on common cold infections and cellular immune parameters." Int J Clin Pharmacol 2005;Ther 43(7):318–326. PubMed. Woodard, G. A., B. Encarnacion, et al. "Probiotics improve outcomes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: a prospective randomized trial." J Gastrointest Surg 2009;13(7):1198–1204. PubMed. 2010 update. Wullt, M., M. L. Hagslatt, et al. "Lactobacillus plantarum 299v for the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Scand J Infect Dis 2003;35(6–7):365–367. PubMed. Wunderlich, P. F., L. Braun, et al.. "Double-blind report on the efficacy of lactic acid-producing Enterococcus SF68 in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and in the treatment of acute diarrhoea." J Int Med Res 1989;17(4):333–338. Reference Mining 180 Xiao, J. Z., S. Kondo, et al. "Probiotics in the treatment of Japanese cedar pollinosis: a doubleblind placebo-controlled trial." Clin Exp Allergy 2006;36(11):1425–1435. PubMed. Ya, W., C. Reifer, et al. "Efficacy of vaginal probiotic capsules for recurrent bacterial vaginosis: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study." Am J Obstet Gynecol 2010;203(2):120 e121–126. PubMed. 2010 update. Yamamura, S, H. Morishima, et al. "The effect of Lactobacillus helveticus fermented milk on sleep and health perception in elderly subjects." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009;63(1):100–105. Embase titles. Yangco, B. G., G. Sher, et al. "Nitazoxanide and probiotics for the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection in a peritoneal dialysis patient." South Med J 2009;102(7):746– 747. PubMed. 2010 update. Zeng, J., Y. Q. Li, et al. "Clinical trial: effect of active lactic acid bacteria on mucosal barrier function in patients with diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008;28(8):994–1002. PubMed. 181 Acronyms and Abbreviations AHRQ – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ATCC – American Type Culture Collection CAERS – CFSAN Adverse Event Reporting System CBER – Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research CCTs – controlled clinical trials CFSAN – Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition cfu – colony forming units CI – confidence interval CTCAE – Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events classification system DARE – Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects EFSA – European Food Safety Authority EPC – Evidence-based Practice Center FAO/WHO – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization FDA – Food and Drug Administration GRAS – generally recognized as safe IND – investigational new drug ITT – intention-to-treat MANTIS – Manual, Alternative and Natural Therapy Index System NCCAM – National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine NCI-CTC – National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria NTIS – National Technical Information Service ODS – National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements RCT – randomized controlled trial RD – risk difference RR – risk ratio SAE – serious adverse event TEP – Technical Expert Panel 182 Appendix A. Exact Search Strings and List of Manufacturers Exact Search Strings Probiotics—Search Methodologies SEARCH #1: DATABASE SEARCHED & TIME PERIOD COVERED: PubMed – 1966-8/2010 SEARCH STRATEGY: probiotic* OR prebiotic* OR pre-biotic* OR synbiotic* NOT animals NOT humans NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 6491 =============================================================== SEARCH #2: DATABASE SEARCHED & TIME PERIOD COVERED: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews via OVID Online Service – All dates SEARCH STRATEGY: probiotic* OR prebiotic* OR synbiotic* {No Related Terms} NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 27 =============================================================== SEARCH #3: DATABASE SEARCHED & TIME PERIOD COVERED: Cochrane Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE) – All dates SEARCH STRATEGY: probiotic* OR prebiotic* OR synbiotic* {No Related Terms} NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 17 =============================================================== SEARCH #4: DATABASE SEARCHED & TIME PERIOD COVERED: Cochrane Central (Controlled Clinical Trials Register) – All dates SEARCH STRATEGY: probiotic* OR prebiotic* OR synbiotic* {No Related Terms} A-1 NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 151 =============================================================== SEARCH #5: DATABASE SEARCHED & TIME PERIOD COVERED: CINAHL with Full Text – 1981-8/2010 SEARCH STRATEGY: TI ( probiotic* OR prebiotic* OR synbiotic* ) OR AB ( probiotic* OR prebiotic* OR synbiotic* ) OR SU ( probiotic* OR prebiotic* OR synbiotic* ) Search modes - Boolean/Phrase NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 1633 =============================================================== SEARCH #6: DATABASE SEARCHED & TIME PERIOD COVERED: NTRL – National Technical Reports Library (NTIS database) – ~1800-8/2010 SEARCH STRATEGY: probiotic OR probiotics OR prebiotic OR prebiotics OR synbiotic OR synbiotics NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 99 NUMBER OF RELEVANT ITEMS RETRIEVED AFTER INITIAL SCREENING: 12 =============================================================== SEARCH #7: DATABASE SEARCHED & TIME PERIOD COVERED: Toxline/Toxfile – 1964 – 8/2010 SEARCH STRATEGY: probiotic* OR prebiotic* OR synbiotic* NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 371 =============================================================== SEARCH #8: DATABASE SEARCHED & TIME PERIOD COVERED: Allied & Complementary Medicine via DIALOG Online Service File 164– 1984-8/2010 SEARCH STRATEGY: probiotic? OR prebiotic? OR synbiotic? NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 134 =============================================================== SEARCH #9: DATABASE SEARCHED & TIME PERIOD COVERED: MANTIS (Manual, Alternative, and Natural Therapy) via DIALOG Online Service File 91 – 1880-5/2009 A-2 SEARCH STRATEGY: probiotic? OR prebiotic? OR synbiotic? NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 238 =============================================================== SEARCH #10: DATABASE SEARCHED & TIME PERIOD COVERED: Academic Universe Company Profiles SEARCH STRATEGY: (probiotic! OR prebiotic! OR synbiotic!) AND (sic(mfg OR manufact! OR preparation) OR naics(mfg OR manufact! OR preparation)) AND U.S. OR intenational companies NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 355 =============================================================== SEARCH #11: DATABASE SEARCHED & TIME PERIOD COVERED: Embase – 1974-8/2010 SEARCH STRATEGY: probiotic? OR prebiotic? OR synbiotic? AND Human NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 6536 =============================================================== SEARCH #12: Agricola - 1970 – 8/2010 SEARCH STRATEGY: probiotic? or prebiotic? or synbiotic? AND safe? or harm? or adverse or death or complication? or toxic? NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED: 506 List of Manufacturers The table lists manufacturers of probiotic, prebiotic or synbiotic products. The companies were identified searching the web pages of the IPA and ISAPP, www.usprobiotics.org, the database Nexis, the NLM Dietary Supplements Labels Database, a Google product search, examples listed in published papers and guidelines (e.g., World Gastroenterology Organisation Practice Guideline; Douglas & Sanders, 2008), and personal files (all searched May 2009). A-3 Identified Manufacturers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. Manufacturer 21st Century HealthCare, Inc. 4Life Research Abbott Laboratories ADM Alliance Nutrition, Inc. Advanced Muscle Science Agropur Agtech Probiotic Fertilizers Alacer Corporation Albertsons Alcon Laboratories, Inc Allergy Research Group ALVA-AMCO Pharmacal Cos, Inc. American Health, Inc. American Ingredients Inc. American Nutrition Amerifit Brands, Inc. AmVac Anthony Robbins Companies Applied Nutriceuticals Applied Nutrition Ardeypharm Aria Foods Arthritis Research Corporation Asahi Kasei Corporation AST Sports Science Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. Attune Foods Bally Total Fitness Corporation Barlean's Organic Oil Barry Callebaut AG Bausch & Lomb Bayer Corporation/Consumer Care Division Bayer Health Care (Phillips’) Belvedere Jay Brands Beneo-Orafti Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, Inc. Bio Human Netics, Inc. Biobank Co Biocodex BioGaia AB BioImmersion Bio-k Plus BioNatures Biotech Corporation Biotech Research Biotest Brands Biotics Reaearch Corporation Blairex Laboratories, Inc. Block Drug Bradley Pharmaceuticals Bradley Pharmaceuticals Inc Brewster Foods Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company Bronson Laboratories BSN California Academy of Health, Inc. A-4 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. Calpis USA Inc. Carb Wise Cargill Texturizing Solutions CCA Industries, Inc. Cerbios-Pharma Champion Nutrition, Inc. Chattem, Inc. China Meihua Biological Technology China-Biotics Choongang Biotech Co Ltd Chr. Hansen Clinicians Choice Inc. ConAgra Foods Contract Pharmacal Corp. Coromega Corp. Costco Wholesale Corporation (CWC), Inc. (Distributor) Country Life CSA Nutraceuticals, LLC Culturelle/Amerifit Brands Custom Probiotics CytoSport, Inc. Danisco Danone/Dannon Desert Health Products Inc Designs For Health Doctorâ€™s Best, Inc. Douglas Laboratories Dow DrNatura DSM Food Specialties France SAS EAS (Experimental and Applied Sciences) Eclectic Institute Ecological Formulas/Cardiovascular Research Ltd. Emerald Laboratories EnCoate Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc Eniva Corporation Enzymatic Therapy, Inc. Epic Nutrition Ergopharm Essential Formulas Inc Fenchem Flora Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd. Futurebiotics, LLC Futureceuticals Gaia Herbs Ganeden Biotech Garden of Life Gatorade Company, The General Mills GeneThera, Inc. GenMont Biotech GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Global Health Trax Inc GNC (General Nutrition Companies), Inc. Great Ocean Ingredients A-5 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. GTC Nutrition, LLC GumRunners, LLC Harmonium International Health & Nutrition Systems International Inc Health Asure, Inc. Health Plus, Inc. Healthy N Fit Nutritionals Healthy Origins Products Hello Imports, LLC Hunan Taizinai Group Co Ltd HVL, Inc./Douglas Laboratories IDS Sports Imagenetix, Inc. Inkine Pharmaceuticals Institut Rosell Lallemand Inc Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. Iovate Health Sciences U.S.A. Inc. IR Biosciences Holdings Inc Irwin Naturals iSatori Technologies ISS Research J.R. Carlson Laboratories Jarrow Formulas Jay Robb Kellogg (Canada and USA) Kendy USA Kibow Biotech Klaire Labs Klein-Becker USA Kmart Koninklijke Friesland Foods Kraft Labrada Nutrition LacPro Larkspur Wren Industries Leiner Health Products Inc. (LHP, Inc.) (Dist.) Lichtwer Pharma Life Enhancements Products, Inc. Life Extension Foundation Life Plus International Lifeway Foods LifeWise Naturals Longs Drug Stores Corporation Mayor Pharmaceuticals Laboratory, Inc. McNeil Nutritionals Mead Johnson & Company Meiji Dairies Corporation Merck Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC Metabolife International, Inc. MET-Rx Engineered Nutrition MGI GP Inc Michael's Naturopathic Programs Mission Pharmacal Company Molecular Nutrition, LLC Montana Naturals, Inc. Morinaga Milk Industry MRM-USA Muscle Marketing USA, Inc. A-6 173. 174. 175. 176. 177. 178. 179. 180. 181. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191. 192. 193. 194. 195. 196. 197. 198. 199. 200. 201. 202. 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. 208. 209. 210. 211. 212. 213. 214. 215. 216. 217. 218. 219. 220. 221. 222. 223. 224. 225. 226. 227. 228. 229. 230. 231. MuscleTech Research and Development Inc. Naked Juice Company Nancy’s Yogurt Natrol, Inc. Naturade Natural Balance, Inc. Natural Bridges Products, Inc. Natural Factors Natural Factors Nutritional Products Inc. Natural Organics Inc. Natural Products, Inc. Naturally Vitamins Nature Made Nutritional Products Nature’s Sunshine Products Inc Nature’s Way Holding Company Natures Answer Natures Benefit Natures Best Inc Natures Bounty, Inc. Natures Resource Products Natures Secret Natures Sunshine Natures Way Products, Inc. Nebraska Cultures Nestlé Nutrition USA Nestlé Purina New Chapter New York Health Care, Inc. NewMark Newmark (NMK) Newmark / New Chapte... Next Foods Next Proteins International NFI Consumer Products NIZO Food Research B.V. Norrmejerier North Star Nutritionals Northwest Natural Products Novartis Consumer Health, Inc. Novato Swan Research Novogen Ltd Now Now Foods Nutracea Nutraceutical Corporation Nutraceutical Science Institute (NSI) Nutraceutix Nutramax Laboratories, Inc. NutraSanus NutriCology, Inc. Nutri-Health Nutrition Now, Inc. Nuvim, Inc. NxLabs Olympian Labs Inc. On The Rock Nutrition Optimal Therapeutics, Inc. Optimum Nutrition A-7 232. 233. 234. 235. 236. 237. 238. 239. 240. 241. 242. 243. 244. 245. 246. 247. 248. 249. 250. 251. 252. 253. 254. 255. 256. 257. 258. 259. 260. 261. 262. 263. 264. 265. 266. 267. 268. 269. 270. 271. 272. 273. 274. 275. 276. 277. 278. 279. 280. 281. 282. 283. 284. 285. 286. 287. 288. 289. 290. Oragenics Inc Organobalance GmbH P.L. Thomas & Company Passion 4 Life, LLC PatentHealth, LLC Performance Labs, Inc. Pharmanex Pharmaton Pharmavite, LLC Physician Formulas PhysioLogics Planetary Formulas Premier Nutrition Probi Probi AB Probiomics Ltd Probiotical Procter and Gamble Prolab Nutrition Pulmuone – Wildwood Pure Encapsulations, Inc. Pure Prescriptions, Inc. Pure Research Products PureTek Corporation Puritans Pride Qingdao Eastsea Pharmaceutical Co Quantum Health Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc Radiance Vitamins Rainbow Light Rainbow Light Nutritional Systems Real Health Laboratories, Inc. Remington Health Products Renaissance Herbs, Inc. Renew Life ReNew Life Formulas, Inc. Renutra/Pivotal Health Solutions Rexall Sundown, Inc. Richardson Labs, Inc. RidgeCrest Herbals, Inc. Rite Aid Company (Distributor) Sanofi-Aventis Sausalito Lark Systems Schiff Schiff Products, Inc. (Distributor) Sedona Labs Sensus Shaklee Corporation Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Slimfast Foods Co. Solgar Solvay Somaxon Pharmaceuticals Spectrum Essentials Spectrum Organic Pro... Spectrum Organic Products, Inc. Super Nutrition Inc. Synbiotics Synbiotics Corporati... A-8 291. 292. 293. 294. 295. 296. 297. 298. 299. 300. 301. 302. 303. 304. 305. 306. 307. 308. 309. 310. 311. 312. 313. 314. 315. 316. 317. 318. 319. 320. 321. 322. 323. 324. 325. 326. 327. 328. 329. 330. 331. 332. 333. 334. 335. Ta'am-Teva Altman Target Corporation (Distributor) Tensall Bio-Tech Company, Limited The WholeSoy Co. Tiburon Cardinal Laboratories Trace Minerals Research Trader Joes (Distributor) Transitions For Health, Inc. TrimSpa Tropical Oasis Inc. Twinlab Corporation Twinwealth Biotech U.S. Nutrition UAS Laboratories Udos choice Ultimate Nutrition Unilever Universal Nutrition Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. Urex Biotech Valio Worldwide Vincent Foods, LLC Vitabase Vitamin Shoppe, The Vitamin World, Inc. Vitarich VPX (Vital Pharmaceuticals) VSL Pharmaceuticals Wakunaga of America Weider Nutrition Group Weil Nutritional Supplements Wellements Western Research Laboratories Whole Health Products, LLC Winclove Windmill Health Products Wonder Laboratories World Nutrition, Inc. World Organics Corporation WorldWide SportNutrition Wyeth Wyeth Consumer Healthcare Yakult Yerba Prima Zoller Laboratories A-9 Appendix B. Sample Data Extraction Forms ID: _____________________ Reviewer: First Author, Year: ____________ LAST NAME ONLY, PUBLICATION YEAR Number of publications: _____ ENTER ‘1OF 1’ IF ONLY ONE Description and IDs of related papers (if more than one : publication) Study Details & Participant Information Country _____________________________ Country category CHECK ALL THAT APPLY US ....................................................................... Europe................................................................. Asia (Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore) . Other or n/a ......................................................... Study design CIRCLE ONE Case study [1c] ....................................................0 Case series (uncontrolled) [1a,b]..........................1 Case-Control (probiotics as risk factor) [1d,e] .....2 Cohort study (comparing 2 cohorts) [1d,e] ........... 3 Controlled clinical trial (controlled by investigator) [1a,b] Parallel RCT [1a,b] ..............................................5 Other: _______________________________  n/a .....................................................................  4 Mechanistic study – could the study be described as a mechanistic study (e.g. investigating how, why probiotics may work)? [1f] CIRCLE ONE No .....................................................................0 Unclear - Somewhat unclear ............................1 Yes ....................................................................2 Source: CIRCLE ONE Conference abstract, letter.................................0 Unclear - Somewhat unclear ............................1 Journal article....................................................2 B-1 Was the safety of probiotics the main aim of the paper? No .....................................................................0 Unclear - Somewhat unclear ............................1 Yes ....................................................................2 Sample size category [4] 1-10 ....................................................................0 11-100 ................................................................1 100+ ...................................................................2 n/a - unclear.......................................................  Age at exposure to probiotics[4] Young (prenatal to teens) ..................................0 Adult ................................................................1 Elderly (> 65 yrs) ..............................................2 n/a, multiple – no info or mix .........................  Age at data collection category (majority groups) [4] CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Prenatal .............................................................  Newborns (≤1 mos)...........................................  Infants (>1 - 12 mos).........................................  Toddlers (>12 - 24 mos)....................................  Children (> 2 to 11yrs)......................................  Teens (12 - 17yrs) .............................................  Adults (18 - 65 yrs) ...........................................  Elderly (> 65 yrs) ..............................................  Mix....................................................................  Other: ______________________________....  n/a – no info ......................................................  Gender [4d]: % Female: ____ Other info (if no % is given):  “Mostly female”  “Mostly male”  n/a - no info, not reported Race and ethnicity [4d]: Did the study target a particular demographic group or reported subgroup analyses for particular groups?  n/a - no particular group; no info B-2 Disease or immunologic status [4d]: Does the study focus on patients with any of the following health conditions? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY . CONSIDER ONLY SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF PATIENTS, NOT 1 PATIENT WITH IBS WITHIN HEALTHY SAMPLE  Healthy participants  Cancer  Obesity  Exposure to toxins  Intestinal detox therapy  Short gut syndrome  Gastrointestinal (unspecified)  IBS  IBD  Diarrhea  Colitis  Crohn’s disease  Dermatologic (unspecified)  Eczema  Atopic dermatitis  Invasive devise  Immuno-compromised, HIV  Chronic infection  Immunologic (unspecified)  Vaginal yeast infection  H. pylori  Lactose intolerance  Allergies (not lactose)  Other health condition: SPECIFY  Other health condition: SPECIFY  Other health condition: SPECIFY  Other health condition: SPECIFY  n/a – not specified, none of the above Overall, assuming a continuum ranging from healthy to clinically high risk what describes the participants best [4d] CIRCLE ONE Generally healthy ..............................................0 n/a - medium, neither, unclear...........................1 High risk ...........................................................2 B-3 Exclusion criteria: does the study explicitly exclude the following groups? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Newborn or infants, under 2 years ....................  Older participants (>65) ...................................  Immune compromised, critically ill, high risk ..  Pregnant women................................................  Other (recurrent) group: SPECIFY ___________________________________ ...  n/a – not specified, none of the above...............  Probiotic function CIRCLE ONE None specifically / nutrition (e.g. contained in yoghurt) 1 Prevention ........................................................2 Treatment (e.g. to counterbalance adverse effects of antibiotics Varies - Varies by participant ...........................4 n/a .....................................................................5 3 Does the study include any of the following co-treatments (confounders) [6]? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Concomitant antibiotics ....................................  Diet therapies ....................................................  Corticosteroid use .............................................  Immune suppressants ........................................  Other, specify: ________________________ ..  n/a - none of the above ......................................  Did the authors file an Investigation of New Drug (IND) form prior to the research? [1a] CIRCLE ONE No .....................................................................0 Unclear - Somewhat unclear ............................1 Yes ....................................................................2 B-4 Describe the Main Probiotics Intervention and Control Group, if any, here Intervention Group ARM 1 IN CONTROLLED TRIALS WITH MULTIPLE ACTIVE ARMS Control Group: DESCRIBE CONTROL GROUP HERE, NOT ANY ADDITIONAL ACTIVE ARMS FIRST Control category (control group or other non-probiotic control) None (uncontrolled study, no pre-test)........................... 1 Pre-test (no other control group) . 2 Placebo ................................... 3 Non-probiotic Tx .................... 4 ADD MORE INTERVENTION PAGES AND STAPLE TO THE BACK OF THIS FORM IF THERE ARE MORE THAN 2 TREATMENT ARMS WHERE PROBIOTICS WERE GIVEN. Other probiotic ................... 5 Synbiotics ........................... 6 Prebiotics ............................ 7 Other - specify: _____________________ .. 8 N/A - unclear ...................... 9 If “Other probiotic”, extract the following: Product name ____________________________________ Product name ____________________________________ Further product description (IF NECESSARY) Product description (E.G. VSL CONTAINS…) Delivery vehicle [3a] CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Infant formula..................................................  Yogurt .............................................................  Dairy drink (e.g.Yakult) ..................................  Pill, capsule, gelcap ........................................  Mixed in with food (e.g. drops in porridge) ...  _________________________________) Other (SPECIFY, POTENTIALLY NEW CATEGORY?):  Varies by participants......................................  n/a, unclear .....................................................  Target of intervention CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Patient..............................................................  Mother, patient in utero ...................................  n/a, unclear ......................................................  Single - Single or probiotic mixture CIRCLE ONE Delivery vehicle [3a] CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Infant formula .................................................  Yogurt .............................................................  Dairy drink (e.g.Yakult)..................................  Pill, capsule, gelcap ........................................  Mixed in with food (e.g. drops in porridge) ...  _________________________________) Other (SPECIFY, POTENTIALLY NEW CATEGORY?):  Varies by participants......................................  n/a, unclear .....................................................  Target of intervention CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Patient .............................................................  Mother, patient in utero...................................  n/a, unclear ......................................................  Single - Single or probiotic mixture Mix of probiotics...............................................0 Varies by participant or unclear ........................1 1 probiotic strain only........................................2 CIRCLE ONE Mix of probiotics (genus, species, strain) .........0 Varies by participant or unclear ........................1 1 probiotic strain only .......................................2 B-5 Intervention Group Control Group Synbiotic - Single or mixed probiotics and prebiotics? [3e] CIRCLE ONE Synbiotic - Single or mixed probiotics and prebiotics? [3e] CIRCLE ONE Probiotic only ....................................................0 Varies by participant, unclear............................1 Synbiotic (probiotic and prebiotics) ..................2 Genus investigated in the study [3b] Probiotic only....................................................0 Varies by participant, unclear ...........................1 Synbiotic (probiotic and prebiotics)..................2 CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Genus investigated in the study [3b] Lactobacillus ...................................................  Bifidobacterium...............................................  Saccharomyces ...............................................  Streptococcus ..................................................  Enterococcus ...................................................  Bacillus............................................................  Varies by participant .......................................  n/a ...................................................................  Notes (E.G. STREPT. USED FOR FERMENTION)__________________________________ Details of all contained Probiotics STATE N/A WHERE NOT AVAILABLE Genus Species Strain Form (ACTIVE, LYOPHILIZED, HEAT KILLED / TYNDALLIZED) Potency CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Lactobacillus ...................................................  Bifidobacterium ..............................................  Saccharomyces ...............................................  Streptococcus ..................................................  Enterococcus ...................................................  Bacillus ...........................................................  Varies by participant .......................................  n/a ...................................................................  Notes (E.G. STREPT. USED FOR FERMENTION)____________________________________ Details of all contained Probiotics STATE N/A WHERE NOT AVAILABLE Genus Species Strain Form (ACTIVE, (DOSE OF ACTIVE LYOPHILIZED, HEAT KILLED / TYNDALLIZED) MICROORGANISM ACCORDING TO PRODUCT LABEL) A A B B C C D D E E F F G G H H B-6 Potency (DOSE OF ACTIVE MICROORGANISM ACCORDING TO PRODUCT LABEL) Intervention Group Characterize the consumption of above probiotics CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Mix - Each participant consumes a mixture of the above probiotic genera / only 1 strain.......................................... Varies – Genera/strain/species and mixture/single genera varies by participants......................................................... n/a ......................................................................................... Dose and frequency of above probiotics [4a]: Dose Number _________ Frequency Unit _________ Varies by participant..............  Varies over time ....................  n/a .........................................  Route of administration [4c] Number _________ Per _________ Varies by participant............  Varies over time...................  n/a .......................................  CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Oral .................................................................  Enteral, feeding / nasal /G tube, jenunostomy.  Intravenous catheter ........................................  Intravaginal .....................................................  Topical ............................................................  Other, specify:________________________ .  Varies by participant and or genus..................  n/a ...................................................................  Duration of probiotic use during study in months [4a] Varies – Duration varies by participant...........  n/a – no exact information on duration of use.  Long term use – which category does the group fall into [4a] Short term (≤ 1 month)......................................0 Medium, varies, or unclear................................1 Long term (≥1 year) ..........................................2 B-7 Control Group Characterize the consumption of probiotics CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Mix - Each participant consumes a mixture of the above probiotic genera / only 1 strain .........................................  Varies – Genera/strain/species and mixture/single genera varies by participants ........................................................  n/a ........................................................................................  Dose and frequency of above probiotics [4a]: Dose Number _________ Frequency Unit _________ Varies by participant ..............  Varies over time .....................  n/a .........................................  Route of administration [4c] Number _________ Per _________ Varies by participant ............ Varies over time ................... n/a ........................................ CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Oral..................................................................  Enteral, feeding / nasal /G tube, jenunostomy.  Intravenous catheter ........................................  Intravaginal .....................................................  Topical.............................................................  Other, specify:________________________ .  Varies by participant and or genus ..................  n/a ...................................................................  Duration of probiotic use during study in months [4a] Varies – Duration varies by participant...........  n/a – no exact information on duration of use .  Long term use – which category does the study fall into [4a] Short term (≤4 weeks) .......................................0 Medium, varies, or unclear................................1 Long term (≥1 year) ..........................................2 B-8 Verification Was the dose of active microorganism verified? No, not described, none of the below apply ...................... 0 Somewhat unclear ............................................................. 1 Yes, verified ....................................................................... 2 n/a, varied by participant, e.g. in observational study .............................................................................. Treatment Group (arm 1) Potency (dose of active microorganism) according to study test Test used to check the Culture (patent or amount of organisms repository / culture collection designation) Number of viable bacteria per dose Arm 2 if applicable Potency (dose of active microorganism) according to study test Number of viable bacteria per dose A A B B C C D D E E F F G G H H Contaminants mentioned? Test used to check the amount of organisms CIRCLE ONE Contaminants mentioned? No .....................................................................0 Somewhat unclear ............................................1 Yes (specify __________________________) 2 n/a – no test .....................................................  CIRCLE ONE No .....................................................................0 Somewhat unclear ............................................1 Yes (specify __________________________) 2 n/a – no test .....................................................  B-9 Culture (patent or repository / culture collection designation) Assessment Was a published tool used to assess harms? [1a, d]CHECK ALL THAT APPLY No, unlikely.......................................................0 Possible .............................................................1 Yes SPECIFY____________________________...2 Assessed safety parameters - what did the study monitor (explicit description of what they looked out for) [1a, 1d] CHECK ALL EXAMPLES THAT APPLY IF EXACT WORDING WAS USED, OTHERWISE WRITE OUT OR MARK CLEARLY IN TEXT COPY WHAT SHOULD BE ENTERED IN ACCESS Death ...............................................................  Stroke ..............................................................  MI....................................................................  Infections (not restricted to sepsis)..................  Sepsis...............................................................  Fungemia.........................................................  Endocarditis.....................................................  Deleterious physiologic/metabolic activity .....  Allergy.............................................................  Hematocytometric values ................................  Liver and renal function ..................................  Diarrhea...........................................................  Bloating ...........................................................  Abdominal pain ...............................................  Adverse / unexpected events, side effects (not further specified but named outcome in method section) ...........................................  Data collection - What method was used to record harms? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY Participant diary ..............................................  Participant questionnaire.................................  Telephone interview........................................  Healthcare provider assessment, face to face ..  Other SPECIFY__________________________ ..  n/a – no info provided .....................................  Duration of follow-up category Follow-up after consumption stopped CIRCLE ONE No, consumption ongoing ................................0 Consumption has stopped (recently); unclear ..1 Consumption has stopped long ago (≥ 1 year) ..2 ENTER EXACT TEXT OR INDICATE WHICH TEXT SECTION SHOULD BE ENTERED n/a (unclear, not specified) ....................... Hospital admission or lengthened hospitalization explicitly assessed? [5] CIRCLE ONE Short-term (<6 months) ....................................0 Unclear - Somewhat unclear ............................1 Long-term (≥ 1 year).........................................2 CIRCLE ONE No....................................................... 0 Possible – somewhat unclear ............. 1 Yes...................................................... 2 B-10 n/a – none of the above [4d]............................  Results Does the study describe an analysis to accomplish any of the CHECK ALL THAT APPLY following? Differentiate probiotics and medication effects  Differentiate effects of probiotics and confounders ................................................... Trace interactions between harms ..................... Trace interactions between probiotics and medications (statistical interaction effect or subgroup analysis [2a] ................................... Unclear .............................................................. No, none of the above ....................................... Effectiveness – according to the abstract (check conclusion) of the publication is the probiotic intervention described as effective (with regard to health outcomes other than harms) [4e] CIRCLE ONE No .....................................................................0 Partially, unclear ...............................................1 Yes ....................................................................2 Does the study provide a direct comparison (= within study comparison, e.g. there are 2 groups in the study or the study reports subgroup analyses) of any of the following: [4e] Genera [3b] .....................................................  Species [3b] .....................................................  Strains [3b] ......................................................  Forms (e.g. active vs lyophilized) [3c] ............  Delivery vehicles (e.g. milk drink) [3a] ..........  Genera mix – single vs mixture of prob.genera [3d] Genera mix – single vs mixture of prob.genera [3d] Synbiotic mix – probiotics only vs probiotics and prebiotics mix [3e] Dose [4a] .........................................................  Timing [4b] .....................................................  Mode of administration (e.g. catheter) ............  n/a – none of the above....................................  Does the study provide subgroup analysis for any of the following: Gender [4d] ....................................................  Age [4d] ..........................................................  Ethnicity [4d]...................................................  Disease or immunologic status (healthy vs high risk) [4d] B-11 Assessed and Reported Harms for the Probiotics (Intervention) and Control Group 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Blood and lymphatic system Cardiac Congenital, familial and genetic Ear and labyrinth Endocrine Eye Gastrointestinal General and administration site conditions 9. Hepatobiliary 10.Immune system 11.Infections and infestations 12.Injury, poisoning and procedural complications 13.Investigations 14.Metabolism and nutrition 15.Musculoskeletal/connective tissue 16.Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (incl. cysts, polyps) 17.Nervous system 18. Pregnancy, puerperium and perinatal conditions 19. Psychiatric 20. Renal and urinary 21. Reproductive system, breast 22. Respiratory, thoracic, mediastinal 23. Skin and subcutaneous tissue 24. Social circumstances 25. Surgical and medical procedures 26. Vascular 27. Other/Unclear, does not apply If paper doesn’t distinguish between intervention and control group, check here  Probiotics Intervention Group ARM 1 IN CONTROLLED TRIALS WITH MULTIPLE ACTIVE ARMS ENTER CODE, WRITE IN CATEGORY, AND COLLECT HARMS DATA Code Harm S A E # of patients n/a if unknown Control Group ONLY DESCRIBE CONTROL GROUP HERE, NOT ANY ADDITIONAL ACTIVE ARMS Notes ENTER CODE, WRITE IN CATEGORY, AND COLLECT HARMS DATA Code Harm Patients with AEs (if clearly stated) [1]: ______ NUMBER or S A E # of patients n/a if unknown Notes _______ PERCENT Patients with AEs (if clearly stated) [1]: Other information, above system does not apply B-12 ______ or _______ Safety of probiotics used to reduce risk and prevent or treat disease: State of the research NUMBER PERCENT Other information, above system does not apply Was acquired antibiotic resistance and/or transferability reported? [2b] CIRCLE ONE No....................................................... 0 Unclear – somewhat unclear .............. 1 Yes...................................................... 2 Probiotics treatment Group Timing and Duration: Is there information 1. on the time of onset of harm and probiotic use (e.g., when did symptoms start in relation to probiotics use) and 2. how long the harm was sustained after the intervention or exposure stopped? [4b] n/a - unknown, not mentioned  Yes (describe).................................................................... DESCRIBE TIMING AND DURATION FOR EACH HARM SEPARATELY IF STATED Hospitalizations: Number of (new) hospital admissions [5] ONLY STATE 0 IF IT WAS EXPLICITLY ASSESSED n/a - unknown, not mentioned ...........  Length of hospitalization [5] days n/a - unknown, not mentioned ...........  Did the study describe an antibiotic therapy designed to treat unintended pathology caused by the probiotics? [1g] CIRCLE ONE No....................................................... 0 Unclear – somewhat unclear .............. 1 Yes...................................................... 2 B-13 Safety of probiotics used to reduce risk and prevent or treat disease: State of the research Yes...................................................... 2 n/a - no probiotics..............................  Control Group Timing and Duration: Is there information 1. on the time of onset of harm and probiotic use (e.g., when did symptoms start in relation to probiotics use) and 2. how long the harm was sustained after the intervention or exposure stopped? [4b] n/a - unknown, not mentioned  Yes (describe).................................................................... DESCRIBE TIMING AND DURATION FOR EACH HARM SEPARATELY IF STATED Hospitalizations: Number of (new) hospital admissions [5] ONLY STATE 0 IF IT WAS EXPLICITLY ASSESSED n/a, unknown, not mentioned ............  Length of hospitalization [5] days n/a - unknown, not mentioned ...........  Did the study describe an antibiotic therapy designed to treat unintended pathology caused by the probiotics? [1g] CIRCLE ONE No....................................................... 0 Unclear – somewhat unclear .............. 1 Yes...................................................... 2 n/a - no probiotics..............................  Was acquired antibiotic resistance and/or transferability reported? [2b] CIRCLE ONE No....................................................... 0 Unclear – somewhat unclear .............. 1 B-14 Probiotics treatment Group Safety of probiotics used to reduce risk and prevent or treat disease: State of the research Control Group Was any other treatment (not antibiotics) for administered organism reported? CIRCLE ONE Was any other treatment (not antibiotics) for administered organism reported? CIRCLE ONE No....................................................... 0 Unclear – somewhat unclear .............. 1 Yes,2_____________________________ n/a - no probiotics..............................  No....................................................... 0 Unclear – somewhat unclear .............. 1 Yes, _____________________________ Did the study describe methods for recovery of the administered organism from the gastrointestinal tract, serum, mouth, vagina? [1h] Did the study describe methods for recovery of the administered organism from the gastrointestinal tract, serum, mouth, vagina? CIRCLE ONE No....................................................... 0 Unclear – somewhat unclear .............. 1 Yes...................................................... 2 [1h] CIRCLE ONE No....................................................... 0 Unclear – somewhat unclear .............. 1 Yes...................................................... 2 n/a, no probiotics ...............................  Add additional result pages and staple to the back of this form if there is more than one treatment group using probiotics B-15 Safety of probiotics used to reduce risk and prevent or treat disease: State of the research Quality Assessment Susceptibility to bias Level of evidence Level of evidence Sample selection: Does the study design protect against selection bias? CIRCLE ONE CIRCLE ONE I (RCT, CCT) 1 II (Cohort, case-control) 2 III (case series, case studies, mechanistic studies) Unclear  No (e.g. case study, opportunity sample) 0 To some extent (e.g. all patients in unit) 1 3 Yes (e.g. consecutive patients; explicitly representative)....................................................2 Reporting Comparability of groups: Were the compared groups similar with regard to prognostic factors for AEs, were they sampled from the same population; or were there other differences apart from the intervention? CIRCLE ONE Product reporting: Was the consumed genus, species and strain clearly reported or could be ascertained from the authors? CIRCLE ONE No, not fully comparable 0 Probably but somewhat unclear 1 Yes (e.g. baseline values reported and comparable) 2 No.......................................................................0 No, but info received from author 1 Yes 2 n/a (e.g. varies by participant)  n/a (no control, not even pre in pre-post).........  Assessment reporting: Were the assessed harms clearly reported? CIRCLE ONE No (not clear what was monitored) Somewhat unclear Yes Power: Was there a power calculation reported that considered an adverse event? CIRCLE ONE 0 1 2 No 0 Very large sample or significant AE differences reported 1 Yes 2 Harms reporting: Were the observed (or the absence of) harms clearly reported? CIRCLE ONE No Somewhat unclear Yes (n for all groups, for all AE) Exposure / compliance: Can we be certain that the participants consumed CIRCLE ONE probiotics as described and intended? 0 1 2 No, information on compliance missing and exposure unclear 0 Probably 1 Yes, e.g. via catheter in hospital; assessed; ~80% Surveillance: Was there a standardized and prompted assessment of harms? CIRCLE ONE B-16 Safety of probiotics used to reduce risk and prevent or treat disease: State of the research No, passive surveillance only, spontaneously reported AE were recorded 0 Possible 1 Yes, active surveillance, structured assessment, part of protocol 2 Randomization: Was the study described as randomized and was the sequence generation for the randomization appropriate? CIRCLE ONE No, not described as randomized 0 Randomized but sequence unclear or not adequate (allocated alternately, or according to date of birth, hospital number) 1 Yes, randomized and adequate (table of random numbers, computer generated) 2 Allocation concealment: If study was randomized, was the treatment allocation concealed? CIRCLE ONE No (study personnel can predict group).............0 Unclear (possible, not enough information) ......1 Yes (cannot be predicted) 2 n/a (not randomized) ........................................  Participant blinding: CIRCLE ONE No, unlikely 0 Possible, but unclear ..........................................1 Yes 2 Outcome assessor blinding: CIRCLE ONE No, unlikely 0 Possible, but unclear ..........................................1 Yes 2 Dropouts: Are withdrawals and dropouts reported, including their original group assignment, were the reason described and is the drop-out rate acceptable, e.g. 20% short term, 30% long term? CIRCLE ONE No.......................................................................0 Partially (e.g. n reported, some reasons described) 1 Yes – reported, reason described, acceptable, no dr.o. B-17 Safety of probiotics used to reduce risk and prevent or treat disease: State of the research Problematic study (e.g. doubts if AE is associated with probiotics, e.g. case study, infection strain and probiotics could not be shown as being identical) Unclear (cocktail of meds, a number of alternative explanations for AE or different AE rates; cross-over studies) 1 Yes (specific probiotic only difference between groups) 2 Rate adjustment: When calculating rates of adverse events, were dropouts and withdrawals analyzed as if they remained in the study for the CHECK DIRECTION OF ANSWER MODE AND CIRCLE ONE whole duration (unfair)? Yes .....................................................................0 Possible ..............................................................1 No, adjusted or no drop-outs 2 n/a (case study) ................................................  ITT: Was an intention to treat (ITT) analysis described for the effectiveness data? (Were all participants' data included in the analysis, according to the treatment group to which they were originally assigned, regardless of whether they completed CIRCLE ONE the treatment/study? No, unlikely........................................................0 Possible ..............................................................1 Yes 2 n/a (no controls, no effectiveness analysis)  Confounding – confounding factors were considered in the design or analysis CIRCLE ONE No, unlikely 0 Possible, but unclear ..........................................1 Yes (e.g. multivariate analysis, RCT with explicit similar co-interventions etc.) 2 Conflict: Is there potentially a conflict of interest CIRCLE ONE Yes (funded by manufacturer) ...........................0 Unclear (university aff. but no info on funding; meds donated) ............................................................................1 No (‘no conflict’ clearly stated) 2 General Applicability Relevance: Is the study directly relevant to answering the review questions? CIRCLE ONE B-18 Appendix C. Evidence Tables Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail Author, Year Abrahamsson, 2007 Country Sweden Gen era L Agerbaek, 1995 Denmark St E Aihara, 2005 Japan L Alberda, 2007 Canada Allen, 2010 UK Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 100+ Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Prenatal Newborn Infant Adults 48 0 Adults 30 Adults Elderly Newborn Infant 57 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Journal LB St LB RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Journal Anderson, 2003 n/a LB St RCT 100+ Journal Adults Elderly 42 Andriulli, 2008 Italy L Journal Nigeria L Anukam, 2008 Nigeria L St RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly Adults Black African Adults 69 Anukam, 2006 RCT 100+ RCT 100+ Anukam, 2009 Nigeria L Journal Adults 100 Arunachalam, 2000 Aso, 1992 New Zealand B Journal L Aso, 1995 Japan L Awad, 2010 Egypt L RCT 100+ Journal Adults Elderly Adults Elderly Teens Adults Elderly Newborn 64 Japan RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ L RCT 11-100 Adults 100 Baerheim, 1994 Norway Journal Journal Yes Yes Journal Journal Journal Yes Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Infants with n/a family history of allergic disease Healthy Healthy participants High-normal n/a blood pressure; Mild hypertension Exclusion Criteria Prevention Milk protein allergy; Lactose intolerance Critically ill; Risk of infants Probiotic Function atopy n/a Prevention Elective abdominal surgery IBS n/a Prevention n/a Treatment 100 Bacterial vaginosis n/a 100 13 Diarrhea; Immuno compromised Vaginal yeast n/a infection Healthy Healthy participants Cancer n/a 16 Cancer n/a Prevention 50 Neonate admitted to the NICU Urinary tract n/a infection Prevention C-1 Antibiotics Steroids None nutrition Treatment Prevention Elderly High risk Cotreatments Treatment Antibiotics Antibiotics Antibiotics Treatment Pregnancy Treatment Elderly Treatment Antibiotics Prevention Pregnancy Treatment Antibiotics Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 11-100 Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Bajaj, 2008 USA LB St Banaszkiewicz, 2005 Poland L RCT 11-100 Journal Barraud, 2010 France LB RCT 100+ Journal Barreto-Zuniga, n/a 2001 LB RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly 21 Basu, 2007 India L RCT 100+ Journal Infant Toddler 47 Acute diarrhea Basu, 2007 India L Journal Children 74 Basu, 2009 India L RCT 100+ RCT 100+ Journal 51 Beausoleil, 2007 Canada L RCT 11-100 Journal Infant Toddler Children Adults Elderly Bellomo, 1979 #13195 Switzerland E RCT 11-100 Journal Newborn Infant Toddler Children 36 Bertolami, 1999 Brazil St E C-RCT 11-100 Journal Adults 66 Besselink, 2008 The Netherlands Bin-Nun, 2005 Israel LB Journal 41 Journal Adults Elderly Infant Black, 1997 n/a LB Journal Adults 50 Boge, 2009 pilot France L St RCT 100+ RCT 100+ CCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Journal Elderly 65 B St Adults 22 White, 3 Black Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups Toddler Children Teens Adults Elderly Yes General Health Exclusion Criteria Nonalcoholic n/a minimal hepatic encephalopathy cirrhotics Constipation n/a 59 52 44 Patients under mechanical ventilation Alcohol-related n/a liver cirrhosis Probiotic Function Treatment High risk Pregnancy Treatment Lactulose Treatment Antibiotics Treatment watery n/a Treatment Persistent diarrhea Diarrhea n/a Treatment n/a Treatment Hospitalized patients on antibiotics Diarrhea; Gastroenteritis/ enteritis; toxic dyspepsia; Diarrhea following respiratory infection Mild to moderate primary hypercholesterol emia Acute pancreatitis Very low birth weight Healthy participants Healthy participants n/a C-2 Cotreatments High risk Prevention Antibiotics Healthy Treatment Antibiotics n/a Treatment Diet n/a Prevention Antibiotics Prevention Healthy Healthy None nutrition 5 Antibiotics Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 100+ RCT Journal 100+ Boge, 2009 France L St Borgia, 1982 Italy St Bousvaros, 2005 USA L RCT 11-100 Journal Bravo, 2008 Chile S RCT 11-100 Journal Brophy, 2008 UK LB Bruno, 1981 Italy E RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 C-RCT 11-100 % Female Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups Adults Elderly 50 Children Teens White 85%, Hispanic 4%, Black 8% Adults Elderly 37 77 Acute infectious n/a disease Journal Adults 30 Journal Adults 41 Spondylarthropat n/a hy Enteritis n/a Journal Children Teens Adults 58 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Journal Toddler Children Adults Elderly 49 Children Teens 43 Newborn Infant Toddler Children Infant Bu, 2007 Taiwan L Chen, 2005 Taiwan L Chen, 2010 Taiwan L RCT 100+ Journal Chou, 2010 Taiwan LB RCT 100+ Journal Chouraqui, 2004 Chouraqui, 2008 Chui, 2009 France LB St LB Coccorullo, 2010 Italy Connolly, 2005 Sweden Journal RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ L B E RCT 11-100 L RCT 11-100 Journal L Journal RCT 11-100 Yes Journal Unclear Yes Unclear Journal Yes Newborn Infant Adults Elderly Infant Infant Healthy participants Chronic pulmonary tuberculosis Crohn's disease General Health 63 L China Age Ethnicity Elderly Bruzzese, 2007 n/a France Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Probiotic Function 5 n/a Treatment Antibiotics n/a Treatment Steroids High risk Pregnancy Treatment Antibiotics High risk Treatment Treatment Treatment n/a Treatment n/a Prevention n/a Treatment 56 Preterm very low n/a birth weight infant Prevention 50 Healthy participants Healthy participants Severe acute pancreatitis Functional chronic constipation Family history of allergy Healthy Prevention Healthy n/a None nutrition Treatment n/a Treatment Healthy None nutrition 51 27 45 C-3 Cotreatments Healthy n/a 45 Cystic fibrosis; Chronically infected with pseudomonas Chronic constipation Partial adhesive small-bowel obstruction Asthma and allergic rhinitis Exclusion Criteria Antibiotics Steroids Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 100+ Cooper, 2006 n/a B Correa, 2005 Brazil B St RCT 100+ Journal Cui, 2004 China Ba Journal CunninghamRundles, 2000 USA L RCT 100+ CCT 11-100 Czaja, 2007 USA L RCT 11-100 Journal Czech Republic De Preter, 2006 Belgium L de Roos, 1999 L St RCT 11-100 C-RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Dadak, 2006 De Simone, 1992 The Netherlands Italy S LB De Simone, 2001 Dekker, 2009 Italy LB St New Zealand L CCT 100+ RCT 100+ Delia, 2002 Italy Delia, 2007 Italy RCT 100+ RCT 100+ LB St LB St Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Newborn Infant Yes Journal Infant Toddler Children Adults General Health 42 30 Inpatients receiving antibiotics Diarrhea n/a n/a Recurrent urinary n/a tract infection Journal 17 Journal Adults 51 Journal Adults 72 Journal Elderly 48 Long-term patients Healthy participants Healthy participants Healthy participants Journal Prevention High risk Pregnancy Lactating ICU Prevention Treatment Healthy None nutrition Treatment Healthy None nutrition n/a Treatment Parent with n/a allergic disease Prevention Cancer; Radiotherapy Cancer Prevention C-4 Antibiotics Treatment Healthy IBS Cotreatments Treatment 100 Yes Breast feeding Immuno compromised Adults 50 Elderly Prenatal 49 Newborn Infant Toddler 10% Maori, 79% European, 11% Other Probiotic Function None nutrition Adults 83% White, 13% Asian, 3% Native American, 3% Hispanic Adults Journal Exclusion Criteria Infant of HIV positive mother Other Yes Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups n/a Elderly Treatment Radiation therapy Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 11-100 Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Dewan, 2007 India L St Toddler Children Dolin, 2009 USA Ba RCT 11-100 Journal Yes Dubey, 2008 India Yes Turkey RCT 100+ RCT 100+ Journal Duman, 2005 LB St S Journal Yes Dupont, 2010 France LB Journal Yes Dylewski, 2010 Canada L RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Ehrstrom, 2010 Sweden L RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Eriksson, 2005 L RCT 100+ Journal Falck, 1999 Finland, Norway, Sweden Sweden St RCT 100+ Journal Felley, 2001 Switzerland L Journal Feng, 1999 China Folster-Holst, 2006 Germany LB St L RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Adults 100 Caucasian 95% Children Teens Adults Adults 34 Forestier, 2008 France L RCT 100+ Journal French, 2009 Australia L Frohmader, 2010 Australia LB St RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Journal Journal Yes Newborn Infant Adults Elderly General Health Moderately to n/a severely malnourished IBS n/a Exclusion Criteria High risk Treatment High risk Pregnancy Lactating Treatment Rotavirus n/a diarrhea H. pylori; Non- n/a ulcer dyspepsia; Peptic ulcer disease Colic n/a 49 Taking antibiotics n/a 100 Bacterial vaginosis Vulvovaginal candidiasis Bacterial vaginosis n/a Tonsillitis n/a H. pylori n/a n/a Probiotic Function Cotreatments Antibiotics Diet Treatment Treatment Antibiotics Treatment High risk Pregnancy Breast feeding Pregnancy Breast feeding Treatment Antibiotics Pregnancy Breast feeding High risk Treatment Antibiotics Treatment Antibiotics Elderly Pregnancy Treatment Antibiotics Treatment Teens Adults Infant Toddler Children Adults Elderly 60 Diarrhea n/a Treatment 36 Atopic Dermatitis n/a Treatment Steroids 30 High risk Prevention Antibiotics Journal Adults 58 Pregnancy Adults Elderly 33 None nutrition Treatment Flu vaccination Journal ICU patients with nasogastric feeding tube Healthy Healthy participants ICU patients requiring enteral nutrition through feeding tube Journal Yes Adults 76 Elderly 82% Caucasian Infant Toddler Adults 51 Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups C-5 Antibiotics Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Design Sample Size Category RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 100+ Source Fujimori, 2009 Japan B Gade, 1989 Denmark St Galpin, 2005 Malawi L Gao, 2010 China L Garcia Vilela, 2008 Brazil S RCT 11-100 Journal Gerasimou, 2010 Ukraine LB RCT 11-100 Journal Gibson, 2008 Australia B Journal Gill, 2001 New Zealand B Gionchetti, 2000 Italy LB St RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Gionchetti, 2003 Goossens, 2003 Italy Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Journal Adults 58 Journal Adults 78 Journal Children 54 Journal Adults 49 Elderly 10% Asian Adults Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Colitis; Ulcerative n/a colitis IBS n/a Healthy participants Diarrhea Exclusion Criteria Treatment Healthy Elderly Prevention n/a High risk Prevention Antibiotics None nutrition Antibiotics Steroids Treatment Diet Steroids None nutrition None nutrition Treatment 38 Atopic Dermatitis n/a 77 Elderly Journal Adults 43 L B S RCT St 11-100 L RCT 11-100 Journal Adults 42 Healthy participants Healthy participants Ulcerative colitis; Relapsing pouchitis Ulcerative colitis Healthy Journal Infant Toddler Elderly Journal Adults 55 Healthy participants Healthy Gracheva, 1999 Russia B CCT 100+ Journal Gruber, 2007 L RCT 100+ RCT 100+ RCT 100+ Journal Infant 32 Journal Elderly 63 Journal Adults 23 RCT 100+ Journal Adults Elderly 50 The Netherlands Germany Guillemard, France 2010 Guyonnet, 2009 UK L St Habermann, 2001 E Germany LB St Yes Crohn's disease n/a in remission Healthy n/a Infants Elderly n/a Elderly Pregnancy GI unspecific; Hepatitis B; Acute intestinal infections; Chronic intestinal and digestive tract conditions Atopic Dermatitis Healthy Healthy participants Healthy participants Treatment None nutrition Treatment Vitamins; Symptomatic treatment High risk Treatment Steroids Healthy High risk Prevention Healthy Elderly Pregnancy Breast feeding Pregnancy None nutrition Chronic infection; n/a Chronic recurrent bronchitis C-6 Steroids Treatment Toddler Children 60 Cotreatments Pregnancy Elderly Pregnancy Breast feeding High risk Yes Probiotic Function Treatment Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Habermann, 2002 HaschkeBecher, 2008 Hatakka, 2008 Country Gen era Study Design Sample Size Category RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 C-RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Source Germany E Chile L Finland L Heimburger, 1994 Hemmerling, 2009 USA L USA L Higashikawa, 2009 Japan L RCT 11-100 Journal Hilton, 1997 USA L RCT 100+ Journal Hirata, 2002 Japan LS Hochter,1990 Germany S Honeycutt, 2007 n/a L CCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Hong, 2010 Korea LB RCT 11-100 Journal Horvat, 2010 Slovenia L RCT 11-100 Ishikawa, 2002 Japan Ishikawa, 2003 Japan Ishikawa, 2005 Japan Isolauri, 1991 Isolauri,1995 Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Journal Age Ethnicity General Health Exclusion Criteria Adults 100 83% white Healthy participants Healthy High risk Pregnancy None nutrition Diarrhea; Constipation n/a Pregnancy Treatment Healthy participants Healthy Infants Elderly High risk Treatment Journal Adults 72 97% Japanese, 3% Chinese Teens 48 Adults Elderly Adults 53 Hypertension n/a Journal 45 Diarrhea n/a Newborn Infant Toddler Children Adults Elderly 34 ICU patients 33 IBS n/a Journal Adults Elderly 56 Adenocarcinoma of the colon n/a L B S RCT 11-100 L RCT 11-100 L RCT 100+ Journal Adults 48 Ulcerative colitis n/a Treatment Journal Adults 26 n/a n/a Prevention Journal Adults Elderly 18 History of n/a colorectal tumors Finland L RCT 11-100 Journal Finland L RCT 11-100 Infant Toddler Children Infant Journal Infant Adults Journal Journal Journal 0 20 Yes Pregnancy Probiotic Function Healthy Yes 71 Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups Recurrent sinusitis Healthy participants Hypercholesterol emia Tube-fed patients Journal Adults % Female Healthy Treatment n/a None nutrition Treatment n/a Prevention Antibiotics Treatment Elderly Treatment Prevention Pregnancy Breast feeding Infants High risk Antibiotics Steroids Treatment Treatment Prevention Diarrhea n/a Treatment Healthy participants Healthy Treatment C-7 Cotreatments Steroids Diet Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 11-100 Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity Jirapinyo, 2002 Thailand LB Johansson, 1998 Kadooka, 2010 Sweden L Japan L St Kajander, 2005 Finland LB Kajander, 2008 Finland LB Kajimoto, 2002 Japan Karvonen, 2001 n/a LS St L Kerac, 2009 Malawi L Kianifar, 2009 Iran LB RCT 11-100 Journal Kim, 2006 additional groups described in #3610 USA L B S RCT Ba 11-100 Journal Yes Kim, 2006 USA LB Ba RCT 11-100 Journal Yes Kim, 2008 South Korea LB St RCT 100+ Journal Kirjavainen, 2003 Klarin, 2008 Finland L Journal Infant Sweden L RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ % Female Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Exclusion Criteria 33 Sepsis; Meningitis Journal Infant Toddler Children Adults 77 Healthy Journal Adults 33 Healthy participants Over weight Journal Adults 76 IBS n/a 93 IBS n/a 49 Mild hypertension n/a Treatment Healthy Healthy participants Severe acute malnutrition Treatment Journal Journal Adults Yes Journal Newborn Infant Toddler Children Teens Infant Toddler Children Adults Elderly White 93%, Black 6%, Hispanic 1% Adults Elderly White 93%, Black 6%, Hispanic 1% Adults Elderly 46 Moderate dehydration High risk Probiotic Function Treatment Pregnancy Lactating Pregnancy Lactating Treatment Treatment n/a Treatment Functional disorder GI n/a Treatment 71 Functional disorder GI n/a Treatment 53 H. pylori 50 Cow’s allergy Intubated, ventilated, critically ill Pregnancy Lactating milk n/a Treatment Treatment High risk IBS meds, other regular medications Treatment 71 C-8 Antibiotics None nutrition Treatment n/a n/a Cotreatments Prevention Antibiotics Diet Antibiotics Proton pump inhibition Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Klarin,2005 Sweden L Knight, 2007 UK L Koning, 2008 The Netherlands Germany Kotzampassi, 2006 Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 1-10 Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Exclusion Criteria 47 Enterally critically ill Journal Adults Elderly 38 Journal Adults 63 Infants High risk Pregnancy Pregnancy Lactating Prevention L B E RCT 11-100 L RCT 100+ Prenatal Newborn Infant 55 None nutrition Prevention Antibiotics Journal Ventilator associated pneumonia Healthy Healthy participants Family history of n/a atopic disease Greece L RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly 18 Severe multiple trauma victims High risk Pregnancy Prevention Antibiotics Krasse, 2005 Sweden L Journal Gingivitis Finland LB 44 High risk allergy Kurugol, 2005 Turkey S RCT 100+ Journal 38 La Rosa, 2003 Italy Ba RCT 100+ Journal Laitinen, 2008 Finland LB Journal Langhendries, 1995 Larsen, 2006 Belgium Denmark LB St LB Larsson, 2008 Norway L RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Adults Elderly Prenatal Newborn Infant Toddler Infant Toddler Children Infant Toddler Children Teens Adults 50 Kuitunen, 2009 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Lata, 2009 n/a LB Lawrence, 2005 USA Li, 2004 Kopp, 2008 Japan Journal Journal Yes Yes None nutrition Cotreatments Adults Elderly RCT 100+ fed, Probiotic Function Antibiotics Prokinetic agents Healthy Treatment for Healthy Prevention Diarrhea n/a Treatment 44 Infection requiring antibiotics n/a Treatment Antibiotics 100 Pregnant Healthy Treatment Dietary counseling Healthy participants Healthy participants Bacterial vaginosis Healthy None nutrition None nutrition Treatment Antibiotics Prevention Antibiotics Treatment Antibiotics None nutrition Antibiotics Journal Newborn Infant Adults 65 Journal Adults 100 RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly 0 Acute Pancreatitis n/a Elderly Pregnancy Pregnancy Breast feeding High risk L RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly 87 Diarrhea n/a High risk B RCT 11-100 Journal Newborn Infant Low birth weight C-9 Healthy n/a Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category C-RCT Journal 11-100 Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Ligaarden, 2010 Norway L Lighthouse, 2004 n/a LB RCT 11-100 Journal Lin, 1989 USA L Journal Lin, 2005 Taiwan LB Lin, 2008 Taiwan LB C-RCT 100+ RCT 100+ RCT 100+ Ljungberg, 2006 Sweden LB RCT 100+ Journal 69 IBS Adults Elderly 43 HCV-related n/a Child B liver cirrhosis n/a n/a Loguercio, 1987 Italy E RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly 35 Lonnermark, 2010 Sweden L RCT 100+ Journal Adults 58 Lu, 2004 Taiwan L Luoto, 2010 Finland LB CCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Mäkeläinen, 2003 Malaguarnera, 2007 Malaguarnera, 2010 Finland B Italy B Italy B Maldonado, 2009 Mandel, 2010 Spain L n/a Ba Manley, 2007 Australia L 50 Newborn Infant Yes 45 Infant Toddler Yes Journal Yes RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Journal Yes RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Journal C-RCT 11-100 Journal General Health Adults Journal Journal Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups Prenatal 100 Newborn Infant Toddler Adults Caucasian Adults 59 n/a Exclusion Criteria Pregnancy Breast feeding Probiotic Function Treatment Treatment Very low birth weight Very low birth weight, preterm Prevention Children with n/a HLA risk genotype Hepatic encephalopathy Treatment Infections requiring antibiotics Healthy participants Healthy participants n/a High risk Healthy participants Cirrhosis Healthy n/a None nutrition Treatment Healthy Treatment Healthy Journal Adults 50 Hepatic encephalopathy n/a Treatment Infant 51 Healthy participants Rheumatoid arthritis Healthy None nutrition Treatment Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus n/a C-10 n/a Antibiotics None nutrition None nutrition 45 Adults 82 Elderly 100% Caucasian Adults 33 Elderly Antibiotics Prevention Adults Journal Antibiotics None nutrition Treatment Journal Yes Cotreatments Pregnancy Treatment Diuretics, Betablockers Antibiotics Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 11-100 Manzoni, 2006 Italy L Margreiter, 2006 Austria LB RCT 100+ Journal Marotta, 2003 n/a LB C-RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Journal Marrazzo, 2006 USA L Marseglia, 2007 Italy B Ba Marteau, 2004 France L Martiney, 2009 Brazil L St Martinez, 2008 Brazil L Martinez, 2009 Brazil L Mayanagi, 2009 Japan L Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Very low weight Journal Newborn 49 Infant 85% White Adults 52 Elderly 99% Caucasian , 0.6% Black Adults Journal Adults 100 Children Journal Journal Journal Yes Journal Journal n/a Treatment n/a Pregnancy 51 Bacterial vaginosis Recurrent respiratory infections n/a Adults 52 Crohn's disease n/a Children Teens Teens Adults 43 Respiratory n/a allergy Vaginal yeast n/a Infection High risk Prevention Hypersensitiv ity to study treatment Elderly Prevention Pregnancy Treatment Teens Adults Adults 100 100 14 Journal Yes L Adults Elderly Adults Elderly 35 UK RCT 100+ RCT 100+ Merenstein, 2009 USA L B S RCT 100+ Journal Toddler Children 49 Merenstein, 2010 USA L St Journal Children 49 USA S RCT 100+ Journal 42 Bacterial vaginosis Healthy participants Clostridium difficile associated disease Patients on beta lactam antibiotics Undergoing major elective abdominal surgery Treated with antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infection Healthy participants C-11 Cotreatments Prevention Ulcerative colitis 77 McFarland, 1995 McNaught, 2002 birth Probiotic Function Treatment Adults Elderly S Exclusion Criteria n/a Yes USA General Health Diarrhea Journal McFarland, 1994 Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups Treatment Antibiotics Antibiotics Steroids High risk Pregnancy Treatment Antibiotics High risk Treatment Antibiotics None nutrition Treatment Antibiotics n/a Treatment Antibiotics n/a Treatment Antibiotics n/a Treatment Antibiotics Healthy Prevention Antibiotics n/a Healthy n/a High risk Pregnancy Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 11-100 Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Yes Metts, 2003 USA L Miele, 2009 Italy LB St RCT 11-100 Journal Millar, 1993 UK L Journal Mimura, 2004 Italy, UK Miyaji, 2006 Japan LB St L RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Morrow, 2010 USA L RCT 100+ Journal Mukerji, 2009 USA L RCT 11-100 Journal Naito, 2008 Japan L Journal Newcomer, 1983 Niers, 2009 USA L The Netherlands LB RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Niv, 2005 Israel L RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Journal Nobuta, 2009 Japan RCT (effect on bowel movement), 5 groups, group 3 not extracted (AE not mentioned) O'Mahony, Ireland 2005 L L RCT 11-100 Age Ethnicity % Female Adults 100 Toddler Children Teens 45 Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups Recurrent Candida vulvovaginitis Ulcerative colitis General Health n/a Exclusion Criteria High risk Pregnancy n/a Probiotic Function Prevention Treatment Preterm infant Adults 44 Pouchitis n/a Prevention Journal Adults Elderly 59 H. pylori; Upper n/a gastrointestinal symptoms Mechanical ventilation Treatment Journal Journal Journal Journal Yes Adults 41 Elderly Caucasian 79%, Black 13%, Hispanic 8% Adults 57 93% White Adults Elderly Adults Elderly Prenatal Newborn Infant Toddler Teens Adults Adults Elderly Adults Elderly White 19 60 Chronic inflammatory rhinosinusitis Cancer n/a Prevention Antibiotics High risk Pregnancy Treatment Steroids Prevention Lactase n/a deficiency Family history of n/a allergic disease None nutrition Prevention IBS 73 Tendency constipation 64 IBS C-12 n/a Pregnancy to Healthy n/a Antibiotics High risk Pregnancy n/a 67 Steroids Prevention Journal Yes Cotreatments Treatment None nutrition High risk Pregnancy Treatment Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Ojetti, 2010 Italy L Olah, 2005 Hungary L Olivares, 2006 Spain L St Osterlund, 2007 Finland L Ouwehand, 2009 Ozkinay, 2005 Finland LB Turkey L Panigrahi, 2008 India L Parent, 1996 Belgium L Parfenov, 2005 Russia Parfenov, 2005 Russia LB St L St Parra, 2004 Spain L Study Design Sample Size Category RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 CCT 11-100 CCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Source Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Journal Adults 85 Journal Adults Elderly Adults 84 Adults Elderly Children Teens Adults Elderly Newborn 49 Journal Adults 100 Journal Adults Journal Journal Journal Journal Journal Journal Yes 50 60 100 61 Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Lactose intolerant Pancreatitis n/a Healthy participants Cancer Healthy n/a Birch pollen n/a allergy Vaginal infection n/a Healthy 75 Adults 60 Journal Adults 53 Journal Journal Treatment Hemorrhoids n/a Treatment Healthy 5 Children Healthy participants Atopic Dermatitis Adults Burn patients Adults Elderly Newborn Infant Cirrhosis n/a Treatment 49 Healthy participants Healthy None nutrition 36 Crohn's disease n/a Pregnancy Treatment Pregnancy Breast feeding Pregnancy Breast feeding Prevention Argentina L Pereg, 2010 Israel Petschow, 2005 USA LB St L RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Prantera, 2002 L RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Journal Journal Healthy participants Healthy RCT 100+ Journal Healthy participants Healthy LB High risk Pregnancy Treatment Adults Elderly C-13 n/a Antibiotics Diet Chemotherapy Treatment n/a Peral, 2009 LB None nutrition Treatment n/a L Pregliasco, Italy 2008 #5328 stage 1 Pregliasco, Italy 2008 #5328, 3 studies, same with multiple arms reported in 1 publication; stage 3 Pregnancy Lactating Cotreatments Treatment None nutrition Treatment Passeron, 2005 France n/a Infants Elderly Probiotic Function Treatment Healthy participants Bacterial vaginosis Hemorrhoids Journal Exclusion Criteria High risk Treatment Pregnancy Breast feeding Treatment Prevention Antibiotics Antiacids and vitamins if needed Vitamins (both groups) Steroids Immune suppressant Antidiarrhoeals; Colestyramine Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 100+ Safety Assess -ment Main Aim RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 Journal Yes Age Ethnicity % Female Pregliasco, 2008 stage 1 Puccio, 2007 Italy LB Italy B Rampengan, 2010 Indonesia L Ranganathan Canada LB St C-RCT 11-100 Journal Rautava, 2008 Finland LB Journal Rayes, 2002 n/a L RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly 47 Rayes, 2002 Germany L RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly 48 Rayes, 2005 n/a L RCT 11-100 Journal Adults 42 Liver transplant Rayes, 2007 n/a L RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly 44 Reid, 1992 Canada L RCT 11-100 Journal Adults 100 Reid, 1995 Canada L Journal Adults 100 Ren, 2010 China B Journal Prenatal 44 Reuman, 1986 USA L Journal Newborn Richelsen, 1996 Denmark St E RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly Undergoing pylorus preserving pancreticoduode nectomy Acute lower urinary tract infection Recurrent urinary tract infections Premature infants Premature infants Healthy participants Journal Teens Adults Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Healthy participants Healthy Healthy participants Lactose malabsorption Healthy Newborn Infant Children Teens 54 Adults Elderly White 4, Hispanic 1; Asian 10, Black 1 Infant 25 Chronic kidney n/a disease stage 3 and 4 51 Healthy Healthy participants Undergoing n/a major abdominal surgery; Liver transplant; Stomach, pancreas or liver surgery 48 48 C-14 Exclusion Criteria Pregnancy Breast feeding Probiotic Function Cotreatments Prevention None nutrition Treatment n/a Pregnancy Treatment Prevention Prevention Antibiotics Diet Antibiotics n/a Sever renal Treatment insufficiency; Cerebral disorders; Emergency operation Decompensa Prevention ted renal insufficiencie s Prevention n/a Pregnancy Antibiotics n/a Healthy Prevention Antibiotics Immune suppressant Antibiotics Prevention Prevention Antibiotics None nutrition None nutrition Antibiotics Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 11-100 RCT Journal 100+ Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Rio, 2002 Argentina L Roos, 1996 Sweden St Roos, 2001 Sweden St RCT 100+ Journal Rose, 2010 Germany L RCT 100+ Journal Rosenfeldt, 2002 Denmark L RCT 11-100 Journal Rosenfeldt, 2003 2 studies in 1 paper #13297 Rouge, 2009 Denmark L C-RCT 11-100 Journal France LB RCT 11-100 Journal Ruiz-Palacios, 1996 n/a LB RCT 11-100 Saavedra, 2004 USA B St RCT 100+ Journal Yes Safdar, 2008 L RCT 11-100 Journal Yes RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 C-RCT 11-100 USA Sahagun-flores, Mexico 2007 Saint-Marc, France 1995 L Salminen, 1988 Finland L Salminen, 2004 Finland L S Age Ethnicity Infant Toddler Children Teens Adults Infant Toddler Children Infant Toddler % Female Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups Undernourished 65 0 General Health Exclusion Criteria n/a Recurrent n/a streptococcal pharyngotonsilliti s Recurrent otitis n/a media Wheezing n/a episodes; Family history of atopic disease Diarrhea n/a Probiotic Function Cotreatments Prevention High risk Prevention High risk Prevention Antibiotics Prevention Antibiotics Steroids Infant Toddler Children Teens Adults 60 0 Healthy participants Newborn 43 Very low birth weight preterm infants Healthy Healthy participants Treatment 51 Healthy participants Healthy None nutrition Adults Elderly 2 n/a Prevention Antibiotics Journal Adults 48 Inpatients receiving expected receive antibiotics H. pylori Pregnancy Treatment Antibiotics Journal Adults 6 Infants Treatment Necessary medications Journal Adults Elderly Adults 100 Prevention Radiation Treatment Antibiotics HAART Yes Yes Journal Yes Infant Toddler Children Infant Toddler 18 Immuno compromised; AIDS-related diarrhea Gynecologic malignancies Diarrhea; Immuno compromised C-15 Elderly Healthy Treatment None nutrition Prevention or to n/a n/a n/a Pregnancy Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Samanta, 2008 India LB Satokari, 2001 13281 Savino, 2006 Finland B Italy L Sazawal, 2010 India B Scalabrin, 2009 USA L Schrezenmeir, 2004 Germany LB Schultz, 2004 n/a L Seppo, 2003 Finland L Sierra, 2010 Spain L Simons, 2006 Australia L Simren, 2010 Sweden Song, 2010 Korea LB St S Songisepp, 2005 Songisepp, 2005 Sood, 2009 Estonia L Estonia L India Spanhaak, 1998 The Netherlands LB St L Stockert, 2007 n/a E Stotzer, 1996 n/a L Stratiki, 2007 Greece B Sullivan, 2003 Sweden LB Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 100+ Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Newborn RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 100+ RCT 100+ Journal Adults Journal Newborn 47 Infant Toddler Children Newborn 50 Infant Toddler 44 Children Caucasian RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Journal Journal Journal Yes Journal Journal 90 Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Exclusion Criteria Preterm infant; very low birth weight Healthy Healthy participants Colic n/a n/a n/a Healthy Healthy participants Acute bacterial n/a infection Probiotic Function Prevention 5 Treatment High risk Prevention High risk None nutrition Treatment Crohn's disease n/a Treatment Adults 51 Hypertension n/a Treatment Adults 50 Healthy Journal Adults 64 Journal Adults 70 Healthy participants Healthy participants IBS n/a Pregnancy None nutrition None nutrition Treatment Journal Teens Adults Elderly 40 H. pylori n/a High risk Pregnancy Lactating RCT 11-100 CCT 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 Journal Adults 38 Healthy Journal Adults 56 Adults 19 Healthy participants Healthy participants Ulcerative colitis Journal Adults 0 Healthy participants Healthy RCT 11-100 C-RCT 11-100 Journal Asthma n/a Journal Children Teens Elderly RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Journal Newborn Journal Adults Journal Journal Yes Yes Healthy Healthy n/a Pregnancy Healthy participants C-16 Healthy Treatment Antibiotics Antibiotics Steroids Antibiotics None nutrition None nutrition Treatment None nutrition High risk Small intestinal n/a bacterial overgrowth Preterm infant 91 Cotreatments Pregnancy Treatment Steroids Treatment Antibiotics None nutrition None nutrition Antibiotics Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Sykora, 2005 Czech Republic L Tamura, 2007 Japan L Taylor, 2007 Australia L Tempe, 1985 France S Teran, 2008 Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 11-100 Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Exclusion Criteria Probiotic Function Children Teens 60 H. pylori n/a Treatment 61 Allergic rhinitis n/a Prevention Prevention RCT 100+ RCT 100+ Journal Adults Journal Newborn Infant Risk for atopic n/a dermatitis RCT 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly ICU patients on enteral feeding Bolivia L B S RCT 11-100 Journal 47 Acute rotavirus n/a diarrhea Thomas, 2001 USA L Journal 46 Hospitalized n/a Tomoda, 1991 Japan Journal 50 n/a Journal Adults 80 Healthy participants IBS Healthy Tsuchiya, 2004 LB St LB n/a Elderly None nutrition Treatment Turchet, 2003 Italy L Journal High risk Prevention n/a Pregnancy Treatment Tursi, 2008 Italy LB St L Healthy participants Ulcerative colitis Healthy Italy Adults Elderly Adults Elderly Adults Elderly 67 Tursi, 2004 RCT 100+ CCT 1-10 CCT 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 CCT 11-100 Newborn Infant Toddler Adults Elderly Adults Tursi, 2010 Italy Adults 35 USA Journal Newborn 34 South Africa B RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 100+ Journal Underwood, 2009 Urban, 2008 LB St L Journal Newborn Infant Adults Elderly 48 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 100+ Journal Infant Journal Urbansek, 2001 Hungary L Van der Aa, 2010 Van Gossum, 2007 Velaphi, 2008 The Netherlands n/a B South Africa B Vendt, 2006 Estonia L L Journal Yes Journal 36 Antibiotics Proton pump inhibition Prevention Treatment InfantsHigh risk Treatment Antibiotics Flu vaccine Diverticular n/a disease of the colon Ulcerative colitis n/a Prevention Treatment Immune suppressant None nutrition None nutrition Treatment Antibiotics Radiation 34 Premature infants Infant of HIV n/a infected mother; Cancer; Diarrhea; Radiation induced diarrhea Atopic Dermatitis n/a Treatment Steroids Adults 47 Crohn's disease Prevention Journal Infant 50 Journal Infant 50 Infant of mother Healthy participants Antibiotics Steroids Nevirapine Journal Yes 56 Illnesses of digestive tract Cotreatments 74 C-17 n/a HIV n/a Healthy High risk None nutrition None nutrition Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category C-RCT Journal 11-100 Safety Assess -ment Main Aim RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 Journal Yes Vleggaar, 2008 The Netherlands LB Vlieger, 2009 LB Wada, 2010 The Netherlands Japan Wang, 2004 China L St RCT 11-100 Wang, 2007 Japan B Weizman, 2005 Israel B Weizman, 2006 Israel B Weston, 2005 Australia L Wewalka, 2002 Austria L Wheeler, 1997 USA L St Wildt, 2006 Denmark LB Williams, 2008 UK LB Wind, 2010 L Wolf, 1994 The Netherlands USA Wolf, 1998 USA L Worthley, 2009 Australia B Xia, 2010 China L Xiang, 2006 China E Ba Xiao, 2003 Japan Xiao, 2003 China LB St L B L Age Ethnicity % Female Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups Adults Elderly 7 Newborn Infant Toddler Children Teens 53 Journal Children Teens 48 Perennial allergic n/a rhinitis RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 Journal Newborn 49 Journal Infant 52 Newborn Infant Infant Toddler 32 Low birth weight infant Healthy Healthy participants Healthy Healthy participants Atopic Dermatitis n/a RCT 11-100 C-RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 C-RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Journal Adults 100 Teens Adults Adults Elderly Adults 67 Journal Journal Yes Journal Yes Journal Journal Journal 60 46 Primary sclerosing cholangitis Healthy participants Malignancy, receiving chemotherapy General Health n/a Exclusion Criteria Probiotic Function Pregnancy Treatment Pregnancy None nutrition Prevention Healthy High risk Pregnancy None nutrition Treatment Bacterial vaginosis Asthma n/a Collagenous colitis IBS n/a Healthy 42 Healthy participants Healthy participants Immuno compromised Healthy participants Cancer n/a None nutrition Treatment 7 86 Pregnancy n/a n/a Elderly Pregnancy Pregnancy Lactating Pregnancy Anti-inflammatories Treatment Anti-diarrheal drugs Treatment Adults 59 Journal Yes 0 Journal Yes Adults Elderly Adults 35 Journal Adults Elderly Adults Elderly Adults 54 Ulcerative colitis n/a Treatment Journal Adults 0 Healthy Journal Teens Adults Elderly 39 Healthy participants Chronic diarrhea None nutrition Treatment Journal Journal C-18 Healthy n/a Steroids Treatment Yes InfantsElderl y Antibiotics Treatment Journal Healthy Chemo-therapy Treatment None nutrition Prevention Elderly Cotreatments None nutrition None nutrition Treatment Antibiotics Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Design Sample Size Category RCT Journal 100+ RCT Journal 100+ Yang, 2008 China Yao-Zong, 2004 China LB St LE Yonekura Japan L Zhang, 2010 China B Ziegler, 2003 USA B Zocco, 2003 #3960 Italy L RCT 11-100 An, 2010 Korea LB Barrett, 2008 Australia L Beck, 1961 USA L Case Series 11-100 Case Series 11-100 Case Series 11-100 Bekkali, 2007 The Netherlands LB Journal Bellomo, 1979 Switzerland E Case Series 11-100 Case Series 100+ Journal Benchimol, 2004 Canada LB Berman, 2006 USA LB Bibiloni, 2005 Canada, Italy, US LB St Case Series 1-10 Case Series 1-10 Case Series 11-100 RCT 100+ RCT 11-100 RCT 100+ Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Age Ethnicity % Female Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Exclusion Criteria Probiotic Function Adults 100 Constipation n/a Adults Elderly Chinese/A sian Adults Asian Adults Elderly Newborn Infant Caucasian Adults 37 Diarrhea n/a Pregnancy Lactating Treatment 69 Cedar pollinosis n/a Pregnancy Treatment 50 Cancer n/a Prevention Healthy participants Healthy None nutrition 44 Ulcerative colitis n/a Journal Elderly 58 Chronic constipation n/a Treatment Journal Adults Elderly 72 IBS n/a Treatment Journal Children Teens Adults Elderly Children Teens 54 Various abdominal symptoms n/a Treatment 50 Constipation n/a Treatment Mixed 44 Journal Children 50 Gastroenteritis; Healthy Enteritis; Toxic dyspepsia; Enteritis following respiratory infection Cancer; Diarrhea; Colitis Journal Adults 0 Healthy participants Healthy Adults 53 Ulcerative colitis n/a Journal Journal Yes Journal Journal Yes C-19 Cotreatments Treatment High risk Pregnancy Antibiotic treatment High risk Pregnancy Lactating Antibiotics Treatment Treatment Antibiotics Treatment Antibiotics Immune suppressant Treatment Treatment Steroids Azathioprine or 6 mercaptopurine Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Bruce, 1988 Canada L Bruni, 2008 Italy L Carlsson, 2009 Sweden L Cobo Sanz, 2006 Spain L St Colecchia, 2006 Italy B Di Pierro, 2009 Italy L Dughera, 2007 Italy B Elmer, 1995 USA S Fukuda, 2008 Japan B Gabrielli, 2009 Italy Ba Garrido, 2005 n/a L Ba Gionchetti, 2007 Italy LB St Glintborg, 2006 Denmark L Gniwotta, 1977 Germany S Gotteland, 2003 Chile L Study Source Safety Design Assess Sample -ment Size Main Category Aim Case Journal Series 1-10 Case Journal Yes Series 11-100 Case Series 11-100 Case Series 100+ Case Series 100+ Case Series 100+ Case Series 100+ Case Series 1-10 Case Series 100+ Case Series 11-100 Case Series 1-10 Case Series 11-100 Case Series 11-100 Case Series 100+ Case Series 11-100 Age Ethnicity Teens Adults Journal Infant Toddler Children Teens Elderly Journal Children Journal Yes % Female 100 87 Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Treatment Atopic Dermatitis; n/a Cow's milk allergy None nutrition Dementia; Constipation n/a Healthy participants Healthy None nutrition Treatment 61 IBS n/a Journal Adults 100 n/a Journal Adults 71 Acute vulvovaginal affection IBS Yes Adults 0 Journal Yes Adults Elderly 84 Yes Adults 65 Adults 50 Unclear Journal Journal 44 Adults Ulcerative colitis; n/a Mild pouchitis n/a Diarrhea Adults 83 H. pylori C-20 High risk High risk Pregnancy n/a Diarrhea; Immuno compromised Constipation and n/a abdominal disorder Small intestinal n/a bacterial over growth Healthy Healthy participants H. pylori Journal Probiotic Function Recurrent urinary n/a tract infections Adults Elderly Journal Exclusion Criteria Treatment Antibiotics Treatment Treatment Treatment Pregnancy Treatment Treatment None nutrition High risk Pregnancy Treatment Treatment Treatment n/a Cotreatments Treatment Antifungal Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Gruenwald, 2002 Germany LB Hensgens, 1976 Belgium L Huynh, 2009 Canada LB St Karimi, 2005 The Netherlands LB St Kawamura,198 1 Japan L Kirchhelle, 1996 Germany S Kitajima, 1997 Lamiki, 2010 Lee, 2010 Lombardo, 2009 Luoto, 2010 Malin, 1996 Study 2 Malkov, 2006 Mego, 2005 Study Source Safety Design Assess Sample -ment Size Main Category Aim Case Journal Series 11-100 Case Journal Series 1-10 Case Journal Yes Series 11-100 Yes Age Ethnicity % Female 81 Stress exhaustion Adults Elderly 17 Granulopenia Children Teens 61 Ulcerative colitis Adults 59 Crohn's disease; n/a Ulcerative colitis Irregular bowel n/a movement and abdominal discomfort Persistent Healthy traveler's diarrhea Preterm infant Journal Journal Adults Elderly 53 Case Series 11-100 Japan B Case Series 11-100 Italy LB Case Series 11-100 New Zealand L B S Case St Series 11-100 Italy L Case Series 11-100 Finland L Case Series 100+ Finland L Case Series 11-100 Russia Ba Case Series 1-10 Slovak E Case Republic Series 11-100 Journal Adults Elderly 52 Journal Yes Newborn Journal Yes Adults Elderly 1 Adults Elderly 0 Yes Adults Elderly 62 Yes Newborn Journal General Health Adults Case Series 11-100 Case Series 11-100 Journal Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups Diverticular disease of colon Rheumatoid arthritis and Healthy Elderly High risk Pregnancy Severe disease; Lactating Pregnancy Probiotic Function Treatment Vitamins Prevention Antibiotics Treatment Steroids Immune suppressant Treatment Immune suppressant Treatment Treatment n/a Prevention n/a n/a birth Pregnancy None nutrition Treatment Prevention Children Teens 50 Juvenile chronic n/a arthritis Treatment Journal Adults Elderly 70 Cancer Treatment Yes Adults Cancer; Relapsed leukemia C-21 Antibiotics None nutrition Journal Journal Cotreatments the IBS Very low weight n/a Exclusion Criteria n/a acute Treatment Antibiotics Chemotherapy; immunomodulants Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Mego, 2006 Slovak Republic E Michetti, 1999 Switzerland L Muting, 1968 Germany B Nobuta, 2009 #13315 Japan L Reid, 2001 Canada L Study Source Design Sample Size Category Case Journal Series 11-100 Case Journal Series 11-100 Case Journal Series 11-100 Safety Assess -ment Main Aim Case Series 11-100 Case Series 1-10 Case Series 11-100 Journal Yes Case Series 11-100 Case Series 11-100 Journal Adults 6 Journal Adults 28 Adults 42 Infant Toddler Children Teens Adults 43 56 Behcet's syndrome n/a Treatment Adults 83 Treatment Teens Adults 30 IBD related n/a spondyloarthropa thy Cystic fibrosis n/a L Journal Schneider, 2005 n/a S Shen, 2005 USA LB St Case Series 11-100 Journal Srinivasan, 2006 UK L Case Series 11-100 Journal Tasli, 2006 Turkey L Journal van Bodegraven 2004 Weiss, 2010 n/a LB St Israel LB St Case Series 11-100 Case Series 11-100 Case Series 1-10 Journal % Female Adults Elderly Adults Yes General Health Exclusion Criteria Cancer 40 Probiotic Function Children Teens Adults Chronic disease liver n/a Adults Cancer Healthy None nutrition Bacterial vaginosis n/a Treatment Adults Elderly Pregnancy Breast feeding Treatment Treatment Previous benign n/a polyps or family history of polyposis H. pylori n/a None nutrition Healthy n/a participants; Patient on long term total enteral nutrition Ulcerative colitis n/a Antibiotic dependent pouchitis Critically ill children in ICU None nutrition C-22 Cotreatments Prevention n/a 100 Yes Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups H. pylori Journal Rosenfeldt, Denmark 2003 #6738 2 studies in 1 paper Sakamoto, n/a 2001 L Age Ethnicity Treatment Treatment High risk Antibiotics Treatment Treatment Antibiotics Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Yim, 2006 Korea LB Zahradnik, 2009 USA St Zahradnik, 2009 USA St Barton, 2001 n/a LE Bassetti, 1998 Switzerland S Burkhardt, 2005 n/a S Cesaro, 2000 Italy S Cherifi, 2004 Belgium S Conen, 2009 Switzerland L De Groote, 2005 USA L Force, 1995 France S Fredenucci, 1998 France S Hennequin, 2000 France S Study Source Safety Age Design Assess Ethnicity Sample -ment Size Main Category Aim Journal Yes Case Children Series Teens 11-100 Adults % Female Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Exclusion Criteria Probiotic Function Atopic Dermatitis n/a Treatment Cotreatments Case Series 11-100 Case Series 11-100 Journal Yes Adults Healthy participants Healthy None nutrition Journal Yes Adults Healthy participants Healthy None nutrition Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Journal Yes Infant 100 Gastroschisis; Preterm infant Treatment Antibiotics Journal Yes Adults 100 Treatment Antibiotics Immune suppressant Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 11-100 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Journal Yes Adults White 0 Arthritis, n/a polyarteritis nodosa; Livedo reticularis; Raynaud's phenomenon; Renal failure Spastic tetra n/a paresis Journal Yes Infant 0 Acute myeloid leukemia Prevention Antibiotics Chemotherapy Elderly 100 Colitis n/a Treatment Antibiotics Yes Adults 100 Diarrhea; Ulcerative colitis n/a Treatment Steroids Immune suppressant Journal Yes Infant 0 Short syndrome gut Treatment Antibiotics Journal Yes Adults 100 AIDS; Chronic diarrhea Treatment Journal Yes Adults 0 Diarrhea Journal Yes Toddler Adults Elderly 25 Cancer; Ileal atresia; COPD Journal C-23 n/a Prevention Treatment Treatment Antibiotics Steroids Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Henry, 2004 Belgium S Hwang, 2009 Korea S Jensen, 1974 USA S Kniehl, 2003 Germany Ba Ku, 2006 China LB Kunz, 2004 USA L Land, 2005 n/a L LeDoux, 2006 USA L Lestin, 2003 Germany S Lherm, 2002 France Lolis, 2008 Greece Study Source Safety Age Design Assess Ethnicity Sample -ment Size Main Category Aim Case Journal Yes Elderly Study 1-10 Case Unclear Yes Infant Study 1-10 % Female General Health Exclusion Criteria Probiotic Function 0 Cancer; Diarrhea Treatment 0 Soy-induced food n/a protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome Healthy Healthy participants Treatment Myocardial infarction and upper GI bleeding; Coronary bypass surgery, caecal perforation; Tachyarrhythmia, fever, and diarrhea Cancer; Short bowel syndrome Treatment Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Journal Yes Elderly 0 Journal Yes Adults Elderly 0 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Journal Yes Children Chinese 0 Journal Yes Newborn Infant 0 Journal Yes 50 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Journal Yes Infant Children 100% White Adults Journal Yes Adults S Case Study 1-10 Journal Yes S Case Study 1-10 Journal Yes Adults Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups Cotreatments Antibiotics Chemotherapy; Radiation Antibiotics None nutrition Antibiotics Treatment Short gut syndrome; Gastroschisis Diarrhea Treatment Antibiotics Varies Antibiotics 0 AIDS; Hodgkin's disease 5 Antibiotics 0 Diabetes; Peripheral arterial disease; Bypass (after PB admin) Diarrhea; Hospitalized in medical and surgical ICU Acute pulmonary edema Treatment Antibiotics 0 C-24 Treatment Treatment Antibiotics Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Lungarotti, 2003 Italy S Mackay, 1999 n/a L St Munakata, 2010 Japan L St Muñoz, 2005 Spain S Niault, 1999 France S Oggioni, 1998 Italy Ba Oh, 1979 USA L Ohishi, 2010 Japan B Perapoch, 2000 Spain S Piarroux, 1999 France S Piechno, 2007 France S Pletinex, 1995 Belgium S Presterl, 2001 n/a L Rautio, 1999 Finland L Study Source Safety Age Design Assess Ethnicity Sample -ment Size Main Category Aim Case Yes Newborn Study 1-10 Case Journal Yes Elderly Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 % Female Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health n/a Exclusion Criteria Probiotic Function Cotreatments 0 Preterm infant Prevention 0 Mitral valve n/a prolapse; Mild mitral value regurgitation Short bowel n/a syndrome None nutrition Heart n/a Treatment Antibiotics n/a Treatment Antibiotics Journal Yes Children 100 Journal Yes Elderly 100 Diarrhea; surgery Unclear Yes 100 COPD Journal Yes Elderly 0 5 Journal Yes Adults 0 Cancer; Chronic lymphocytic leukemia Diarrhea; Short n/a bowel syndrome Journal Yes Newborn 100 Omphalocele None nutrition Journal Yes Infant 0 Congenital cardiopathy Treatment Yes n/a n/a Yes Adults 0 Cancer; Diarrhea; Colitis Journal Yes Toddler 100 Diarrhea Journal Yes Adults White 0 Yes Elderly 100 Diabetes n/a insipidus; Biscuspid aortic valve Hypertension; n/a Diabetes C-25 n/a Antibiotics Treatment Treatment 5 Treatment Antibiotics Treatment Antibiotics None nutrition Intranasal octreotide Treatment Evidence Table C1. Participant and study detail (continued) Author, Year Country Gen era Study Source Safety Age Design Assess Ethnicity Sample -ment Size Main Category Aim Journal Yes Adults Case Elderly Study 1-10 % Female 50 Richard, 1988 Belgium Ba Rijnders, 2000 n/a S Case Study 1-10 Journal Yes Elderly 0 Riquelme, 2003 n/a S Journal Yes Adults 50 Tommasi, 2008 Italy L Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Journal Yes Elderly 0 Trautmann, 2008 Germany S Journal Yes Teens 100 Viggiano, 1995 France S Journal Yes Teens 0 Zein, 2008 Lebanon LB St Journal Yes Adults Zunic, 1991 France S Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Case Study 1-10 Yes Adults Disease/ Immunologic Status Subgroups General Health Head trauma; Endometrial carcinoma; Stroke Diarrhea; Subarachnoid hematoma; Hemiplegia Immuno compromised Hypertension; Diverticulosis; Hemorrhoidal bleeding; COPD Subarachnoid bleed Exclusion Criteria Probiotic Function Cotreatments Treatment Treatment Treatment n/a Antibiotics Treatment Treatment Antibiotics Severe burns Treatment Antibiotics 100 Diabetes; Hypertension Treatment 0 H. pylori; Colectomy / colostomy; Septic shock Treatment *Abbreviations Ba=Bacillus B=Bifidobacterium CCT=Controlled Clinical Trials C-RCT=Cross-over Randomized Controlled Trial E=Enterococcus GI=Gastrointestinal IBS=Irritable Bowel Syndrome L=Lactobacillus n/a=not available or not applicable RCT=Randomized Controlled Trial S=Saccharomyces St=Streptococcus C-26 Antibiotics Steroids Immune suppressant Daktarin (antifungal) Evidence Table C2. Intervention Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Abrahamsson, 2007 RCT 1 Agerbaek, 1995 RCT Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 5 days Oral 1 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use n/a Oil droplets Patient Mother Lactobacillus, reuteri, ATCC 55730, Lyophilized, 10^8 cfu 1 Gaio Fermented milk Patient Enterococcus, faecium, n/a, n/a, 2*10^8 cfu/ml Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 7*10^8 cfu/ml Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 7*10^8 cfu/ml 200 ml 1 per day Oral 1.5 months Medium term Placebo Aihara, 2005 RCT 1 Lactobacillus, helveticus, CM4, n/a, n/a 6 tablets 1 per day Oral 1 Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, Plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, Acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, Infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet 2 sachets 2 per day Enteral 1 month Short term 0.25 months Short term Placebo Alberda, 2007 RCT n/a Pill Patient n/a Sachet Patient Alberda, 2007 RCT 3 Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Sonicated, n/a Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Sonicated, n/a Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Sonicated, n/a Lactobacillus, delbrueckii acidophilus, n/a, Sonicated, n/a Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Sonicated, n/a Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Sonicated, n/a Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Sonicated, n/a Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Sonicated, n/a 1 sachet 2 per day Enteral VSL#3 Sachets Patient C-27 Placebo Long term Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Allen, 2010 RCT 1 Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral n/a Pill Patient Mother Lactobacillus, salivarius, CUL 61, n/a, 6.25*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, paracasei, CUL 08, n/a, 1.25*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, animalis lactis, CUL 34, n/a, 1.25*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, bifidum, CUL 20, n/a, 1.25*10^9 cfu Trevis Pill Patient 1 capsule Lactobacillus, acidophilus, LA-5, 3 per day n/a, 4*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 4*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, n/a, 4*10^9 cfu Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 4*10^9 cfu Oral Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Placebo Medium term n/a Anderson, 2003 RCT 1 Andriulli, 2008 RCT 1 Flontec Powder, sachet Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei, B21060, 7 g Lyophilized, 5*10^9 cfu/7g sachet 2 per day Oral Anukam, 2006 RCT 1 n/a Mix Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GR-1, Viable, 10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, reuteri, RC-14, Viable, 10^9 cfu Oral Anukam, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, n/a Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, 6R-1, n/a, 2.5*10^9 cfu/ml Lactobacillus, reuteri, RC-14, n/a, 2.5*10^9 cfu/ml 100 ml 1 per day Anukam, 2009 RCT 1 n/a Mix Patient Arunachalam, 2000 RCT 1 DR10 Drink Patient Aso, 1992 RCT 1 Aso, 1995 RCT Awad, 2010 RCT Placebo Medium term 3 months Medium term 1 month Short term Placebo Oral 0.5 months Short term Yogurt only Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GR-1, 1 capsule Live, 5*10^9 cfu/dose 1 per day Lactobacillus, reuteri, RC-14, Live, 5*10^9 cfu/dose Oral 3 months Medium term Placebo Bifidobacterium, lactis, HN019, Lyophilized, 1.5*10^11 cfu 180 ml 2 per day Oral Placebo BiolActis Powder Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Viable, Powder 1*10^10 cfu/g Patient 1g 3 per day Oral 1 BLP Patient Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Viable, 10^10 1g 3 per day Oral 1 Lacteol fort Eppendorf tube Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, GG, Living, 6*10^9 cfu/g 1.5 months Medium term 12 months Long term 12 months Long term Medium term C-28 2 per day n/a Enteral 2 per day n/a Placebo No medication or placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1 tube 2 Enteral per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Awad, 2010 RCT 3 n/a Eppendorf tube Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Heat-killed, 6*10^9 cfu Baerheim, 1994 RCT 1 Gynophilus Vaginal suppository Patient Lactobacillus, casei rhamnosus, n/a, live, 7.5*10^8 cfu 1 Vaginal suppository 2 per week 6.5 months Medium term Placebo Bajaj, 2008 RCT 1 CC Crème Yogurt Patient Oral 2 months Medium term No treatment Banaszkiewicz, 2005 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, ATCC GG 53103, n/a, 10^9 cfu 10^9 cfu 2 per day Varies by participant Oral 3 months Medium term Placebo Barraud, 2010 RCT 1 Ergyphilus Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Revivable, 2*10^10 cfu/capsule Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Revivable, 2*10^10 cfu/capsule Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Revivable, 2*10^10 cfu/capsule Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, Revivable, 2*10^10 cfu/capsule 5 capsule 1 per day Enteral Barreto-Zuniga, 2001 RCT 1 Microflorana-F Oral mix Patient 10 ml Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, 3 per day n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, helveticus, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a Oral Basu, 2007 RCT 1 n/a Powder in ORS Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 6*10^7 cfu 6*10^7 cells 2 per day Oral Basu, 2007 RCT 1 n/a Powder packet Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 6*10^7 cfu/100ml 100 ml 2 per day Oral Basu, 2009 RCT 1 n/a Powder Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 10^10 cfu 100 ml 2 per day Oral Basu, 2009 RCT 3 n/a Powder Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 10^12 cfu 100 ml 2 per day Oral Beausoleil, 2007 1 RCT n/a Drink Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, CL1285, n/a, 5*10^10 cfu Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, n/a, 5*10^10 cfu Jersey Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, 12 oz n/a, n/a 1 per day Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a C-29 Placebo Short term 0.75 months Short term Placebo Medium term ORS only Short term Medium term Oral Varies over time Non-probiotic Glucoseelectrolyte rehydration solution only Placebo Medium term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Bellomo, 1979 RCT 1 Bertolami, 1999 C-RCT Bioflorin Mix Powder Patient Enterococcus, faecium, SF-68, Lyophilized, 3*10^7 cfu/dose 1 Gaio Fermented milk Patient Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 5-20*10^8 cfu/ml Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 5-20*10^8 cfu/ml Enterococcus, faecium, n/a, n/a, 10^5-10^9 cfu/ml Besselink, 2008 RCT 1 Ecologic 641 Sachet dissolved in water Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 10^10 cfu/daily dose Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 10^10 cfu/daily dose Lactobacillus, salivarius, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 10^10 cfu/daily dose Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 10^10 cfu/daily dose Bifidobacterium, lactis, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 10^10 cfu/daily dose Bin-Nun, 2005 RCT 1 ABC Dophilus Formula Powder in breast milk or formula Patient Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, 0.35*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, 0.35*10^9 cfu Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 0.35*10^9 cfu Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1-3 dose Oral 2-3 per day Varies by participant Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 200 g 1 per day Oral 2 months Medium term Placebo Enteral 1 month Short term Placebo 2 per day n/a Placebo Short term Enteral Medium term Varies by participant Feeding supplement only Black, 1997 CCT 1 BioTura Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4*10^9 cfu/capsule Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, Lyophilized, 4*10^9 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 3 per day Oral 0.75 months Short term Placebo Boge, 2009 RCT 1 Actimel Drink Patient Lactobacillus, casei, DN-114 001 100 g (CNCMI-1518), n/a, n/a 2 per day Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, n/a Oral 1.75 months Medium term Placebo Boge, 2009 RCT 1 Actimel Drink Patient Lactobacillus, casei, DN 100 g 114001(CNCM1-1518), n/a, n/a 2 per day Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, n/a Oral 3.25 months Short term Placebo Borgia, 1982 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Streptococcus, faecium, SF-68, Lyophilized, >7.5*10^7 cfu/capsule Oral 2 months Medium term Antibiotics only C-30 1 capsules 1 per day Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Streptococcus, faecium, SF68, 2 capsule 1 Oral Lyophilized, >=75ml 1 cfu/capsule per day Borgia, 1982 RCT 3 n/a Pill Patient Borgia, 1982 RCT 4 n/a Pill Patient Streptococcus, faecium, SF68, Lyophilized, >=75ml 1 bacteria/capsule 3 capsules 1 per day Oral Bousvaros, 2005 RCT 1 LGG Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, >=10^10 1 capsule 2 per day Oral Bravo, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, Lyophilized, 5.1*10^9 cells/ capsule 1 capsule 2 per day Oral Brophy, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, salivarius, CUL 61, Lyophilized, 6.25*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, paracasei, CUL 08, Lyophilized, 6.25*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, infantis, CUL 34, Lyophilized, 6.25*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, bifidum, CUL 20, Lyophilized, 6.25*10^9 cfu 1 capsule 1 per day Oral Bruno, 1981 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Enterococcus, faecalis, SF-68, Lyophilized, 7.5*10^7 cfu/capsule Bruzzese, 2007 C-RCT 1 n/a Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, LGG dissolved in n/a, 6*10^9 cfu/d ORS Patient Bu, 2007 RCT 1 Antibiophilus Pill Patient Chen, 2005 RCT 1 Chen, 2010 RCT Chou, 2010 RCT Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 24 months Long term 0.5 months Short term 3 months Medium term Placebo 7.5*10^7 Oral cfu capsule 3 per day n/a 6*10^9 cfu Oral 1 per day 0.33 months Short term 6 months Medium term Placebo Lactobacillus, casei rhamnosus, LCR 35, n/a, 8*10^8 cfu/day 2 capsules 2 per day Oral 1 month Short term Placebo n/a Tablet Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a 1 tablet 3 per day Oral 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, gasseri, PM-A 0005, Lyophilized, 2*10^9 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 2 per day Oral 1 Infloran Breast milk Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^9 cfu/dose Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, 10^9 cfu/dose n/a Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, Dried, viable, 1.5*10^8 cfu Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, Dried, viable, n/a Lactobacillus, helveticus, n/a, Dried, viable, n/a Chouraqui, 2004 1 RCT C-31 Placebo Non-probiotic Non-probiotic Medium term 2 months Medium term Oral 2 per day Varies by participant Placebo Placebo Medium term Oral Varies by participant Placebo Placebo Medium term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Chouraqui, 2008 1 RCT Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral n/a Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, BL-999, n/a, 1.29*10^8 cfu/100ml Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LPR, n/a, 1.29*10^8 cfu/100ml Chouraqui, 2008 3 RCT n/a Formulal Bifidobacterium, longum, BL999, n/a, 1.29 * 10^8 cfu/100ml Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LPR, n/a, 6.45 * 10^8 cfu/100ml Varies by participant Chouraqui, 2008 4 RCT n/a Formulal Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, BL999, n/a, 1.29 * 10^8 cfu/100ml Lactobacillus, paracasei, ST11, n/a, 2.58 * 10^8 cfu/100ml Varies by participant Chui, 2009 RCT 1 Bifid Triple Pill Patient 4 capsules Lactobacillus, n/a, n/a, Live, n/a Bifidobacterium, n/a, n/a, Live, n/a 2 per day Enterococcus, n/a, n/a, Live, n/a n/a, n/a, n/a, Live, n/a Coccorullo, 2010 RCT 1 Reuterin Oil suspension Patient Lactobacillus, reuteri, DSM 17938, 5 drops n/a, 10^8 cfu/5 drops 1 per day Connolly, 2005 RCT 1 n/a Lactobacillus, reuteri, ATCC Mixed in peanut 55730, n/a, 1*10^8 cfu/dose oil Patient Cooper, 2006 RCT 1 n/a Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, n/a, n/a, 2*10^7 cfu/g 4 months Medium term Placebo Enteral 0.5 months Short term Placebo n/a 2 months Medium term 12 months Long term Placebo Varies by participant Oral Oral 5 drops 1 per day n/a Oral Placebo Formula only Medium term n/a Correa, 2005 RCT 1 Nan Probiotico Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, n/a, n/a, 10^7 cfu/g Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^7 cfu/g >500 ml 1 per day Oral Cui, 2004 RCT 1 n/a Tablet Patient Bacillus, coagulans, n/a, n/a, 10^8 10^8 cfu cfu 3 per day Oral Cui, 2004 RCT 2 n/a Pill Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, 10^8 cfu 10^8 cfu 3 per day Oral CunninghamRundles, 2000 CCT 1 n/a Mix Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, 299v, Lyophilized, n/a 1 packet 1 per day Oral Enteral Czaja, 2007 RCT 1 n/a Vaginal suppository Patient Lactobacillus, crispatus, CTV-05, n/a, 5*10^8 cfu/suppository 1 Vaginal suppository 1 per day C-32 Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 0.5 months Short term Placebo Other probiotic Short term Placebo Medium term 0.25 months Short term Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dadak, 2006 RCT 1 Synbiotic Forte Patient 2000 Lactobacillus, Plantarum, 2362, n/a, 10^10 cfu Lactobacillus, paracasei paracasei, 19, N/A, 10^10 cfu Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number n/a De Preter, 2006 C-RCT 1 Perenterol Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 1-2.5*10^9 cells/250mg 250 mg 4 per day Oral De Preter, 2006 C-RCT 3 Perenterol Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 1-2.5*10^9 cells/250 mg 250 mg 2 per day Oral de Roos, 1999 RCT 1 n/a Yogurt Patient Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a 2 per day Lactobacillus, acidophilus, L-1, Varies n/a, 4.8*10^9-2.7*10^10 cfu/500ml over time De Simone, 1992 RCT 1 Infloran Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, 10^9 cfu De Simone, 2001 CCT 1 VSL#3-Yoris Patient Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, 3 g Live, 10^11 cfu/g 1 per day Bifidobacterium, n/a, n/a, Living, 10^11 cfu/g Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Live, 10^11 cfu/g Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Live, 10^11 cfu/g Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Live, 10^11 cfu/g Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, Live, 10^11 cfu/g Streptococcus, faecium, n/a, Live, 10^11 cfu/g De Simone, 2001 CCT 2 Bioflorin Pill Patient Enterococcus, faecium, n/a, Live, 2.5*10^7 cfu/capsule Dekker, 2009 RCT 1 Fonterra NZ Pill Patient Mother Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, HN001, 1 capsule n/a, 6*10^9 cfu 1 per day Dekker, 2009 RCT 3 n/a Drink Patient Mother Bifidobacterium, animalis lactis, HN019, n/a, 9*10^9 cfu C-33 Placebo Medium term n/a 2 capsules 4 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 1 month Short term Placebo Oral 2 months Medium term Yogurt only Oral 1 month Short term Placebo Oral 0.33 months Short term Other probiotic 3 capsules 1 per day Oral 1 capsule 1 Oral per day Placebo Long term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Delia, 2002 RCT 1 Delia, 2007 RCT 1 Dewan, 2007 RCT Dolin, 2009 RCT Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1 sachet Oral 3 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use VSL#3 Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g VSL#3 Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, 1 sachet Lyophilized, viable, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g 3 per day Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g Streptococcus, saliva, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 4.5*10^8 cfu/g n/a 1 n/a Curd Patient Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 100 g 10^8 2 per day Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^8 cfu Oral 0.5 months Short term Non-probiotic 1 GanedenBC Pill Patient Bacillus, coagulans, GB1-30 6086, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu/capsule Oral 2 months Medium term Placebo C-34 1 capsule 1 per day Placebo Medium term Placebo Medium term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dubey, 2008 RCT 1 Duman, 2005 RCT Dupont, 2010 RCT Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral VSL#3 Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 9*10^10 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, paracasei, n/a, n/a, Varies by 9*10^10 cfu/sachet participant Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 9*10^10 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, n/a, 9*10^10 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, n/a, 9*10^10 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, 9*10^10 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, 9*10^10 cfu/sachet Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 9*10^10 cfu/sachet 1 Reflor Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a 1 Modilac Digest 1 Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, Formula n/a, n/a Patient Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, n/a Dylewski, 2010 RCT 1 Ehrstrom, 2010 RCT Eriksson, 2005 RCT 500 mg 2 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Placebo Medium term n/a Oral n/a 0.5 months Short term 1 month Short term Triple therapy only Formula only BIO K+ CL1285 Fermented milk Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, CL1285, n/a, 5*10^10 cfu/g Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, n/a, 5*10^10 cfu/g 49-98 g 1 per day Varies over time Oral 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, gasseri, LN40, Lyophilized, viable, 10^8-10^10 cfu/capsule Lactobacillus, fermentum, LN-99, Lyophilized viable, 10^8-10^10 cfu/capsule Lactobacillus, casei rhamnosus, LN113, Lyophilized, viable, 10^8 10^10 cfu/capsule Pediococcus, acidilactici, LN 23, Lyophilized, viable, 10^8-10^10 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 2 per day Vaginal 0.2 months Short term Placebo 1 n/a Tampon Patient Lactobacillus, gasseri, n/a, Lyophilized, live, 10^8 cfu/tampon Varies by Lactobacillus, casei rhamnosus, participant n/a, Lyophilized, live, 10^8 cfu/tampon Lactobacillus, fermentum, n/a, Lyophilized, live, 10^8 cfu/tampon Vaginal 1 month Short term Placebo C-35 Placebo Medium term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Falck, 1999 RCT 1 Bactonormal Suspension spray Patient Streptococcus, mitis, n/a, n/a, 7*10^6 cfu/ml Streptococcus, sanguis II, n/a, n/a, 7*10^6 cfu/ml Streptococcus, sanguis II, n/a, n/a, 7*10^6 cfu/ml Streptococcus, sanguis II, n/a, n/a, 7*10^6 cfu/ml Felley, 2001 RCT 1 LC-1 Drink Patient Lactobacillus, johnsonii, LA-1, n/a, 180 ml 1*10^7 cfu/ml 2 per day Oral Feng, 1999 RCT 1 Golden Bifido Pill Patient Lactobacillus, n/a, n/a, Live, 1*10^9 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Live, 1*10^9 cfu/g Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, Live, 1*10^9 cfu/g 4 capsules 2 per day Oral Folster-Holst, 2006 RCT 1 LGG Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Mixed with mile n/a, 5*10^9 cfu/dose on water Patient 5*10^9 cfu 2 per day Oral Forestier, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Varies Patient Lactobacillus, casei rhamnosus, n/a, n/a, 10^9 cfu 10^9 cfu 2 per day Oral Enteral French, 2009 RCT 1 PCC Pill Patient Lactobacillus, fermentum, VRI 1 capsule 003, Lyophilized, 10^9 cfu/capsule 1 per day Oral Frohmader, 2010 RCT 1 VSL#3 Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, live, n/a Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Live lyophilized, n/a Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, live, n/a Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, live, n/a Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, live, >10^10 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, live, >10^10 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, live, >10^10 cfu/g Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, live, >10^11 cfu/g 4.5*10^11 cfu 2 per day Enteral Fujimori, 2009 RCT 1 Bificolon Pill Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu 1 capsule 1 per day Oral Fujimori, 2009 RCT 3 n/a Water Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu 1 capsule 1 Oral per day C-36 Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 150 ml Topical 2 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 0.33 months Short term Placebo 0.75 months Short term Placebo Other probiotic Short term 2 months Medium term Placebo Placebo Medium term 1.5 months Medium term Placebo Placebo Short term 1 month Short term Prebiotic Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Streptococcus, faecium, n/a, Lyophilized, n/a Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 4 tablets n/a 2 per day Gade, 1989 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient 1 month Short term Placebo Galpin, 2005 RCT 1 LGG Pill Mix Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 5^10 cfu 2 capsules 1 per day Oral 1 month Short term Placebo Gao, 2010 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, CL1285, Live, 5*10^10 cfu/capsule Lactobacillus, casei, LBC80R, Live, 5*10^10 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 1 per day Oral Gao, 2010 RCT 3 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, CL1285, Live, 5*10^10 cfu/capsule Lactobacillus, casei, LBC80R, Live, 5*10^10 cfu/capsule 2 capsule 1 Oral per day Garcia Vilela, 2008 RCT 1 Floratil Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, 17, Lyophilized, 4*10^8 cells/capsule 1 capsule 3 per day Oral Gerasimou, 2010 RCT 1 DDS(R) Junior Mix Powder Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, UABLA-12, 1 gram n/a, 5*10^9 cfu/g 2 per day Lactobacillus, acidophilus, DDS-1, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu/g Oral Gibson, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, CNCM I 3446, n/a, 3.85*10^8 cfu 3 months Medium term 2 months Medium term Placebo Oral 7 months Medium term Formula only 0.75 months Short term Other probiotic Varies by participant Gill, 2001 RCT 1 n/a Sachet Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, HN019, Lyophilized, 1*10^9 cfu 5*10^10 organisms 1 per day Oral Gill, 2001 RCT 2 n/a Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, HN019, Lyophilized, 1*10^8 cfu/g 1*10^8 organisms 1 per day Oral C-37 Placebo Short term Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Gionchetti, 2000 1 RCT Gionchetti, 2003 1 RCT Goossens, 2003 1 RCT n/a Bag Patient Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 3*10^11 cfu/g Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 3*10^11 cfu/g Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 3*10^11 cfu/g Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 3*10^11 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 3*10^11 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 3*10^11 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 3*10^11 cfu/g Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 3*10^11 cfu/g VSL#3 Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Packet Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu Saccharomyces, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 n/a Lactobacillus, Plantarum, 299v, In fermented n/a, 1*10^9 cfu/ml oatmeal drink Patient Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 3 g bags Oral 2x per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 9 months Medium term Placebo 1 packet 1 per day n/a 12 months Long term Placebo 100 ml 2 per day Oral 1 month Short term Placebo Gracheva, 1999 1 CCT Bifidumbacterin forte Patient Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, n/a 45 doses Oral 2-3 per day Gracheva, 1999 2 CCT n/a Patient Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, Active, n/a 5 doses 2 per day n/a Gruber, 2007 RCT Valio Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu 1 capsule 2 per day Oral 1 C-38 Other probiotic Short term 3 months Medium term Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 100 g Oral 2 per day Guillemard, 2010 RCT 1 Actimel Drink Patient Lactobacillus, casei paracasei, DN-114001, n/a, >=10^10 cfu/100g Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, >=10^9 cfu/100g Lactobacillus, delbrueckii, bulgaricus, n/a, >=10^9 cfu/100g Guyonnet, 2009 1 RCT Activia Drink Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, DN 1 pot 173010, n/a, 1.25*10^10 cfu/pot 1 per day Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 1.2*10^9 cfu/pot Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 1.2*10^9 cfu/pot Guyonnet, 2009 3 RCT Activia Drink Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, DN-173 2 pots 1 per Oral 010, n/a, 1.25*10^10 cfu/pot day Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 1.2*10^9 cfu/pot Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 1.2*10^9 cfu/pot Habermann, 2001 RCT 1 Symbioflor Enterococcus, faecalis, n/a, Active 30 drops Taken orally, cells + autolysis, 1.5-4.5*10^7 3 per day gargled, cfu/ml swallowed Patient Habermann, 2002 RCT 1 Symbioflor Salt solution Patient Enterococcus, faecalis, Group D, Active, 1.5-4.5*10^7 cfu/ml HaschkeBecher, 2008 RCT 1 Nan 2 Formula Patient Lactobacillus, johnsonii, LA-1, Live, 1*10^8 cfu/g Hatakka, 2008 C-RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LC705 DSM 7061, Lyophilized, 2*10^10 cfu/2 capsules Propionibacterium, freudenreichii shermanii, JS, Lyophilized, 2*10^10 cfu Heimburger, 1994 RCT 1 Laxtinex Granules Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Viable, n/a Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, Viable, n/a Hemmerling, 2009 RCT 1 3 months Medium term Placebo 0.5 months Short term No intervention 6 months Medium term Placebo 6 months Medium term Placebo Oral 1 month Short term Placebo 2 capsules 1 per day Oral 1 month Short term Placebo 1g 3 per day Enteral 1 dose 1 per day Vaginal Oral Oral Enteral 3.75 11.25*10^7 cfu 3 per day Varies by participant LACTIN-V Lactobacillus, crispatus, CTV-05, Single use n/a, 5*10^8 cfu/dose vaginal applications Patient C-39 Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Placebo Short term 0.13 months Short term Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Hemmerling, 2009 RCT 3 n/a Lactobacillus, crispatus, CTV-05, Single use n/a, 10^9 cfu/dose vaginal applications Patient Hemmerling, 2009 RCT Higashikawa, 2009 RCT 4 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, crispatus, CTV-05, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu/dose 1 dose 1 per day Vaginal 1 n/a Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, SN35N, Viable, 1.9*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, plantarum, SN13T, Viable, 0.2*10^8 cfu/g 100 g 1 per day Oral Higashikawa, 2009 RCT 2 n/a Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, SN35N, Viable, 1.96*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, plantarum, SN13T, Viable, 0.04*10^8 cfu/g 100 g 1 per Oral day Higashikawa, 2009 RCT 3 n/a Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, lactis, A6, Viable, 1.722*10^8 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, thermophilus, 510, Viable, 0.276*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, C6, Viable, 0.002*10^8 cfu/g 100 g 1 per Oral day Hilton, 1997 RCT 1 LGG Mix Patient Lactobacillus, GG, n/a, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu 2*10^9 cfu 1 per day Hirata, 2002 CCT 1 n/a Sour milk Patient Lactobacillus, helveticus, n/a, n/a, 120 g n/a 1 per day Saccharomyces, cerevisiae, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, helveticus, CM4, n/a, n/a Hochter,1990 RCT 1 Perenterol Pill Patient Honeycutt, 2007 1 RCT Culturelle Pill Patient Hong, 2010 RCT n/a Packet powder water Patient 1 Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1 dose 1 Vaginal per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 1.5 months Medium term Oral Other probiotic Placebo Medium term Oral 2 months Medium term Placebo Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, 50ml 3 capsules Oral 2-4 per day 0.25 months Short term Placebo Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 10^9 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 1 per day Bifidobacterium, bifidum, BGN4, 1 packet of Lyophilized, 5*10^9 cfu/packet 2 per day with Bifidobacterium, lactis, AD011, Lyophilized, 5*10^9 cfu/packet Lactobacillus, acidophilus, AD031, Lyophilized, 5*10^9 cfu/packet Lactobacillus, casei, IBS041, Lyophilized, 5*10^9 cfu/packet C-40 Varies Placebo Medium term Oral 2 months Medium term Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1 sachet Oral 2 per day Horvat, 2010 RCT 1 Synbiotic 2000 Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei, paracasei 19, Active, 10^10 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, plantarum, 2362, Active, 10^10 cfu/sachet Pediococcus, pentosaceus, 5 33:3, Active, 10^10 cfu/sachet Leuconostoc, mesenteroides, 32 77:1, Active, 10^10 cfu/sachet Horvat, 2010 RCT 2 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei paracasei, 19, Heat-inactivated, n/a Lactobacillus, plantarum, 2362, Heat-inactivated, n/a Pediococcus, pentosaceus, 5 33:3, Heat-inactivated, n/a Leuconostoc, mesenteroides, 32 77:1, Heat-inactivated, n/a Ishikawa, 2002 RCT 1 BFM Drink Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, YIT 100 ml 0168, Live, >10^9 cfu/100ml 1 per day Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Live, >10^9 cfu/100ml Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, Live, >10^9 cfu/100ml Ishikawa, 2003 RCT 1 n/a Tablet Patient Lactobacillus, salivarius, TI 2711, Lyophilized, 1*10^8 cfu Ishikawa, 2003 RCT 3 n/a Pill Patient Ishikawa, 2005 RCT 1 Ishikawa, 2005 RCT Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 0.1 month Short term Other probiotic Oral 12 months Long term No treatment 5 tablets 5 per day Oral 2 months Medium term No treatment Lactobacillus, salivarius, TI 2711, Lyophilized, 2*10^7 cfu 5 tablets 5 per day Oral n/a Powder Patient Lactobacillus, casei, Shirota, n/a, 10^10 cfu/g 1g n/a 48 months Long term Dietary instructions only 3 n/a Powder Patient Lactobacillus, casei, Shirota, n/a, 10^10 cfu/g 1 g 3 per day n/a Isolauri, 1991 RCT 1 LGG Fermented milk Patient Lactobacillus, casei, GG, n/a, 10^10-11 cfu 125 g 2 per day Oral 0.25 months Short term Non-probiotic Isolauri, 1991 RCT 3 LGG Powder Patient Lactobacillus, casei, GG, Lyophilized, 10^10-11 cfu 1 dose 2 per day n/a Isolauri,1995 RCT 1 LGG Lactobacillus, casei, ATCC 53103, 0.1 g Dry powder Lyophilized, 5*10^9 cfu 2 per day mixed with water Patient 0.25 months Short term Placebo C-41 1 sachet 2 per day Oral Oral Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1 capsule Oral 3 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Jirapinyo, 2002 RCT 1 Infloran Pill Patient 0.25 months Short term Placebo Johansson, 1998 RCT 1 ProViva Lactobacillus, plantarum, DSM Rose-hip drink 9843, 299v, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/ml fermented oats Patient 400 ml 1 per day Oral 0.75 months Short term Placebo Kadooka, 2010 RCT 1 n/a Fermented milk Patient Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, gasseri, SBT 2055(LG2055), Viable, 5*10^10 cfu/100g 100 g 2 per day Oral 3 months Medium term Fermented milk only Kajander, 2005 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LC 705, n/a, 8-9*10^9 cfu/capsule Bifidobacterium, breve, BB 99, n/a, 8-9*10^9 cfu/capsule Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 8-9*10^9 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 1 per day n/a 6 months Medium term Placebo Kajander, 2008 RCT 1 LGG Drink Patient 1.2 daily Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG 1 per day ATCC 53103, n/a, 10^7 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LC 705 DSM 7061, n/a, 10^7 cfu Bifidobacterium, animalis lactis, BB-12 DSM 15954, n/a, 10^9 cfu Oral 5 months Medium term Placebo Kajimoto, 2002 RCT 1 n/a Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, helveticus, n/a, n/a, 150 g 2 per day n/a Saccharomyces, cerevisiae, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, helveticus, CM4, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, n/a Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Oral 2 months Medium term Yogurt only Karvonen, 2001 RCT 1 n/a Varies Patient Lactobacillus, reuteri, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^5 cfu 20 ml 1 per day Oral 1 month Short term Placebo Karvonen, 2001 RCT 3 n/a Varies Patient Lactobacillus, reuteri, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^7 cfu 20 ml 1 per Oral day Karvonen, 2001 RCT 4 n/a Varies Patient Lactobacillus, reuteri, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^9 cfu 20 ml 1 per Oral day Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, n/a Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, n/a C-42 Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Kerac, 2009 RCT 1 Kianifar, 2009 RCT Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number >10^10 cfu Oral 1 per day Varies by participant Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Synbiotic 2000 Forte Ready-to-use food Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei paracasei, F-19 LM6 P-17806, Lyophilized, 2.5*10^10 cfu Lactobacillus, plantarum, 2362 LM6 P-20606, Lyophilized, 2.5*10^10 cfu/dose Leuconostoc, mesenteroides, 23 77:1LMGP-20607, Lyophilized, 2.5*10^10 cfu/dose Pediococcus, pentosaceus, 16:1 LMG P-20608, Lyophilized, 2.5*10^10 cfu/dose 1 Infloran Powder Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 1*10^9 cfu/dose Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, 1*10^9 cfu/dose 1 dose 3 per day Oral 0.2 months Short term Placebo Kim, 2006 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, Varies 5*10^7 cfu/dose over time Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, lactis + leichmannii, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, brevis + caseii, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, caucasicus + plantarum, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, fermenti + helveticus, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Oral 2 months Medium term Other probiotic Kim, 2006 RCT 2 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Varies Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, over time 5*10^7 cfu/dose Bacillus, subtilis, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 5x10^7 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, lactis, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Bacillus, lichenformis, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Oral C-43 Placebo Medium term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Kim, 2006 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 1*10^7 cfu/dose Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, Varies 1*10^7 cfu/dose over time Bacillus, subtilis, n/a, n/a, 1*10^7 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 1*10^7 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, lactis, n/a, n/a, 1*10^7 cfu/dose Bacillus, licheniformis, n/a, n/a, 1*10^7 cfu/dose Kim, 2006 RCT 3 n/a Caplet Patient Bacillus, coagulans, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Varies Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, over time n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Bacillus, subtilis, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, salivarius, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/dose Oral Kim, 2008 RCT 1 Will Yogurt Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, HY 150 ml 2177, n/a, >10^5 cfu/ml 1 per day Lactobacillus, casei, HY 2177, n/a, >10^5 cfu/ml Bifidobacterium, longum, HY 8001, n/a, >10^5 cfu/ml Streptococcus, thermophilus, B-1, n/a, >10^5 cfu/ml Oral Kirjavainen,2003 1 RCT n/a Formula Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Lyophilized, viable, 1*10^9 cfu/g 3*10^10 cfu/kg Oral Kirjavainen,2003 3 RCT n/a Formulal Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Heat-killed, 10^9 cfu/g 3*10^10 cfu/g Oral Klarin, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Gauze swabs Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, 299, n/a, 2 swabs 10^10 cfu/10 ml 2 per day Topical Klarin,2005 RCT 1 Probi AB Fermented oatmeal formula Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, 299v, n/a, 10^9 cfu/ml Enteral Synbiotic 2000 Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei paracasei, n/a, n/a, 10^10 2 per day cfu/sachet n/a Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, n/a, 10^10 cfu/sachet Knight, 2007 RCT 1 Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral 2 months Medium term Placebo 0.75 months Short term Triple therapy only Placebo Medium term Non-probiotic Medium term Placebo Medium term Varies by participant C-44 Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Enteral Placebo Short term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Koning, 2008 RCT 1 Ecologic AAD Sachet Patient Bifidobacterium, bifidum, W 23, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, lactis, W 18, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, longum, W 51, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g Enterococcus, faecium, W54, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g Lactobacillus, acidophilus, W37, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g Lactobacillus, acidophilus, W55, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g Lactobacillus, paracasei, W72, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g Lactobacillus, plantarum, W62, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g Kopp, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Mother Lactobacillus, rhamnosus GG, ATCC 53103, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu Kotzampassi, 2006 RCT 1 Synbiotic Forte Sachet Patient Krasse, 2005 RCT 1 n/a Chewing gum Patient Krasse, 2005 RCT 3 Kuitunen, 2009 RCT Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 5g Oral 2 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 0.5 months Short term Placebo 2 capsules 1 per day Oral 12 g 1 per day Enteral 0.5 months Short term Placebo Lactobacillus, reuteri, n/a, Live, 1*10^8 cfu 1g 2 per day Oral 0.5 months Short term Placebo n/a Chewing gum Patient Lactobacillus, reuteri, n/a, Live, 1*10^8 cfu 1 gum 2 per day Oral 1 n/a Patient Mother Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG (ATCC 53103), n/a, 5*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LC 705 (DSM 7061), n/a, 5*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, breve, Bb 99 (DSM 13692), n/a, 2*10^8 cfu Propionibacterium, freudenreichii, shermanii JS (DSM 7076), n/a, 2*10^9 cfu 1 dose 1-2 per day Varies by participant n/a 6 months Medium term Placebo Kurugol, 2005 RCT 1 n/a Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, Diluted with n/a, n/a water or juice Patient 250 mg 1 per day Oral 0.17 months Short term Placebo La Rosa, 2003 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, sporogenes, n/a, n/a, 5.5*10^8 cfu 1 capsule 1 per day Oral 0.3 months Short term Placebo Laitinen, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG ATCC-55 103, n/a, 10^10 cfu/day Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, n/a, n/a 10^10 cfu/day 2000 Lactobacillus, paracasei paracasei, 19, n/a, 10^11 cfu Lactobacillus, plantarum, 2362, n/a, 10^11 cfu C-45 Placebo Medium term Oral Placebo Medium term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Langhendries, 1995 RCT 1 Larsen, 2006 RCT Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral n/a Formula Patient Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, helveticus, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, Viable, 10^6 cfu/g 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei paracasei, CRL-431, n/a, 10^8 cfu/day Bifidobacterium, animals lactis, BB-12, n/a, 10^8 cfu/day 2 capsules 1 per day Oral Larsen, 2006 RCT 3 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei paracasei, CRL-431, n/a, 1*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, animalis lactis, n/a, n/a, 1*10^9 cfu 2 capsules 1 per day Oral Larsen, 2006 RCT 4 10^10 Pill Patient Lactobacillus paracasei paracasei, 2 capsules CRL-431, n/a, n/a, 1*10^10 1 per day Bifidobacterium, animalis lactis, n/a, n/a, 1*10^10 Oral Larsson, 2008 RCT 1 EcoVag Pill Patient Lactobacillus, gasseri, Lba EB01 DSM 14869, Lyophilized, >=10^8 9 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, Lba EBD1-DSM 14870, Lyophilized, >=10^8-9 cfu Vaginal n/a Patient Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, salivarius, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, lactis, n/a, n/a, n/a Lata, 2009 RCT 1 Lawrence, 2005 1 RCT LGG Pill Patient Li, 2004 RCT n/a Dissolved water Patient 1 Ligaarden, 2010 1 C-RCT n/a Pill Patient Varies by participant n/a 2 months Medium term Formula only 0.75 months Short term Placebo 3 months Medium term Placebo Enteral Placebo Medium term n/a Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Lyophilized, 2.8*10^11-4*10^10 cfu 40 mg 2 per day Oral Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, n/a, in 1.6*10^8 cells/0.5ml 0.5 ml 2 per day Enteral Lactobacillus, plantarum, MF 1298, Lyophilized, live, 10^10 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 1 per day Oral C-46 Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Placebo Medium term Medium term 0.75 months Short term No supplement Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Lighthouse, 2004 RCT 1 SCM-III Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, helveticus, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a Lin, 1989 C-RCT 1 Lactinex Tablet Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, ATCC 4962, Viable, 2*10^6 cfu/tablet Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, ATCC 33409, Viable, 2*10^6 cfu/tablet Lin, 2005 RCT 1 Infloran Mixed breast milk Patient Lin, 2008 RCT 1 Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, with n/a, >=1,004,356 Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, >=1,004,356 Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 10 ml n/a 3 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 0.5 months Short term Non-probiotic 1 tablet 4 per day Oral 1.5 months Medium term Placebo 125 mg/kg 2 per day Oral 125 mg/kg 2 per day Oral Medium term Infloran; Bifidum Formula Added to breast milk or formula Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, NCDD 1748, n/a, 10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, bifidum, NCDD 1453, n/a, 10^9 cfu Ljungberg, 2006 1 RCT n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, 1 per day n/a, 5*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LC705, n/a n/a, 5*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, breve, Bbi99, n/a, 2*10^8 cfu Oral Loguercio, 1987 1 RCT Bioflorin Pill Patient Enterococcus, faecium, SF-68, n/a, 7.5*10^7 cfu/capsule 2 capsule 3 per day Oral Lonnermark, 2010 RCT 1 n/a Lactobacillus, plantarum, 299v, Drink with n/a, 5*10^7 cfu/ml Blueberries + oats gruel Patient 200 ml 1 per day Oral Lu, 2004 CCT 1 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, n/a, 1.5*10^8 cfu/day 1.5*10^8 cfu 1 per day n/a Lu, 2004 CCT 3 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, n/a, 2.7*10^8 cfu 4*10^8 cfu 1 per day n/a Lu, 2004 CCT 4 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, n/a, 4*10^8 cfu 4*10^8 cfu 1 per day n/a Luoto, 2010 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Mother Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG 1 capsule (ATCC 53103), n/a, 10^10 1 per day cfu/capsule Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, n/a, 10^10 cfu/capsule C-47 1.5 months Medium term Breast only milk Placebo Placebo Medium term 0.33 months Short term Non-probiotic Placebo Short term 1 month Medium term Oral Short term Placebo Dietary counseling only Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Mäkeläinen, 2003 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, 2C, n/a, 10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, longum, 46, n/a, 10^9 cfu Malaguarnera, 2007 RCT 1 n/a Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, W11, n/a, n/a Malaguarnera, 2010 RCT 1 Maldonado, 2009 RCT 1 Mandel, 2010 RCT Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 2 capsules n/a 1 per day n/a n/a n/a Patient Bifidobacterium, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a n/a n/a n/a Formula Patient Lactobacillus, salivarius, CECT5713, n/a, >=2*10^6 cfu/g Oral 1 n/a Caplet Patient Bacillus, coagulans, GBI-30, 6086, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu/caplet 1 caplet 1 per day Oral Manley, 2007 C-RCT 1 Vaalia yoghurt Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, n/a 100 g yogurt 1 per day Oral Manzoni, 2006 RCT 1 Dicoflor 60 Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Packet mixed n/a, 6*10^9 cfu/ml with milk Patient n/a Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 0.75 months Short term Placebo 3 months Medium term 2 months Medium term 6 months Medium term 2 months Medium term 1 month Short term Placebo Enteral Non-probiotic Placebo Placebo Yogurt only Milk only Medium term n/a Margreiter, 2006 1 RCT Omniflora Pill Patient Lactobacillus, gasseri, n/a, Lyophilized, 2*10^7-2*10^8 cfu/capsule Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, 2*10^7-2*10^8 cfu/capsule 50 mg 3 per day Oral Margreiter, 2006 2 RCT Bioflorin Pill Patient Enterococcus, faecium, Cernelle 68, n/a, 7.5*10^7 cfu/capsule 3 per day n/a Oral Marotta, 2003 C-RCT 1 SCM-III Patient 3 ml Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, 3 per day n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, helveticus, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, brevis, n/a, n/a, n/a Oral 0.5 months Short term Non-probiotic Marrazzo, 2006 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, crispatus, n/a, n/a, 10^8 1 capsule 2 per day Vaginal Placebo n/a Suspension Patient Bifidobacterium, clausii, n/a, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu/5 ml 1 vial 2 per day Oral 3 months Medium term 3 months Medium term Marseglia, 2007 1 RCT C-48 Other probiotic Short term No treatment Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Marteau, 2004 RCT 1 n/a Packet Patient Lactobacillus, johnsonii, LA-1, Lyophilized, 2*10^9 cfu/packet Martiney, 2009 RCT 1 n/a Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, gasseri, CECT5714, n/a, >=10^6 cfu/g Lactobacillus, coryniformis, CECT5711, n/a, >=10^6 cfu/g Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^7 cfu/g 200 ml 1 per day Oral Martinez, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GR-1, Viable, 1*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, reuteri, RC-14, Viable, 1*10^9 2 capsule 1 per day Martinez, 2009 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, 6R-1, Dried, 1*10^7 cfu/capsule Lactobacillus, reuteri, RC-14, Dried, 1*10^9 cfu/capsule Mayanagi, 2009 1 RCT n/a Tablet Patient McFarland, 1994 RCT 1 McFarland, 1995 RCT 1 Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 6 months Medium term 3 months Medium term Placebo Oral 1 month Short term Placebo 2 capsules 1 per day Oral 1 month Short term Placebo Lactobacillus, salivarius, WB21, n/a, 6.7*10^8 cfu/tablet 1 tablet 3 per day Oral Placebo n/a Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, Lyophilized, 3*10^10 cfu 2 capsules 2 per day Oral 2 months Medium term 1 month Short term n/a Pill Patient Saccharomyces, Boulardii, n/a, n/a, 3*10^10 cfu/g 2 capsules 2 per day Oral 500 ml 1 per day Oral McNaught, 2002 1 RCT ProViva Oatmeal drink Patient Merenstein, 2009 RCT Probugs Fermented drink Patient 1 Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 2 packets Oral 1 per day Lactobacillus, plantarum, 299v, based n/a, 5*10^9 cfu/ml Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, milk Active, live, n/a Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Active, live, n/a Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Active, live, n/a Saccharomyces, florentinus, n/a, Active, live, n/a Lactococcus, lactis diacetylactis, n/a, Active, live, n/a Lactococcus, plantarum, n/a, Active, live, n/a Lactococcus, rhamnosus, n/a, Active, live, n/a Lactococcus, casei, n/a, Active, live, n/a C-49 Placebo Placebo Short term No treatment Short term Oral 1 per day Varies by participant Yogurt only 0.3 months Short term Other probiotic Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Merenstein, 2009 RCT 2 Merenstein, 2010 RCT 1 Metts, 2003 RCT 1 Metts, 2003 RCT 3 Miele, 2009 RCT 1 Millar, 1993 RCT 1 Probugs Patient Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1 per day Oral Varies by participant Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Heat-killed, n/a Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Heatkilled, n/a Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Heat-killed, n/a Saccharomyces, florentinus, n/a, Heat-killed, n/a Lactococcus, lactis diacetylactis, n/a, Heat-killed, n/a Lactococcus, plantarum, n/a, Heat-killed, n/a Lactococcus, rhamnosus, n/a, Heat-killed, n/a Lactococcus, casei, n/a, Heatkilled, n/a Dan Active Lactobacillus, paracasei 1 bottle (Actimel) paracasei, DN-114 001/CNCM 1 per day Drink 578, n/a, 10^8 cfu/g Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, Patient n/a, >10^7 cfu/g Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, >10^7 cfu/g n/a Lactobacillus, acidophilus, S, n/a, Vaginal 2*10^9 cfu/capsule 3 per week Suppository n/a Patient n/a Lactobacillus, acidophilus, S, n/a, Pill n/a 2*10^9 cfu/capsule Vaginal Lactobacillus, acidophilus, S, n/a, suppository 5*10^9 cfu/capsule Patient Bifidobacterium, bifidum, Malyoth, n/a, 2*10^10 cfu/capsule Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, LB-51, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu VSL#3 Lactobacillus, paracasei, n/a, Packet mixed Lyophilized, 9*10^8 cfu 1 per day with beverage Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Varies by Patient Lyophilized, 9*10^8 cfu participant Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^8 cfu Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^8 cfu Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^8 cfu Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^8 cfu Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^8 cfu LGG Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, 10^8 cfu Formula n/a, 10^8 cfu 2 per day Patient C-50 Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Oral 3 months Medium term Placebo Vaginal 3.3 months Medium term Placebo Oral 12 months Long term Placebo Oral 0.5 months Short term Milk only Oral Vaginal Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Mimura, 2004 RCT 1 VSL#3 Sachet Patient Miyaji, 2006 RCT 1 n/a Yogurt Patient Morrow, 2010 RCT 1 Mukerji, 2009 RCT 1 Naito, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient n/a Chewable tablet Patient n/a Powder Patient Newcomer, 1983 RCT 1 Acidophilus milk Drink Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 4*10^6 cfu/ml Niers, 2009 RCT 1 Ecologic Panda Powder Patient Mother Bifidobacterium, bifidum, W23, Lyophilized, 1*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, lactis, W52, Lyophilized, 1*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, lactis, W58, Lyophilized, 1*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, reuteri, ATCC 55730, n/a, 10^8 cfu Niv, 2005 RCT 1 Nobuta, 2009 RCT 1 Nobuta, 2009 RCT 3 Nobuta, 2009 RCT 4 BioGaia AB Pill Patient Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 6g n/a 1 per day Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, n/a Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, gasseri, OLL2716 90 g LG21, n/a, 1*10^9 cfu/g 2 per day Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 10^9 cfu/capsule 2 capsule 2 per day Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, Roo11, Active, 5*10^8 cfu 2 per day n/a Lactobacillus, casei, Shirota, n/a, 3 g 1*10^10 cfu/g 1 per day 6 oz 3 per day Oral Oral Enteral Oral Oral Oral Oral Varies by participant Oral n/a Pill Patient n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, brevis, KB290, Viable, 3*10^9 cfu/capsule Varies over time 3 capsule 1 per day Lactobacillus, brevis, KB290, Viable, 6*10^9 cfu/capsule 3 capsules 1 per day Oral n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, brevis, KB290, Viable, 3*10^10 cfu/capsule 3 capsules 1 per day Oral C-51 Oral Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 12 months Long term Placebo 3 months Medium term Placebo Placebo Medium term 1 month Short term 12 months Long term 0.5 months Short term 13.5 months Short term 5.75 months Medium term 1 month Short term Placebo Chemotherapy only Placebo Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 10^10 n/a bacterial cells 1 per day O'Mahony, 2005 1 RCT Lactobacillus Drink Patient Lactobacillus, salivarius, VCC 4331, Live, 10^10 cfu O'Mahony, 2005 3 RCT n/a Drink Patient Bifidobacterium, infantis, 35624, Live, 10^10 cfu 10^10 cfu 1 n/a per day Ojetti, 2010 RCT 1 Reuterin Pill Patient Lactobacillus, reuteri, n/a, n/a, 2*10^8 cfu/pill 2 pills 2 per day Olah, 2005 RCT 1 Synbiotic 2000 Enteral feed Patient Lactobacillus, n/a, 4 strains, n/a, 10^10 cfu 1 n/a Yogurt Patient Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, coryniformis, CECT5711, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, gasseri, CECT5714, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu Osterlund, 2007 1 RCT Gefilus Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, 66 ATCC 53103, n/a, 1-2*10^10 cfu Ouwehand, 2009 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Ozkinay, 2005 RCT 1 Gynoflor Vaginal tablet Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, NCFM ATCC 700396, Viable, 1.25*10^9 cfu/capsule Bifidobacterium, lactis, BI-04 (ATCC SD5219), Viable, 3.75*10^9 cfu/capsule Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Live, >10^7 cfu/tub Panigrahi, 2008 RCT 1 GastroPlan Lactobacillus, plantarum, ATCC Synbiotics in 20195, n/a, 10^9 cfu/2ml dextrose saline Patient Parent, 1996 RCT 1 Gynoflor Vaginal tablet Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 10^7 cfu/tablet Activia Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 2 200ml n/a 2 per day Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Olivares, 2006 RCT Parfenov, 2005 CCT 1 Oral 2 months Medium term Placebo 0.3 months Short term Placebo Enteral 200 ml 1 per day Prebiotic Short term Varies by participant Oral 1 month Short term Yogurt only Oral 6 months Medium term 4 months Medium term Chemotherapy only 2 per day n/a 1 capsule 1 per day Oral 1 tablet 1 per day Vaginal Placebo 2 ml 1 per day Oral 0.25 months Short term Placebo Vaginal 0.25 months Short term Placebo Oral 0.75 months Short term No treatment Placebo Short term Varies by participant C-52 Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1 100 Oral grams 2 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Parfenov, 2005 CCT 1 Actimel Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, Active, 10^7 cfu/100 g Lactobacillus, casei, Defensis, Active, 10^7 cfu/100g Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, Active, 10^8 cfu/100 g Parra, 2004 RCT 1 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, casei, DN-114001, n/a, 10^8-10^10 cfu/g 95 g 3 per day Oral Milk only Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, Lcr35, n/a, 1.2*10^9 cfu/dose 1.5 q 3 per day Oral n/a Lactobacillus, plantarum, ATCC Culture on gauze 10 241, n/a, 10^5 cfu/ml pad Patient 1 pad 1 per day Topical 2 months Medium term 3 months Medium term 0.33 months Short term Passeron, 2005 RCT 1 n/a Alu-bag Patient Peral, 2009 RCT 1 Pereg, 2010 RCT 1 Bio-plus Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 2*10^10 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, 2*10^10 cfu/dose Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, Lyophilized, 2*10^10 cfu/dose Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 2*10^10 cfu/dose 1 dose 1 per day Oral 6 months Medium term Placebo Petschow, 2005 1 RCT n/a Formula Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Active, live, 1*10^4 cfu/g Oral 0.5 months Short term Formula only Petschow, 2005 3 RCT Nutramigen Formulal Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Active, live, 10^7 cfu/g Petschow, 2005 4 RCT Nutramigen Formulal Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Active, live, 10^8 cfu/g Prantera, 2002 RCT Dicoflor 60 Lactobacillus, casei rhamnosus, Bags - dissolved n/a, n/a, 6*10^9 cfu in water Patient 2.46 g 2 per day Oral 12 months Long term Placebo n/a Sachet Patient 1 sachet 1 per day Oral 3 months Medium term Placebo 1 Pregliasco, 2008 1 RCT Varies by participant Lactobacillus, plantarum, LP 02 LMG P-21020, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LR 04 DSM 16605, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Bifidobacterium, lactis, BS-01 LMG P-21384, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g C-53 0.75 months Short term Prebiotic Non-probiotic Oral Varies by participant Oral Varies by participant Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1 sachet 1 Oral per day Pregliasco, 2008 3 RCT n/a Sachets Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, LP 02 LMG P-21020, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LR 04 DSM 16605, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Bifidobacterium, lactis, BS 01 LMG P-21384, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Pregliasco, 2008 1 RCT n/a Sachet Patient 1 sachet Lactobacillus, plantarum, LP 01 1 per day LMG P-21021, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, plantarum, LP 01 LMG P-21020, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LR 04 DSM 16605, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LR 05 DSM 19739, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, lactis, BS 01 LMG P-21384, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu Oral Pregliasco, 2008 3 RCT n/a Sachets Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, LP 02 LMG P-21020, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LR 04 DSM 16605, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Bifidobacterium, lactis, BS 01 LMG P-21384, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Lactobacillus, plantarum, LP 01 LMG P-21021, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Oral Pregliasco, 2008 1 RCT n/a Sachet Patient 1 sachet Lactobacillus, plantarum, LP 02 1 per day LMG P-21020, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LR 04 DSM 16605, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Bifidobacterium, lactis, BS 01-LM6 P-21384, Live, 10^10 cfu/0.1g Puccio, 2007 RCT Nan Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, BL-999, Live, 2*10^7 cfu 1 1 sachet 1 per day 3 months Medium term Placebo Oral 3 months Medium term Placebo Oral 3.7 months Medium term Placebo Oral 0.5 months Short term Other probiotic 3 months Medium term Placebo Varies by participant Rampengan, 2010 RCT 1 Lacidofil Pill Patient Lactobacillus, n/a, n/a, Live, n/a Rampengan, 2010 RCT Ranganathan C-RCT 2 Dialac Patient Lactobacillus, n/a, n/a, Heat-killed, 2 sachets 1 Oral n/a per day 1 Kibow Biotics Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, KB31, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu/capsule Bifidobacterium, longum, KB35, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu/capsule Streptococcus, thermophilus, KB27, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu/capsule C-54 1 capsule 1 per day 2 capsule 3 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Oral Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Rautava, 2008 RCT 1 Rayes, 2002 RCT Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1*10^10 cfu Oral 1 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 0.25 months Short term Standard crystalloid solution only 0.3 months Short term Parenteral or enteral nutrition only Varies 0.5 months Short term Placebo n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG ATCC 53103, n/a, 10^10 cfu Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, n/a, 10^10 cfu 1 n/a Enteral formula Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, 299, Live, 1*10^9 cfu 10^9 cfu 2 per day Enteral Rayes, 2002 RCT 3 n/a Enteral formula Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, 299, Heat-killed, 1*10^9 cfu 10^9 cfu 2 per day Enteral Rayes, 2002 RCT 1 n/a Enteral formula Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, 299, Live, 10^9 cfu 10^9 cfu 2 per day Enteral Rayes, 2002 RCT 3 n/a Enteral formula Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, 299, Heat-killed, n/a 10^9 cfu 2 per day Enteral Rayes, 2005 RCT 1 Synbiotic 2000 Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei paracasei, F-19, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, plantarum, 2362, n/a, n/a 2 per day n/a Rayes, 2007 RCT 1 n/a Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei paracasei, F-19, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, plantarum, 2362, n/a, n/a 1 sachet 2 per day Varies 0.3 months Short term Placebo Reid, 1992 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, casei rhamnosus, GR-1, Lyophilized, 1.6*10^9 cfu/vial Lactobacillus, fermentum, B-54, Lyophilized, 1.6*10^9 cfu/vial 1 capsule Vaginal 2 months Medium term Placebo Reid, 1995 RCT 1 n/a Suppository Patient Lactobacillus, casei, GR-1, Lyophilized, 1*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, fermentum, B-54, Lyophilized, 1*10^9 1 Vaginal suppository 1 per week 12 months Long term Prebiotic Ren, 2010 RCT 1 Charge Le Kang Powder Patient Bifidobacterium, n/a, n/a, Live, ?1.0*10^6 cfu/g Clostridium, butyricum, n/a, n/a, n/a 250 mg 2 per day Oral Reuman, 1986 RCT 1 n/a Formula Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 5*10^10 cfu/ml 1 ml 2 per day Enteral Gaio Fermented milk Patient Enterococcus, faecium, n/a, n/a, 10^5-10^9 cfu/ml Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 5-20*10^8 cfu/ml Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 5-20*10^8 cfu/ml 200 ml 1 per day Oral Richelsen, 1996 1 RCT C-55 Placebo Medium term Non-probiotic Short term Placebo Medium term 6 months Medium term Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Rio, 2002 RCT 1 n/a Drink Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Viable, 10^7-10^8 cfu/ml Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Viable, 10^8 cfu/ml Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral 3 months Medium term Placebo Topical 0.33 months Short term Placebo Varies by participant 3 puffs 2 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Roos, 1996 RCT 1 n/a Suspension spray Patient Streptococcus, sanguis, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^6 cfu/50ml Streptococcus, mitis, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^6 cfu/50ml Streptococcus, sanguis, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^6 cfu/50ml Streptococcus, sanguis, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^6 cfu/50ml Roos, 2001 RCT 1 n/a Spray Patient Streptococcus, sanguis, 2 strains, 6 puffs 2 per day Lyophilized, 5*10^6 cfu/ml Streptococcus, mitis, 2 strains, Lyophilized, 5*10^6 5*10^6 5*10^6 cfu/ml Streptococcus, oralis, n/a, Lyophilized, 5*10^6 cfu/ml Other 2 months Medium term Placebo Rose, 2010 RCT 1 LGG Pill Capsule contents reconstituted water Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, ATCC 1 capsule 53103 GG, n/a, 10^10 cfu/capsule 2 per day Oral 6 months Medium term Placebo Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, 19070 10^10 cfu Z, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu 2 per day Lactobacillus, reuteri, DSM 12246, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu n/a 0.17 months Short term Placebo Oral 0.6 months Short term Placebo in Rosenfeldt, 2002 RCT 1 n/a Patient Rosenfeldt, 2003 C-RCT 1 Lactobacillus, casei alactus, n/a Powder mixed in CHCC 3137, Lyophilized, 10^10 water on milk cfu Patient Lactobacillus, delbrueckii lactis, CHCC 2329, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, 66 ATCC 53103, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu Rosenfeldt, 2003 C-RCT 3 n/a Powder mixed with water or milk Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, 19070 10^10 cfu 2 Oral 2, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu per day Lactobacillus, reuteri, DSM 12246, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu Rouge, 2009 RCT 1 Valio Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Lyophilized, 10^8 cells/unit Bifidobacterium, longum, BB 536, Lyophilized, 10^8 cfu/unit C-56 10^10 cfu 2 per day 4 capsule 1 per day Enteral Placebo Short term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Ruiz-Palacios, 1996 RCT 1 Ruiz-Palacios, 1996 RCT 3 Ruiz-Palacios, 1996 RCT 4 Saavedra, 2004 RCT 1 Saavedra, 2004 RCT n/a Formula Added Pediasure Patient Lactobacillus, reuteri, n/a, n/a, 10^6 cfu to Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^6 cfu Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, 10^6 cfu n/a Added PediaSure Patient Lactobacillus, reuteri, n/a, n/a, to 10^10 cfu Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^10 cfu Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, 10^10 cfu Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral n/a 0.75 months Short term Placebo Oral n/a n/a Patient Lactobacillus, reuteri, n/a, n/a, 10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^8 cfu Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, 10^8 cfu n/a Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, n/a, 10^6 cfu/g Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, Varies by participant n/a, 10^6 cfu/g Oral 3 n/a Formulal Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, n/a, 10^7 cfu/g Varies by Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, participant n/a, 10^7 cfu/g Oral Safdar, 2008 RCT 1 Florajen Mix Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 2*10^7 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 3 per day Oral Sahagun-flores, 2007 RCT 1 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, casei, Shirota, n/a, 8*10^9 cfu/dose 1 dose 3 per day Oral Saint-Marc, 1995 RCT 1 n/a Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, 500mg/sachet 1 sachet 2 per day n/a Oral Enteral Salminen, 1988 RCT 1 n/a Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, NCDO 1748, Live, 2*10^9 cfu 150 ml 1 per day Oral Salminen, 2004 C-RCT 1 Valio Drink Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 1-5*10^10 cfu/dose C-57 Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Oral n/a 0.5 months Short term 0.25 months Short term 0.25 months Short term Medium term Oral 2 per day n/a Placebo Medium term 0.5 months Short term Placebo Antibiotics only Placebo Dietary counseling only Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1 dose Oral 2 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Samanta, 2008 RCT 1 Satokari, 2001 RCT 1 n/a Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, Powder added to Lyophilized, 3*10^10 cfu yogurt Patient 125 ml 2 per day Oral 0.5 months Short term Prebiotic Satokari, 2001 RCT 3 n/a Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, Combo of syrup Lyophilized, 3*10^10 cfu + powder in yogurt Patient 125 ml 2 per day Oral Savino, 2006 RCT 1 n/a Oil suspension Patient 5 drops 1 per day Oral 1 month Short term Non-probiotic Sazawal, 2010 RCT 1 n/a Bifidobacterium, lactis, HN019, Sachets of milk n/a, 3.3*10^6 cfu/sachet powder Patient 1 Sachet 3 per Day Oral 12 months Long term Placebo Scalabrin, 2009 RCT 1 LGG Formula Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 10^8 cfu/g n/a Formulal Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Lyophilized, 10^8 cfu/g formula Pediasure Protect with SmartChoice Nutritional supplementpowder mixed to milk drink Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, n/a, n/a, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g 120 ml n/a Mix Breast milk Patient Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, 2.5*10^9 cfu/dose Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, 2.5*10^9 cfu/dose Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, 2.5*10^9 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 2.5*10^9 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, reuteri, ATCC 55730, n/a, 10^8 cfu/5 drops Oral Formula only Medium term n/a Scalabrin, 2009 RCT 3 Schrezenmeir, 2004 RCT 1 Schultz, 2004 RCT 1 LGG Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu 2*10^9 cfu 1 per day n/a Seppo, 2003 RCT 1 Evolus Drink Patient Lactobacillus, helveticus, LBK 16H, n/a, n/a 150 ml 1 per day Oral Sierra, 2010 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, salivarius, CECT5713, n/a, 10^8 cfu/capsule 2 capsule 1 per day Oral C-58 Placebo Medium term Oral n/a Oral Medium term 6 months Medium term 5.25 months Medium term 1 month Short term Pediasure only Placebo Milk only Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Lactobacillus, fermentum, n/a, n/a, 2 capsule Oral 2*10^9 cfu 2 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Simons, 2006 RCT 1 PCC Pill Patient Placebo Simren, 2010 RCT 1 Cultura Drink Patient 200 ml Lactobacillus, paracasei 2 per day paracasei, F-19, n/a, >5*10^7 cfu/ml Lactobacillus, acidophilus, La 5, n/a, >5*10^7 cfu/ml Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, n/a, >5*10^7 cfu/ml Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, n/a Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Oral 2.5 months Medium term 2 months Medium term Song, 2010 RCT 1 Bioflor250 Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, 3*10^10 cfu/g 1 capsule 3 per day Oral 1 month Short term Triple therapy only Song, 2010 RCT 3 Bioflor 250 Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, DA9601, n/a, 3*10^10 cfu/g 1 capsule 3 Oral per day Songisepp, 2005 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, fermentum, EE-3, lyophilized, 9.2 log cfu 3 capsules 2 per day Placebo Songisepp, 2005 CCT 1 n/a Drink Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, LB-4, 150 ml n/a, n/a 1 per day Lactobacillus, buchneri, S-15, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, fermentum, ME-3, Lyophilized, 11.2-11.8 cfu Oral 0.75 months Short term 0.75 months Short term Sood, 2009 RCT 1 VSL#3 Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, delbrueckii, bulgaricus, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Oral 3 months Medium term Placebo C-59 1 Sachet 4 per Day Oral Placebo Goat's only milk Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Spanhaak, 1998 1 RCT Yakult Drink Patient Lactobacillus, casei, Shirota, n/a, 10^9 cfu/ml Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 100 ml Oral 3 per day Stockert, 2007 RCT 1 Symbioflor Drops Patient Enterococcus, faecalis, n/a, n/a, 6*10^7 cfu 20 drops 3 per day n/a Stotzer, 1996 C-RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, fermentum, KLO, Lyophilized, 1-3*10^11 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 2 per day Oral Stratiki, 2007 RCT 1 PreN Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, n/a, n/a, 2*10^7 cfu/g 1 month Short term Placebo 2 months Medium term 1 month Short term Placebo Lactobacillus, acidophilus, NCFB 1748, n/a, 10^8 cfu/ml Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, n/a, 10^8 cfu/ml Lactobacillus, paracasei paracasei, F19, n/a, 10^8 cfu/ml Lactobacillus, casei, DN-114 001, 100 ml Live, 10^10 cfu/100ml 1 per day Oral 0.5 months Short term Placebo Oral 0.5 months Short term 2 months Medium term 6 months Medium term Placebo Oral Varies over time 250 ml 2 per day Placebo Placebo Medium term Sullivan, 2003 RCT 1 n/a Yogurt Patient Sykora, 2005 RCT 1 Actimel Drink Patient Tamura, 2007 RCT 1 n/a Fermented milk Patient Lactobacillus, casei, Shirota, n/a, 4*10^10 cfu/80ml 80 ml 1 per day Oral Taylor, 2007 RCT 1 n/a Powder Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, LAVRI 1 packet A1, Lyophilized, 3*10^9 cfu/packet 1 per day Oral Tempe, 1985 RCT 1 Perenterol Saccharomyces, cerevisiae, Dissolved in Hansen CBS5926, Active, 5*10^9 enteral nutrition cfu/capsule solution Patient 2 capsules l per day Enteral Teran, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 1.25*10^6 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, n/a Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a 1g 2 per day n/a Thomas, 2001 RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Live, 10^10 cfu 1 capsule 2 per day Oral C-60 Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Placebo Placebo Placebo Short term Short term 0.5 months Short term Rehydration solution only Placebo Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Tomoda, 1991 CCT 1 Tomoda, 1991 CCT 3 n/a Yogurt Patient Tsuchiya, 2004 CCT 1 SCM III In a vitamin and phyto-extracts enriched medium Patient Tsuchiya, 2004 CCT 2 Turchet, 2003 RCT 1 Tursi, 2004 RCT n/a Yogurt Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, 10^8 cfu Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, 10^8 cfu/g Saccharomyces, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, n/a Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 130 g Oral 1 per day 10 ml 3 per day 100 ml 2 per day 1 VSL#3 Bag Patient 3g 1 per day Tursi, 2008 CCT 1 Enterolactis Pill Patient Tursi, 2008 CCT 3 Enterolactis Patient Lactobacillus, casei casei, DG, n/a, 1.6*10^7 cfu/day C-61 Yogurt only Medium term 130 g 1 per Oral day Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 1.25*10^6 cfu/100ml Lactobacillus, helveticus, n/a, n/a, 1.3*10^9 cfu/100ml Bifidobacterium, n/a, n/a, n/a, 4.95*10^9 cfu/100ml SCM III heat Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, inactivated Heat-killed, 1.25*10^6 /100ml symbiotic Lactobacillus, helveticus, n/a, Patient Heat-killed, 1.3*10^6 /100ml Bifidobacterium, n/a, n/a, Heatkilled, 4.95*10^9 /100ml Actimel Lactobacillus, casei, DN-114 001, Drink n/a, 10^8 cfu/ml Patient Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Lyophilized, 3*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, 3*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 3*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, 3*10^8 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, 3*10^8 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, 3*10^8 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, 3*10^8 cfu/g Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 3*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, casei casei, DG, n/a, 8*10^6 cfu Duration Control LongCategory Term Use n/a 3 months Medium term Synbiotic Oral 1 month Short term No study product Oral 2 months Medium term Balsalazide only 1.6*10^7 n/a daily 10 per day/month 1.6*10^7 n/a daily 10 per days/month 24 months Long term Mesalazine only 10 ml 3 per n/a day Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Tursi, 2010 RCT 1 VSL#3 Sachet Patient Underwood, 2009 RCT 1 Culturelle Pill Patient Underwood, 2009 RCT 3 Urban, 2008 RCT 1 Lactobacillus, paracasei, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 900*10^9 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 900*10^9 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 900*10^9 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, delbrueckii, bulgaricus, Lyophilized, viable, 900*10^9 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 900*10^9 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 900*10^9 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 900*10^9 cfu/sachet Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 900*10^9 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Viable, 5*10^8 cfu/dose Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, n/a, n/a ProBioPlus DDS Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Mix Viable, 5*10^8 cfu/dose Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Viable, 5*10^8 cfu/dose Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, Viable, 5*10^8 cfu/dose Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Viable, 5*10^8 cfu/dose n/a Bifidobacterium, lactis, n/a, n/a, Formula n/a Patient Urbansek, 2001 RCT 1 Antibiophilus Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, n/a, 1.5*10^9 cfu Van der Aa, 2010 RCT 1 n/a Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, breve, M-16V, n/a, 1.3*10^9 cfu/100ml Van Gossum, 2007 RCT 1 LA1 Powder/Sachets Patient Lactobacillus, johnsonii, LA-1, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu/sachet Velaphi, 2008 RCT 1 n/a Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, Lactis, CNCM I 3446, n/a, n/a Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 2 sachet Oral 2 per day 1 ml 2 per day Varies 1 ml 2 per day Varies Oral Oral Varies by participant Enteral n/a Oral Varies by participant C-62 2 months Medium term Placebo Placebo Short term Oral Varies by participant 1.5 g 3 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 4 months Medium term 0.25 months Short term 3 months Medium term Formula only 3 months Medium term 6 months Medium term Maltodextrin only Placebo Placebo Formula only Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Vendt, 2006 RCT 1 Tutteli Formula Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 10^7 cfu Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^6 cfu/daily dose Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^6 cfu/daily dose Lactobacillus, salivarius, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^6 cfu/daily dose Lactobacillus, lactis, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^6 cfu/daily dose Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^6 cfu/daily dose Bifidobacterium, lactis, n/a, Lyophilized, 10^6 cfu/daily dose Bifidobacterium, animalis lactis, BB-12 ATCC 27536, n/a, 1*10^7 cfu/g Lactobacillus, paracasei paracasei/g, CRL-431 (ATCC 55 544), n/a, 1*10^7 cfu/g 1 sachet 2 per day Bifidobacterium, breve, BBG-01, Lyophilized, live, 10^9 cfu/sachet 1 sachet 3 per day Vleggaar, 2008 C-RCT 1 Ecologic 641 Sachet Patient Vlieger, 2009 RCT 1 Frisol Formula Patient Wada, 2010 RCT 1 Wang, 2004 RCT 1 Wang, 2007 RCT 1 Weizman, 2005 RCT 1 Weizman, 2006 RCT 1 Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral n/a Sachet Patient n/a Drink Patient n/a Suspended water Patient n/a Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, n/a, 10^7 cfu/g n/a Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, BB-12, n/a, 1*10^7 cfu/g Oral 3 months Medium term Oral Varies by participant Prebiotic Enteral Oral Varies by participant 0.5 ml 2 per day Placebo Medium term Placebo Medium term 1 month Short term Enteral Medium term Oral n/a Oral Varies by participant Weston, 2005 RCT 1 n/a Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, fermentum, VRI 003 PCC, Lyophilized, 1*10^6 cfu 1*10^9 cfu 2 per day n/a Oral Wewalka, 2002 RCT 1 Döderlein Med® Pill Patient Lactobacillus, gasseri, n/a, Lyophilized, 2*10^8-2*10^9 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 1 per day Vaginal C-63 Placebo Medium term Varies by participant Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, paracasei, LP-33, Viable, 1*10^7 cfu/ml Bifidobacterium, breve, M-16v, in n/a, 1.6*10^8 cfu/0.5ml Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Fermented milk only No supplement 3 months Medium term 1 month Medium term Placebo 2 months Medium term 0.2 months Short term Placebo Placebo Non-probiotic Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 8 oz Oral 2 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Wheeler, 1997 C-RCT 1 n/a Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, Live, 3.4*10^8 cfu/g Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, Live, 3.4*10^8 cfu/g Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Live, 3.4*10^8 cfu/g 1 month Short term Yogurt only Wildt, 2006 RCT 1 AB-Cap-10 Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, LA-5, n/a, 0.5*10^10 cfu Bifidobacterium, animalis lactis, BB-12, n/a, 0.5*10^10 cfu 2 capsules 2 per day Oral 3 months Medium term Placebo Williams, 2008 RCT 1 LAB4 Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, CUL 60 1 capsule NCIMB 30152, n/a, 2.5*10^10 1 per day cfu/capsule Lactobacillus, acidophilus, CUL 21 NCIMB 30156, n/a, .5*10^10 cfu/capsule Bifidobacterium, lactis, CUL 34 NCIMB 30172, n/a, .5*10^10 cfu/capsule Bifidobacterium, bifidum, CUL 20 NCIMB 30153, n/a, .5*10^10 cfu/capsule Oral 2 months Medium term Placebo Wind, 2010 RCT 1 n/a Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, PRSF L477, Lyophilized, 5*10^10 cfu/sachet 2 sachet 1 per day Oral Placebo 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, reuteri, MM53ATTCC SD 2112, Lyophilized, 5*10^10 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 2 per day Oral Wolf, 1998 RCT 1 n/a Packets to added beverages Patient 1 packet 2 per day Oral 0.75 months Short term 0.75 months Short term 0.75 months Short term Wolf, 1994 RCT Worthley, 2009 C-RCT 1 n/a Pill Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, LAFTI B94, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 1 per day Oral 1 month Short term Prebiotic Worthley, 2009 C-RCT 3 n/a Pill Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, LAFTI B94, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g 1 capsule 1 Oral per day Xia, 2010 RCT 1 n/a Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, LA-11, Live, 6-10 *10^8 cfu 1 Sachet 1 per day Oral Xiang, 2006 RCT 1 Medilac-S Varies Patient Bacillus, subtilis, n/a, n/a, n/a Enterococcus, faecium, n/a, n/a, n/a 2 capsule 3 per day Oral Lactobacillus, reuteri, SD 2112, be Lyophilized, 5*10^9 cfu/packet to C-64 Placebo Placebo Placebo Short term 1 month Short term Sulfasalazine only Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Bifidobacterium, longum, BL1, n/a, 100 ml Oral 3.7*+-1.1*10^8 cfu 3 per day Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 3.4+-0.7*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 3.7+-1.7*10^7 cfu Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Xiao, 2003 RCT 1 n/a Yogurt Patient 1 month Short term Yogurt only Xiao, 2003 RCT 1 Lacidophilin Lactobacillus, acidophilus, LB, Pill Live, n/a Chewable tablets Patient 1 month Short term Other probiotic Xiao, 2003 RCT 2 Lacteol Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, 2 capsules Heat killed, lyophilized, 5*10^9 cfu 2 per day Oral Yang, 2008 RCT 1 B10 Drink Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, DN 100 g 173010, n/a, 1.25*10^10 cfu/pot 1 per day Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 1.2*10^9 cfu/pot Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 1.2*10^9 cfu/pot Oral 0.5 months Short term Placebo Yao-Zong, 2004 1 RCT Bifico Pill Patient Lactobacillus, bifidum, n/a, Live, >=10^7 cfu Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Living, >=10^7 cfu Enterococcus, n/a, n/a, Live, >=10^7 cfu 420 mg 2 per day n/a 1 month Short term Dioctahedral smectite Yonekura RCT 1 n/a Powder Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei, KW3110, n/a, 1*10^12 - 3*10^12 cfu/gm 1g 1 per day Oral 3 months Medium term Placebo Zhang, 2010 RCT 1 Bifico Pill Patient Bifidobacterium, n/a, n/a, Viable, n/a 3 capsule 3 per day Oral Ziegler, 2003 RCT 1 n/a Formula Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, n/a, n/a, 3.6*10^7 cfu/g 5 tablets 3 per day Oral Oral n/a Zocco, 2003 RCT 1 Giflorex Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, Viable, 18*10^9 cfu/day 18*10^9 bacteria 1 per day n/a Zocco, 2003 RCT 3 Giflorex Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, Viable, 18*10^9 cfu/day 18*10^9 bacteria 1 per day n/a C-65 Non-probiotic Medium term 4 months Medium term 12 months Long term Formula only Mesalazine only Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target An, 2010 Case Series 1 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, LH CBT, n/a, 3*10^11 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, longum, SPM 1205, n/a, 3*10^11 cfu/g Pediococcus, pentosaceus, PP CBT, n/a, 3*10^11 cfu/g Barrett, 2008 Case Series 1 Yakult Drink Patient Lactobacillus, casei, Shirota, n/a, 6.5*10^6 cfu/65ml bottle Beck, 1961 Case Series 1 Bacid Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Dried, viable, n/a Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral 2 per day n/a Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 0.5 months Short term None 65 ml 1 per day 1.5 months Medium term None Oral n/a None Medium term Varies by participant Bekkali, 2007 Case Series 1 Ecologic Relief Patient Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, 4*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, 4*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, 4*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, n/a, 4*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, n/a, 4*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, n/a, 4*10^9 cfu 4*10^9 cfu 1 per day Bellomo, 1979 Case Series 1 Bioflorin Mix Powder Patient Enterococcus, faecium, SF-68, Lyophilized, 3*10^7 cfu/g 1-3 doses Oral 2-3 per day Benchimol, 2004 1 Case Series Probi Patient Lactobacillus, plantarum, 299v, 10^10 cfu n/a, 10^10 cfu 1 per day Lactobacillus, acidophilus, R0052, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, R0011, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu Bifidobacterium, breve, R0070, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu n/a 7 months Medium term None Berman, 2006 Case Series n/a Tablet Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, 3 tablets n/a, 2*10^9 cfu 1 per day Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, salivarius, n/a, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, 2*10^9 cfu Oral 2 months Medium term None 1 C-66 n/a 1 month Short term None Placebo Short term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Bibiloni, 2005 Case Series 1 VSL#3 Sachet Patient Bruce, 1988 Case Series 1 n/a Lactobacillus, casei rhamnosus, Topical solution 6R-1, Active, viable, 10^11 cfu/ml (intravaginal) Patient Bruni, 2008 Case Series 1 Carlsson, 2009 Case Series Cobo Sanz, 2006 Case Series Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 9*10^11 cfu/sachet Fiorilac, Dicoflor, Reuterin Sachet, diluted in water Patient Lactobacillus, paracasei, I 1688, n/a, 0.1*10^9-10*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, salivarius, I 1794, n/a, 0.1*10^9-10*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 3*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, reuteri, n/a, n/a, 10^8 cfu/5 drops 1 Verum Drickyoghurt Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, LB-21, n/a, n/a Lactococcus, lactis, L1A, n/a, >5*10^7 cfu/ml 1 Actimel Drink Patient Colecchia, 2006 1 Case Series Di Pierro, 2009 Case Series Dughera, 2007 Case Series Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 2 sachets Oral 2 per day 1 ml 2 per week Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 2 months Medium term Vaginal None None Medium term Other 0.03 months Short term None Oral 6 months Medium term None Lactobacillus, casei, BN-114 001, 1 per day n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, Varies by participant n/a Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Oral 2 months Medium term None Zir fos Bag Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, W11, n/a, n/a 3g 1 per day n/a None 1 Kramegin Vaginal tablet Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^9 cfu/tablet 1 tablet 1 per day Vaginal 1 Zir fos Bag Patient Bifidobacterium, longum, W11, n/a, 5*10^9 cfu/3g bag 3g 1 per day Oral 1.25 months Medium term 0.33 months Short term 3 months Medium term C-67 1 per day n/a 200 ml 1 per day None None Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Elmer, 1995 Case Series 1 n/a Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral Fukuda, 2008 Case Series 1 n/a Yogurt Patient Bifidobacterium, lactis, DN 17B010, n/a, 10^8 cfu Varies over time 85 g 1 per day Gabrielli, 2009 Case Series 1 Enterogermina Vial Patient Bacillus, clausii, n/a, n/a, 2*10^9 spores/vial 1 vial 3 per day Garrido, 2005 Case Series 1 Chamyto Liquid Patient Lactobacillus, johnsonii, LA-1, n/a, 1*10^8 cfu/ml Lactobacillus (nonprobiotic strain), helveticus, n/a, n/a, 2*10^7 cfu/ml Bacillus, stearothermophilus spores, n/a, n/a, 7*10^7 cfu/ml Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/packet Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/packet Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/packet Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/packet Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/packet Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/packet Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/packet Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, viable, 9*10^11 cfu/packet Lactobacillus, reuteri, ATCC 55730, n/a, 4*10^8 cfu/tablet None Oral 0.75 months Short term None Oral 2 packets 2 per day n/a 1 month Short term None 2 tablets 2 per day Oral 6 months Medium term None 9-12 capsules per day Varies by participant Oral n/a Varies over time VSL#3 Packet Patient Glintborg, 2006 Case Series 1 n/a Pill Patient Gniwotta, 1977 Case Series 1 Perenterol Pill Patient Saccharomyces, cerevisiae, n/a, n/a, 50 mg/capsule Chamyto Drink Patient Lactobacillus, johnsonii, LA-1, n/a, 80 ml >10^7 cfu/ml 8 per day C-68 None Medium term 0.5 months Short term 1 month Short term Gionchetti, 2007 1 Case Series Gotteland, 2003 1 Case Series Duration Control LongCategory Term Use None None Short term Oral 0.5 months Short term None Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Gruenwald, 2002 Case Series 1 Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1g Oral 1 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Advanced Formula Multibionta Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 10^6 cfu/1g capsule Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, 10^6 cfu/1g capsule Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, 10^6 cfu/1g capsule Hensgens, 1976 1 Case Series n/a Drink Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Viable, 10^8-10^11 cfu/ml Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Viable, 10^8-10^11 cfu/ml 500 ml 1 per day Oral Huynh, 2009 Case Series 1 VSL#3 Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^11 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^11 cfu/sachet Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^11 cfu/sachet Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^11 cfu/sachet Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^11 cfu/sachet 0.5-2.5 sachets 2 per day Varies by participant Oral 2 months Medium term None Karimi, 2005 Case Series 1 VSL#3 Sachet Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4*10^11 cfu Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, 4*10^11 cfu Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Lyophilized, 4*10^11 cfu Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4*10^11 cfu Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, 4*10^11 cfu Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, 4*10^11 cfu Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, 4*10^11 cfu Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4*10^11 cfu 2 sachets 2 per day n/a 3 months Medium term None Kawamura,1981 1 Case Series n/a Patient Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, n/a, n/a 1g 3 per day Oral Kirchhelle, 1996 1 Case Series n/a Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, 50 mg/capsule 1-3 capsules 3x per day Varies by participant n/a C-69 6 months Medium term None None Short term None Medium term Pre-test Short term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Kitajima, 1997 Case Series 1 Yakult Powder Patient Bifidobacterium, breve, YIT 4010, n/a, 10^9 cfu/g Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number n/a Duration Control LongCategory Term Use None Short term Varies by participant Lamiki, 2010 Case Series 1 SCM-III Microflorana-F Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, 145, n/a, 1.25*10^6 cfu/100ml Bifidobacterium, n/a, 420, n/a, 4.95*10^9 cfu/100ml Lactobacillus, helveticus, ATC 15009, n/a, 1.3*10^9 cfu/100ml 10 ml 3 per day Oral 6 months Medium term None Lee, 2010 Case Series 1 BLIS BioRestor Powder Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, L10, Viable, 4*10^8 cfu/g Bifidobacterium, lactis, B94, Viable, 4*10^8 cfu/g Streptococcus, salivarius, K12, Viable, 1*10^8 cfu/g 1g 2 per day Oral 0.25 months Short term Pre-test 0.5 months Short term None Lombardo, 2009 1 Case Series Genefilus F19 Lactobacillus, paracasei Sachet dissolved paracasei, F19, n/a, 12*10^9 in water cfu/sachet Patient 1 sachet 2 per day Oral Luoto, 2010 Case Series 1 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG ATCC 53103, n/a, 6*10^9 cfu/dose 6*10^9 cfu 1 per day Enteral Malin, 1996 Case Series 1 n/a Powder Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG ATCC 53103, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu 10^10 cfu 2 per day Oral Malkov, 2006 Case Series 1 n/a Patient Bacillus, oligonitrophilus, KU-1, Active, stationary phase, 0.5 1*10^9 cells/ml Mego, 2005 Case Series 1 Varies by participant n/a Pill Patient Enterococcus, faecium, M-74, Lyophilized, 6*10^9 cfu/capsule 6 capsules 3 per day Lactobacillus, acidophilus, LA-1, n/a, supernatant 50 ml n/a supernatant Michetti, 1999 Case Series 1 n/a Whey based Patient Muting, 1968 Case Series 1 n/a Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, Milk powder in n/a warm water solution with meals Patient C-70 Oral Varies by participant None 1.5 months Medium term Oral None None Medium term 0.5 months Short term Oral Varies by participant Pre-test Medium term Enterococcus, faecium, M-74, Lyophilized, 6*10^9-18*10^9 cfu/capsule 1 0.33 months Short term Oral n/a Pill Patient Mego, 2006 Case Series None Medium term None None Medium term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Nobuta, 2009 Case Series 1 n/a Beverage Patient Lactobacillus, brevis, KB290, n/a, 1*10^10 cfu/130 ml Reid, 2001 Case Series 1 n/a Probiotic suspension-in milk Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GR-1, Viable, >10*9 cfu/3ml Lactobacillus, fermentum, RC-14, Viable, >10*9 cfu/3ml 3 ml 2 per day Enteral Rosenfeldt, 2003 Case Series 1 n/a Powder Patient 10^10 cfu 2 per day Oral Sakamoto, 2001 1 Case Series n/a Yogurt Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, 19070 2, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu Lactobacillus, reuteri, DSM 12246, Lyophilized, 10^10 cfu Lactobacillus, gasseri, OLL 2716 (LG21), n/a, 1-1.4 *10^7 cfu/g 90 g 2 per day Oral Schneider, 2005 1 Case Series n/a Powder Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, Lyophilized, n/a 500 mg 2 per day Oral Enteral Shen, 2005 Case Series 1 VSL#3 Yovis Patient 6g 1 per day Oral Srinivasan, 2006 1 Case Series Yanult-yakult Drink Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, paracasei, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, casei, Shirota, Live, 6.5*10^6 cfu/65ml 10^7 cfu 1 per day Enteral Tasli, 2006 Case Series INERSAN VSL Lozenge Patient Lactobacillus, brevis, CD2, n/a, n/a 1 lozenges 6 per day Oral 1 C-71 Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 130 ml Oral 3 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 0.5 months Short term 0.5 months Short term None 0.33 months Short term 2 months Medium term 0.25 months Short term 8 months Medium term None None None None None None Short term 0.25 months Short term None Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target van Bodegraven, 2004 Case Series 1 VSL#3 Patient Weiss, 2010 Case Series 1 Bio-plus Tablet Patient Yim, 2006 Case Series 1 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, delbrueckii bulgaricus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Bifidobacterium, breve, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu Streptococcus, salivarius thermophilus, n/a, Lyophilized, 4.5*10^8 cfu 2 tablets Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, 1 per day n/a, 7.5*10^8 cfu/tablet Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 7.5*10^8 cfu/tablet Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, 7.5*10^8 cfu/tablet Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 7.5*10^8 cfu/tablet ProBiora Powder, wash Patient Zahradnik, 2009 1 Case Series ProBiora Mouth wash Patient Barton, 2001 Case Study Bacid Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, Capsule added n/a, n/a to formula Enterococcus, faecium, n/a, n/a, Patient n/a Bassetti, 1998 Case Study 1 Perenterol Patient Streptococcus, oralis, KJ3sm, mouth Lyophilized, 10^6-10^8 cfu/bottle Streptococcus, uberis, KJ2sm, Lyophilized, 10^6-10^8 cfu/bottle Streptococcus, rattus, JH145, Lyophilized, 10^6-10^8 cfu/bottle Streptococcus, oralis, KJ3sm, Lyophilized, 10^8 cfu/bottle Streptococcus, uberis, KJ2sm, Lyophilized, 10^8 cfu/bottle Streptococcus, rattus, JH145, Lyophilized, 10^8 cfu/bottle Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a C-72 Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 3 months Medium term None Oral 6 months Medium term None n/a 2 months Medium term None 1 bottle 2 per day Oral 2 months Medium term None 1 bottle 2 per day Oral 0.25 months Short term None Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, n/a, n/a 2 per day Lactobacillus, plantarum, n/a, n/a, n/a Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, lactis, n/a, n/a, n/a Zahradnik, 2009 1 Case Series 1 Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number n/a 2 per day n/a n/a n/a 500 mg 2 per day None Medium term Oral 0.6 months Short term None Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Burkhardt, 2005 1 Case Study Perenterol Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a Cesaro, 2000 Case Study Codex Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a 1 Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 150 mg Enteral 1 per day 1 Perenterol Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a Conen, 2009 Case Study 1 Aktifit Drink Patient Lactobacillus, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a De Groote, 2005 1 Case Study LGG Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, n/a Force, 1995 Case Study 1 Ultra-Levure Patient Saccharomyces, cerevisiae, n/a, n/a, n/a Fredenucci, 1998 Case Study 1 Ultra-Levure Package Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a Hennequin, 2000 Case Study 1 n/a Enteral, parenteral (case1,2,4) Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a Henry, 2004 Case Study 1 Perenterol Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a 300 mg 1 per day 1 Oral Jensen, 1974 Case Study 1 Kniehl, 2003 Case Study 1 n/a Patient Saccharomyces, cerevisiae, n/a, n/a, 10^7-10^9 /g Bactisubtil Varies Patient Bacillus, IP, 5832, n/a, n/a Kunz, 2004 Case Study 1 Infloran Berna Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Bifidobacterium, infantis, n/a, n/a, n/a 1 Culturelle; LGG Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, n/a None Short term Enteral Varies n/a n/a Oral None Medium term 0.07 months Short term 0.1 month Short term Oral None None None Long term Varies None Short term n/a n/a None Medium term n/a 1 capsule 1 per day None None n/a n/a C-73 1.25 months Medium term Medium term n/a Ku, 2006 Case Study None n/a n/a 4 package 1 per day None Medium term 1/8 capsule Enteral 2 per day Varies by participant Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, Lyophilized, n/a 0.25 months Short term Oral n/a Bioflor Powder Patient None Medium term n/a Hwang, 2009 Case Study None Medium term n/a n/a Cherifi, 2004 Case Study Duration Control LongCategory Term Use Enteral None Medium term Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Culturelle Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 10*10^9 cfu/capsule Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number 1 capsule Enteral 1 per day Land, 2005 Case Study 1 Land, 2005 Case Study 3 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, 10*10^9 cfu/capsule 1 capsule 1 Enteral per day LeDoux, 2006 Case Study 1 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Lestin, 2003 Case Study 1 Perenterol Pill Patient Saccharomyces, cerevisiae boulardii, Hansen CB55926, Lyophilized, n/a Lherm, 2002 Case Study 1 n/a Packet Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, Viable, n/a 1 Ultra-Levure Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a 500 mg 4 per day Enteral Lungarotti, 2003 1 Case Study Codex DNB Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, 2.5*10^9 cfu/0.5 capsule 1/2 capsules 1 per day n/a Mackay, 1999 Case Study n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, Lyophilized, 2*10^9 cfu Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a Streptococcus, faecalis, n/a, n/a, n/a n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a 1-2 capsules 1 per day Oral Munakata, 2010 1 Case Study Lactomin Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, 1-2 g n/a, n/a 1 per day Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, Varies n/a over time Streptococcus, faecalis, n/a, n/a, n/a Streptococcus, faecium, n/a, n/a, n/a n/a Muñoz, 2005 Case Study Ultra-Levure Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, Lyophilized, n/a n/a Lolis, 2008 Case Study 1 1 n/a 3 per day n/a 150 mg Oral n/a per day n/a Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a Oggioni, 1998 Case Study 1 Enterogermina Patient Bacillus, subtilis, ATCC 9799, n/a, 10^9 spores/dose 1.5 g 1 per day None None None 0.25 months Short term 0.13 months Short term None None None Short term None Medium term None Short term Enteral Oral n/a C-74 0.75 months Short term 0.4 months Short term Medium term Varies by participant 1 None Medium term Enteral n/a Niault, 1999 Case Study Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 0.5 months Short term 1 month Medium term None None Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Oh, 1979 Case Study 1 n/a Pill Patient Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, n/a n/a Powder Patient Bifidobacterium, breve, BBG-01, Lyophilized, 10^9 cfu/g Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral n/a Ohishi, 2010 Case Study 1 Perapoch, 2000 Case Study 1 n/a Sachet Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a Piarroux, 1999 Case Study 1 n/a Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a Piechno, 2007 Case Study 1 n/a Central line Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a n/a 450-600 Vein mg n/a per day Pletinex, 1995 Case Study 1 Perenterol Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, Lyophilized, n/a 3 capsules 4 per day Oral Presterl, 2001 Case Study 1 n/a Yogurt Sour milk Patient Lactobacillus, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a 1.5 liter 1 per day Oral Rautio, 1999 Case Study 1 n/a Drink Patient Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, GG, n/a, n/a 1/2 liter 1 per day Oral Richard, 1988 Case Study 1 Bactisubtil Pill Patient Bacillus, subtilis, n/a, n/a, 10^9 spores/tab 8 tablets 1 per day Oral Rijnders, 2000 Case Study 1 Perenterol Pill Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a 2 capsules 6 per day n/a Riquelme, 2003 Case Study 1 Perenterol Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, Lyophilized, 5*1085*10^10 cells 250 mg 4 per day Oral Tommasi, 2008 Case Study 1 n/a Patient Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, n/a, n/a Trautmann, 2008 Case Study 1 Perenterol Gastric tube Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a n/a 250 mg 2 per day Viggiano, 1995 Case Study 1 n/a Gastric tube Patient Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, n/a, n/a 4 sachet 4 per day C-75 Oral 2 per day n/a 1 Sachet 2 per day n/a Duration Control LongCategory Term Use 3 months Medium term 0.4 months Short term 0.33 months Short term n/a None None None None Medium term None Short term None Short term None Medium term 4 months Medium term None None Short term None Short term None Short term Oral Enteral Enteral None Medium term 1 month Short term 0.25 months Short term None None Evidence Table C2. Intervention (continued) Author, Year Study Design Arm Product Genus, Species, Strain, Form, Delivery Vehicle Potency Target Zein, 2008 Case Study 1 Zunic, 1991 Case Study 1 n/a Patient Dose Route of Number/ Administration Dose Unit Frequency Number Oral Bifidobacterium, bifidum, n/a, n/a, 3*10^9 cfu/dose Bifidobacterium, longum, n/a, n/a, n/a 8*10^7 cfu Lactobacillus, acidophilus, n/a, n/a, 7.7*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, bulgaricus, n/a, n/a, 7.6*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, casei, n/a, n/a, 5.4*10^8 cfu Lactobacillus, rhamnosus, n/a, n/a, 8*10^7 cfu Streptococcus, thermophilus, n/a, n/a, 8*10^7 cfu Saccharomyces, boulardii, n/a, 10 g Lyophilized, n/a 3 per day Duration Control LongCategory Term Use None Medium term Ultra Enteral None Gastric tube Medium Patient term *Abbreviations: C-RCT=Cross-over Randomized Controlled Trial; CCT=Controlled Clinical Trials; cfu=colony forming unit; g=gram; mg milligram; ml=milliliter; n/a=not available or not applicable; RCT=Randomized Controlled Trial C-76 Evidence Table C3. Assessment Author, Year Study Design Abrahamsson, 2007 RCT Agerbaek, 1995 RCT Aihara, 2005 RCT Alberda, 2007 RCT Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Telephone interview Provider assessment Medical record n/a AE nonspecific n/a AE nonspecific; Dry cough; Exanthema; Dysgeusia; Headache; Dizziness/drift; Constipation; Flatulence; Abdominal discomfort n/a Skin itching; Inappetence; Duration of Followup Long-term n/a Provider assessment Patient record n/a Provider assessment n/a Allen, 2010 RCT Infections; AE nonspecific; Hospitalization; Microbiology lab results to identify Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria infections Questionnaire Telephone interview Provider assessment Short Anderson, 2003 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Andriulli, 2008 RCT AE nonspecific Diary Provider assessment n/a Anukam, 2006 RCT n/a n/a n/a Anukam, 2008 RCT Diarrhea; n/a Questionnaire n/a Anukam, 2009 RCT AE nonspecific Questionnaire Short Arunachalam, 2000 RCT AE nonspecific n/a Short Aso, 1992 RCT AE nonspecific; Abnormal lab findings n/a Aso, 1995 RCT Lab tests Japan Society for Cancer Therapy Criteria Provider assessment Lab test Japan Society for Cancer Therapy Criteria Lab test Awad, 2010 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Baerheim, 1994 RCT AE nonspecific n/a Short Bajaj, 2008 RCT AE nonspecific n/a n/a Banaszkiewicz, 2005 RCT n/a Diary n/a Barraud, 2010 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short C-77 n/a Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms n/a Duration of Followup Barreto-Zuniga, 2001 RCT Basu, 2007 RCT n/a Death; Sepsis; Electrolyte imbalance; Renal failure Diary Provider assessment Short Basu, 2007 RCT Sepsis; Electrolyte imbalance; Complications of diarrhea Diary Provider assessment n/a Basu, 2009 RCT Death; Sepsis; Diarrhea; Electrolyte imbalance Provider assessment n/a Beausoleil, 2007 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a Bellomo, 1979 RCT Diarrhea; Hematologic controls n/a Short Bertolami, 1999 C-RCT AE nonspecific n/a n/a Besselink, 2008 RCT Death; AE nonspecific; Abdominal complaints Provider assessment n/a Bin-Nun, 2005 RCT Sepsis; Abdominal Pain; Feeding intolerance; Gastric residuals; Abdominal distension; Heme positive stools; Vomiting; Sepsis due to administered strains AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a n/a n/a AE nonspecific; Serious adverse events (death, lifethreatening, disability, prolonged hospitalization, medically significant) AE nonspecific; Serious adverse events (death, lifethreatening, disability, prolonged hospitalization, medically significant) n/a Diary Provider assessment Short Diary Short Provider assessment Short Bousvaros, 2005 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Bravo, 2008 RCT AE nonspecific; Abdominal distension; Abdominal pain Telephone interview Provider assessment n/a Brophy, 2008 RCT Abdominal Pain; Painful spots; Dizzy spells; Stomach pain; Blood in stools Questionnaire n/a Bruno, 1981 RCT AE nonspecific; Blood chemistry parameters Lab test Short Bruzzese, 2007 C-RCT Vomiting n/a Short Bu, 2007 RCT Acute gastroenteritis Diary n/a Chen, 2005 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Black, 1997 CCT Boge, 2009 RCT Boge, 2009 RCT Borgia, 1982 RCT C-78 Renal failure; Short Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Chen, 2010 RCT n/a Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms n/a Chou, 2010 RCT Growth; Neurodevelopmental and sensory outcomes Provider assessment n/a Chouraqui, 2004 RCT Regurgitation; Vomiting n/a n/a Chouraqui, 2008 RCT AE nonspecific; Illnesses; Signs or symptoms of illnesses including abnormal lab values Medical Dictionary Regulatory Activities Diary Provider assessment Chui, 2009 RCT n/a Provider assessment Short Coccorullo, 2010 RCT n/a n/a Short Connolly, 2005 RCT n/a Provider assessment Lab test n/a Cooper, 2006 RCT n/a n/a n/a Correa, 2005 RCT n/a Provider assessment Short Cui, 2004 RCT Diarrhea; AE nonspecific Lab test n/a Cunningham-Rundles, 2000 CCT n/a n/a Short Czaja, 2007 RCT Abnormal vaginal discharge; External genital irritation; Vaginal candidiasis; Cystitis; Vaginal odor; Dysuria; Headache; Abdominal or pelvic cramps/pain; Low back pain n/a Diary Provider assessment Short Provider assessment n/a De Preter, 2006 C-RCT n/a n/a Short de Roos, 1999 RCT AE nonspecific Diary n/a De Simone, 1992 RCT n/a Provider assessment Lab test n/a De Simone, 2001 CCT AE nonspecific; Standard blood screening Provider assessment Lab test n/a Dekker, 2009 RCT Abdominal Pain; AE nonspecific; Reasons for hospitalizations; Vomiting; Morphometric measurements; Wheezing Questionnaire n/a Dadak, 2006 RCT Assessed Safety Parameters C-79 for Duration of Followup Short n/a Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Delia, 2002 RCT AE nonspecific Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Provider assessment Delia, 2007 RCT Death; Infections; Sepsis Provider assessment n/a Dewan, 2007 RCT n/a Provider assessment Short Dolin, 2009 RCT AE nonspecific Diary Short Dubey, 2008 RCT Abdominal Pain; Blood in stool; Fever; Vomiting; Abdominal distension; Lethargy; Irritability; Seizures; Rash n/a Provider assessment n/a Contact team Short Dupont, 2010 RCT AE nonspecific Diary Short Dylewski, 2010 RCT AE nonspecific MedDRA Diary Ehrstrom, 2010 RCT n/a Provider assessment Short Eriksson, 2005 RCT n/a Questionnaire n/a Falck, 1999 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment Case report form n/a Felley, 2001 RCT n/a Diary Provider assessment n/a Feng, 1999 RCT Diarrhea; AE nonspecific n/a Short Folster-Holst, 2006 RCT n/a Provider assessment Parent report Short Forestier, 2008 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a French, 2009 RCT AE nonspecific Questionnaire Short Frohmader, 2010 RCT n/a Provider assessment Short Fujimori, 2009 RCT Blood variables Lab test n/a Gade, 1989 RCT AE nonspecific Diary Short Galpin, 2005 RCT AE nonspecific; Vomiting Care taker questioned Short Duman, 2005 RCT Assessed Safety Parameters C-80 (version 10.1) Duration of Followup n/a Short Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Diary Provider assessment Duration of Followup Gao, 2010 RCT Diarrhea; n/a Garcia Vilela, 2008 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Gerasimou, 2010 RCT n/a n/a Short Gibson, 2008 RCT AE nonspecific; Digestive tolerance; Illnesses or signs or symptoms occurring or worsening; Abnormal lab findings Provider assessment Short Gill, 2001 RCT n/a Provider assessment Short Gionchetti, 2000 RCT AE nonspecific; Lab parameters; CBC; Blood chemistry Provider assessment Lab test n/a Gionchetti, 2003 RCT AE nonspecific; Laboratory studies (complete blood count and blood chemistry measurements Diary Provider assessment Short Goossens, 2003 RCT n/a; Questionnaire Short Gracheva, 1999 CCT Abdominal Pain; Tests (no information) Gruber, 2007 RCT n/a; Diary n/a Guillemard, 2010 RCT n/a; Provider assessment report Short Guyonnet, 2009 RCT AE nonspecific; Adverse digestive comfort Diary Questionnaire n/a Habermann, 2001 RCT Hematologic, clinical chemistry results Provider assessment Short Habermann, 2002 RCT AE nonspecific; Blood count; Clinical chemistry Provider assessment Lab test Short Haschke-Becher, 2008 RCT D-lactate accumulation; Metabolic acidosis Provider assessment Short Hatakka, 2008 C-RCT AE nonspecific; Gastrointestinal complaints; Any signs of illness Diary Provider assessment Short Heimburger, 1994 RCT n/a; Provider assessment n/a Hemmerling, 2009 RCT AE nonspecific; Genital tract itching; Vaginal odor; Abnormal vaginal discharge; Nausea; Cramping; Headache; Constipation; Common cold symptoms DAIDS Toxicity Table Addendum for Vaginal Microbicide Studies; WHO/CONRAD colposcopy manual 1994; DAIDS Adult Toxicity Table Diary Telephone interview Provider assessment Short C-81 further n/a Short Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Diary Duration of Followup Higashikawa, 2009 RCT Diarrhea; AE nonspecific Hilton, 1997 RCT Abdominal cramps Diary Telephone interview Provider assessment n/a Hirata, 2002 CCT Dry cough; Headache; Vertigo; Digestive symptoms; Itching Provider assessment Short Hochter,1990 RCT Diarrhea; n/a; n/a n/a Honeycutt, 2007 RCT Infections; AE nonspecific; Provider assessment Medical record Short Hong, 2010 RCT n/a n/a Short Horvat, 2010 RCT Constipation; Vomiting; Abdominal cramps; Distention; Nosocomial infections Provider assessment Short Ishikawa, 2002 RCT n/a Diary Provider assessment n/a Ishikawa, 2003 RCT n/a n/a Short Ishikawa, 2005 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Isolauri, 1991 RCT Diarrhea; n/a Provider assessment Short Isolauri,1995 RCT n/a Lab test, parents' record Short Jirapinyo, 2002 RCT Sepsis; Unexplained worsening of clinical condition Provider assessment n/a Johansson, 1998 RCT n/a Recorded Short Kadooka, 2010 RCT Abdominal Pain; Headache; Nausea Diary Provider assessment Short Kajander, 2005 RCT n/a Diary n/a Kajander, 2008 RCT n/a Diary Lab test n/a Kajimoto, 2002 RCT Dry cough; Digestive tract symptoms; Exanthema Provider assessment Short Karvonen, 2001 RCT Abdominal consistency Diary n/a Pain; Abdominal discomfort; C-82 Stool Short Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Provider assessment Duration of Followup Kerac, 2009 RCT Death; Sepsis; AE nonspecific Kianifar, 2009 RCT n/a Provider assessment Lab test Short Kim, 2006 RCT AE nonspecific; Lab tests; Physical exam; Blood count; Blood chemistry panel; Hepatic and renal function; Exacerbation of symptoms; Blood pressure; Weight; BMI AE nonspecific; Lab tests; Physical exam; Blood count; Blood chemistry panel; Hepatic and renal function; Exacerbation of symptoms; Blood pressure; Weight; BMI AE nonspecific Telephone interview Short Telephone interview Short Provider assessment n/a Kirjavainen,2003 RCT n/a n/a n/a Klarin, 2008 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a Klarin,2005 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Knight, 2007 RCT Death Provider assessment n/a Koning, 2008 RCT Bloating; AE nonspecific; Nausea; Abdominal cramps; Flatulence Questionnaire n/a Kopp, 2008 RCT Infections Questionnaire Provider assessment Long-term Kotzampassi, 2006 RCT Infections Provider assessment n/a Krasse, 2005 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a Kuitunen, 2009 RCT AE nonspecific; Hemoglobin (Anemia) Questionnaire Long-term Kurugol, 2005 RCT Diarrhea; n/a Telephone interview Short La Rosa, 2003 RCT Colic Diary Provider assessment n/a Laitinen, 2008 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Langhendries, 1995 RCT Vomiting; Spitting up; Skin problems Provider assessment Mother recorded n/a Larsen, 2006 RCT Bloating; Bowel habits; Bloating; Flatulence; Headache Diary Short Larsson, 2008 RCT AE nonspecific Telephone interview n/a Kim, 2006 RCT Kim, 2008 RCT C-83 Short Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Lata, 2009 RCT n/a Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Provider assessment Lawrence, 2005 RCT Diarrhea; n/a n/a n/a Li, 2004 RCT Infections Provider assessment n/a Ligaarden, 2010 C-RCT AE nonspecific Diary Short Lighthouse, 2004 RCT n/a n/a Short Lin, 1989 C-RCT Constipation; Flatulence; Stomach upset Patient report n/a Lin, 2005 RCT Sepsis; Sepsis due to Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium Provider assessment n/a Lin, 2008 RCT Sepsis; Flatulence; Feeding intolerance (based on presence of gastric aspirate and abdominal distension) Provider assessment n/a Ljungberg, 2006 RCT Beta cell autoantibodies; Blood samples; Enterovirus infections Provider assessment Long-term Loguercio, 1987 RCT Constipation; Meteorism; Abdominal Pain Provider assessment Lab test Short Lonnermark, 2010 RCT n/a Diary Short Lu, 2004 CCT n/a n/a n/a Luoto, 2010 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Mäkeläinen, 2003 RCT AE nonspecific; Intestinal symptoms; Consistency and frequency of stools Lab tests Short Malaguarnera, 2007 RCT Abdominal Pain; Blood tests Provider assessment n/a Malaguarnera, 2010 RCT Blood tests (hemoglobin, hematocritus, white blood cell count and thrombocytes); Liver function tests (alanine amino transferase, aspartate amino transferase, gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase, cholinesterase activity, serum bilirubin concentrations, prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time) AE nonspecific; Clinical examination (weight, length, head circumference); Spitting up; Vomiting; Night awakenings; Irritability; Severe crying; Respiratory infections; Sensitivity to antibiotics AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short Provider assessment n/a Provider assessment Short Maldonado, 2009 RCT Mandel, 2010 RCT Assessed Safety Parameters C-84 Duration of Followup n/a Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Manley, 2007 C-RCT n/a Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Provider assessment Manzoni, 2006 RCT Sepsis Provider assessment n/a Margreiter, 2006 RCT Diarrhea; AE Tolerability Diary Provider assessment Short Marotta, 2003 C-RCT n/a Lab test n/a Marrazzo, 2006 RCT AE nonspecific; Abnormal vaginal discharge Questionnaire Provider assessment Short Marseglia, 2007 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a Marteau, 2004 RCT AE nonspecific Diary Provider assessment n/a Martiney, 2009 RCT n/a Lab, notebook Short Martinez, 2008 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Martinez, 2009 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a Mayanagi, 2009 RCT n/a n/a Short McFarland, 1994 RCT AE nonspecific Diary Telephone interview Provider assessment Short McFarland, 1995 RCT AE nonspecific; Physical symptoms; Fever; Rash; Changes in blood chemistries; Urinary indicators (protein, BUN, Glucose); Changes in liver enzymes n/a Provider assessment AE forms n/a Provider assessment Short Merenstein, 2009 RCT Death; AE nonspecific; Life threatening event; Hospitalization; Prolonged hospital stay; Permanent disability Diary Telephone interview Provider assessment Short Merenstein, 2010 RCT Death; AE nonspecific; Life-threatening event; Hospitalization; Prolongation of hospital stay; Permanent disability; Vomiting; Stomach pain; Constipation; Runny nose, Cough; Decreased appetite; Fever; Medication use; Rash AE nonspecific Parent report Short Provider assessment Patient report n/a AE nonspecific; Significant changes from baseline (lab) values Diary Provider assessment n/a McNaught, 2002 RCT Metts, 2003 RCT Miele, 2009 RCT Assessed Safety Parameters nonspecific; Physical C-85 examination; Duration of Followup n/a Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Millar, 1993 RCT Mimura, 2004 RCT Assessed Safety Parameters Sepsis; General well being; Abdominal distension; Vomiting or regurgitation; Feed intolerance; Incidence of perineal rash; Frequency and consistency of stools; number of suppositories used; fluid intake; Weight; Duration of hospital stay AE nonspecific; Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Provider assessment Duration of Followup n/a Diary n/a Miyaji, 2006 RCT n/a n/a Short Morrow, 2010 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a Mukerji, 2009 RCT AE nonspecific Questionnaire Telephone interview Short Naito, 2008 RCT AE nonspecific Common terminology criteria for adverse events v2.0 Provider assessment Long-term Newcomer, 1983 RCT Intestinal symptoms; Pain; Gas; Borborygmi Diary n/a Niers, 2009 RCT AE nonspecific; Feeding difficulties Diary Provider assessment Long-term Niv, 2005 RCT Dyspepsia; Headache; Nausea Diary n/a Nobuta, 2009 RCT n/a Questionnaire Short O'Mahony, 2005 RCT n/a Diary Provider assessment Short Ojetti, 2010 RCT n/a Diary Short Olah, 2005 RCT Bloating Provider assessment n/a Olivares, 2006 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short Osterlund, 2007 RCT WHO performance status; Weight; Blood cell counts; Serum chemistry Common Toxicity Criteria of the National Cancer Institute of Canada scale version 2 Provider assessment n/a Ouwehand, 2009 RCT n/a Diary Short Ozkinay, 2005 RCT AE nonspecific n/a n/a Panigrahi, 2008 RCT Sepsis; AE nonspecific; Feeding and stooling patterns; Vital signs Provider assessment n/a C-86 Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Parent, 1996 RCT n/a Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Provider assessment Parfenov, 2005 CCT Bloating Provider assessment n/a Parfenov, 2005 CCT AE nonspecific; Allergic reactions Provider assessment n/a Parra, 2004 RCT Modification in nutritional parameters; General health problems associated with product Provider assessment n/a Passeron, 2005 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a Peral, 2009 RCT n/a Provider assessment Short Pereg, 2010 RCT n/a n/a n/a Petschow, 2005 RCT AE nonspecific; Stool characteristics; symptoms; Fussiness; Gas Diary Short Prantera, 2002 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Pregliasco, 2008 RCT Bloating; AE nonspecific; Decreased bowel movement; Worsened intestinal function Diary Telephone interview n/a Pregliasco, 2008 RCT Bloating; AE nonspecific; Decreased bowel movement; Worsened intestinal functions Diary Telephone interview n/a Pregliasco, 2008 RCT Worsened intestinal functions Decreased bowel movement) Telephone interview n/a Puccio, 2007 RCT Cough; Constipation; Respiratory tract infection; Rhinitis; Wheezing; GI symptoms; Stool characteristics; Flatulence; Vomiting; Restlessness; Irritability; Colic AE nonspecific Diary n/a n/a Short Ranganathan C-RCT AE nonspecific n/a Short Rautava, 2008 RCT AE nonspecific; Gastrointestinal symptoms; Vomiting Diary n/a Rayes, 2002 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short Rayes, 2002 RCT n/a Provider assessment Short Rayes, 2005 RCT Abdominal cramps; Abdominal distension Provider assessment n/a Rayes, 2007 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a Rampengan, 2010 RCT Assessed Safety Parameters (Increased C-87 Tolerance bloating, Duration of Followup Short Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms n/a Duration of Followup Reid, 1992 RCT Rash; Vomiting; Nausea; Irritation; Discharge Reid, 1995 RCT n/a Diary Provider assessment n/a Ren, 2010 RCT Gastrointestinal side effects; Skin rash Provider assessment Short Reuman, 1986 RCT Death; AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a Richelsen, 1996 RCT n/a Telephone interview n/a Rio, 2002 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Roos, 1996 RCT AE nonspecific Diary Provider assessment Short Roos, 2001 RCT AE nonspecific n/a n/a Rose, 2010 RCT Need for medical intervention; Pulmonary deterioration; Diaper rash; Deterioration of atopic eczema; Lactose intolerance Diarrhea; n/a Diary Provider assessment n/a n/a Short Rosenfeldt, 2003 C-RCT Abdominal Pain; AE nonspecific; Abdominal pain; Flatulence; Nausea; Medical treatment n/a n/a Rouge, 2009 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Ruiz-Palacios, 1996 RCT AE nonspecific n/a n/a Saavedra, 2004 RCT Loose stool; Discomfort with bowel movement; Vomiting; Colic or irritability; Day care absenteeism; Use of antibiotics; Healthcare attention for illness; Growth AE nonspecific Telephone interview n/a Diary Provider assessment n/a Sahagun-flores, 2007 RCT n/a n/a Short Saint-Marc, 1995 RCT n/a n/a Short Salminen, 1988 RCT Abdominal Pain; Tolerance; Flatulence; Meteorism; Vomiting Provider assessment n/a Salminen, 2004 C-RCT Infections; Diarrhea; CD4 cell counts; Plasma HIV viral load levels; serum C-reactive protein; Body temperature; Lactobacillus infections Infections; Sepsis; Blood culture Lab test n/a Provider assessment n/a Rosenfeldt, 2002 RCT Safdar, 2008 RCT Samanta, 2008 RCT C-88 n/a Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms n/a Duration of Followup Satokari, 2001 RCT n/a Savino, 2006 RCT Constipation; Vomiting Diary Provider assessment Short Sazawal, 2010 RCT n/a n/a n/a Scalabrin, 2009 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short Schrezenmeir, 2004 RCT Any symptoms of GI intolerance; Constipation; Nausea; Vomiting or regurgitation; Abdominal distension; Belching/Burping; Flatulence; Asthma; Bronchitis; Pneumonia; Severe anorexia; Weight loss; Asthenia AE nonspecific Diary Provider assessment Short n/a n/a Seppo, 2003 RCT n/a Questionnaire n/a Sierra, 2010 RCT Constipation; Fever; Dyspepsia; Headache; Flatulence; Muscular or bone ache; Maldigestion; Flu symptoms; Stomachache; Hematologic parameters (red cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, leucocytes, segmented neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, platelets) AE nonspecific Questionnaire Short Provider assessment n/a Simren, 2010 RCT Biochemistry analysis; Hematology analysis Telephone interview Short Song, 2010 RCT n/a Diary Short Songisepp, 2005 RCT Infections; AE nonspecific Daily questioned n/a Songisepp, 2005 CCT Infections; AE nonspecific Daily questioned n/a Sood, 2009 RCT n/a Provider assessment Short Spanhaak, 1998 RCT Body weight; Blood pressure; Heart rate; Temperature; Hematology; Blood chemistry Provider assessment Short Stockert, 2007 RCT n/a Diary n/a Stotzer, 1996 C-RCT Bloating; Abdominal Pain; Flatulence n/a n/a Stratiki, 2007 RCT Feeding tolerance (vomiting, abdominal distension, tenderness and stool characteristics) Provider assessment n/a Schultz, 2004 RCT Simons, 2006 RCT C-89 Short Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms n/a Duration of Followup Sullivan, 2003 RCT n/a Sykora, 2005 RCT AE nonspecific Side effect scoring system for H. pylori (de Boer, 1996) Questionnaire Short Tamura, 2007 RCT n/a n/a Short Taylor, 2007 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Tempe, 1985 RCT n/a n/a Short Teran, 2008 RCT AE nonspecific; Fever; Vomiting Provider assessment n/a Thomas, 2001 RCT Bloating; Nausea; Abdominal cramps; Gas; Bloating Diary Telephone interview Short Tomoda, 1991 CCT AE nonspecific; Blood chemistry Lab test n/a Tsuchiya, 2004 CCT AE nonspecific n/a Turchet, 2003 RCT n/a Diary Provider assessment Lab test; Specific form Provider assessment Tursi, 2004 RCT AE nonspecific Diary n/a Tursi, 2008 CCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a Tursi, 2010 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short Underwood, 2009 RCT n/a Provider assessment Short Urban, 2008 RCT Spitting up; Vomiting; Frequency of hard and loose stools; Flatulence; Restlessness; Hospital admissions Provider assessment n/a Urbansek, 2001 RCT Diarrhea; n/a n/a n/a Van der Aa, 2010 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short Van Gossum, 2007 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment n/a Velaphi, 2008 RCT Tolerance of feeds-stools pattern; Stool pattern; Spitting; Vomiting; Unrest morbidity; Changes in blood chemistry; Prolonged illness Provider assessment Short C-90 Short Short Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Diary Duration of Followup n/a Vendt, 2006 RCT Defecation frequency; Stool consistency; Crying, Rash; Colic pain; Constipation; Excessive breast feeding Vleggaar, 2008 C-RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Vlieger, 2009 RCT Vomiting; Constipation; Colic; Rash; Eczema Diary Provider assessment n/a Wada, 2010 RCT Infections; Blood culture administered strains Provider assessment Daily records, lab n/a Wang, 2004 RCT AE nonspecific n/a n/a Wang, 2007 RCT n/a Provider assessment n/a Weizman, 2005 RCT AE nonspecific Questionnaire Telephone interview Provider assessment Short Weizman, 2006 RCT Deviations of growth parameters; Vomiting; Restlessness; Constipation Questionnaire Telephone interview Provider assessment n/a Weston, 2005 RCT Worsening of condition Provider assessment n/a Wewalka, 2002 RCT AE nonspecific; Thyroid parameters Provider assessment Short Wheeler, 1997 C-RCT n/a n/a n/a Wildt, 2006 RCT Abdominal Pain; AE nonspecific; Constipation Diary Provider assessment Short Williams, 2008 RCT n/a n/a n/a Wind, 2010 RCT AE nonspecific; Change in blood parameters; Nausea; Vomiting; Burping; Abdominal distension; Flatulence; Defecation frequency; Stool consistency Short Wolf, 1994 RCT AE nonspecific Gastrointestinal symptom rating scale; King's stool chart Diary Questionnaire Lab test Questionnaire Provider assessment Wolf, 1998 RCT Nausea; Cramping; Distension; Flatulence; Vomiting; Constipation; Burping; Reflux; Bowel function Daily questionnaire Short Worthley, 2009 C-RCT General well-being; Gastrointestinal symptoms Questionnaire Provider assessment Short Xia, 2010 RCT AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short / bacteremia C-91 due to Regurgitation; n/a Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Xiang, 2006 RCT n/a Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Provider assessment Xiao, 2003 RCT n/a Lab test n/a Xiao, 2003 RCT n/a Diary n/a Yang, 2008 RCT Lab changes (blood, urine, stool, liver, kidney function) Lab test Short Yao-Zong, 2004 RCT Diarrhea; AE nonspecific; Constipation Diary Provider assessment Short Yonekura RCT Bloating; Abdominal Pain; AE nonspecific; Irritability; Decreased motivation; Decreased appetite; Fatigue; Insomnia; Headache; Tinnitus; Vertigo; Itching (eczema); Vomiting; loose stools; Constipation; Changes in physical condition; History of present illness Gastrointestinal side effects Provider assessment Short Provider assessment Short Ziegler, 2003 RCT n/a Diary n/a Zocco, 2003 RCT AE nonspecific n/a n/a An, 2010 Case series (uncontrolled) Abdominal Pain; Vomiting Questionnaire Provider assessment Short Barrett, 2008 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Diary Questionnaire n/a Beck, 1961 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a n/a Bekkali, 2007 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Vomiting Diary Provider assessment n/a Bellomo, 1979 Case series (uncontrolled) Hematologic controls n/a Short Benchimol, 2004 Case series (uncontrolled) Diarrhea; n/a Provider assessment n/a Berman, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Bibiloni, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Biochemical adverse events Provider assessment n/a Bruce, 1988 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a n/a Bruni, 2008 Case series (uncontrolled) Sensitization Provider assessment Short Zhang, 2010 RCT Assessed Safety Parameters C-92 Duration of Followup n/a Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Carlsson, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms n/a Cobo Sanz, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Questionnaire n/a Colecchia, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Neri et al. (2000) IBS differentiation Questionnaire Short Di Pierro, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a Short Dughera, 2007 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Questionnaire n/a Elmer, 1995 Case series (uncontrolled) Diarrhea; n/a Telephone interview n/a Fukuda, 2008 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short Gabrielli, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Clinical findings or patients' complaints not present 24h before enrollment n/a Short Garrido, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) Gastrointestinal symptomatology n/a Short Gionchetti, 2007 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; measurements Diary n/a Glintborg, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Gniwotta, 1977 Case series (uncontrolled) Diarrhea; n/a n/a n/a Gotteland, 2003 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a n/a Gruenwald, 2002 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Questionnaire Provider assessment n/a Hensgens, 1976 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Huynh, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Serum cytokine levels Diary n/a Karimi, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Telephone interview Short Kawamura,1981 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific n/a n/a Kirchhelle, 1996 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short Kitajima, 1997 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Blood count; Blood C-93 chemistry Duration of Followup n/a Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Diary Provider assessment Duration of Followup Lamiki, 2010 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Lee, 2010 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short Lombardo, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Diary Short Luoto, 2010 Case series (uncontrolled) Sepsis Provider assessment n/a Malin, 1996 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment Short Malkov, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Mego, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific NCI-CTC (2.0) criteria n/a n/a Mego, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific NCI-CTC (2.0) criteria 2 Provider assessment n/a Michetti, 1999 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a Short Muting, 1968 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a n/a Nobuta, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Questionnaire Interview Short Reid, 2001 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Bladder or vaginal irritation; Discharge; Intestinal upset; Infections Patient record Short Rosenfeldt, 2003 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Gastrointestinal inconvenience (abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea); Medical treatment n/a n/a Sakamoto, 2001 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a Short Schneider, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a Short Shen, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) Bloating; AE nonspecific; Intolerable Bleeding; Worsening abdominal pain Provider assessment n/a Srinivasan, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) Cultures from stool, fluid, blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid; Endotracheal secretions Provider assessment n/a Tasli, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) Nausea; Vomiting; Abdominal fullness Provider assessment Short van Bodegraven, 2004 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a n/a Weiss, 2010 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a C-94 constipation; sputum, n/a Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms Provider assessment Duration of Followup Yim, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Zahradnik, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Diary Provider assessment Short Zahradnik, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Diary Provider assessment Short An, 2010 Case series (uncontrolled) Abdominal Pain; Vomiting Questionnaire Provider assessment Short Barrett, 2008 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Diary Questionnaire n/a Beck, 1961 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a n/a Bekkali, 2007 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Vomiting Diary Provider assessment n/a Bellomo, 1979 Case series (uncontrolled) Hematologic controls n/a Short Benchimol, 2004 Case series (uncontrolled) Diarrhea; n/a Provider assessment n/a Berman, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Bibiloni, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Biochemical adverse events Provider assessment n/a Bruce, 1988 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a n/a Bruni, 2008 Case series (uncontrolled) Sensitization Provider assessment Short Carlsson, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a n/a Cobo Sanz, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Questionnaire n/a Colecchia, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Neri et al. (2000) IBS differentiation Questionnaire Short Di Pierro, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a Short Dughera, 2007 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Questionnaire n/a Elmer, 1995 Case series (uncontrolled) Diarrhea; n/a Telephone interview n/a Fukuda, 2008 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short C-95 n/a Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms n/a Gabrielli, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Clinical findings or patients' complaints not present 24 hours before enrollment Garrido, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) Gastrointestinal symptomatology Gionchetti, 2007 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; measurements Short n/a Short Diary n/a Glintborg, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Gniwotta, 1977 Case series (uncontrolled) Diarrhea; n/a n/a n/a Gotteland, 2003 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a n/a Gruenwald, 2002 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Questionnaire Provider assessment n/a Hensgens, 1976 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Huynh, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Serum cytokine levels Diary n/a Karimi, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Telephone interview Short Kawamura,1981 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific n/a n/a Kirchhelle, 1996 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short Kitajima, 1997 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Lamiki, 2010 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Diary Provider assessment n/a Lee, 2010 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Provider assessment Short Lombardo, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Diary Short Luoto, 2010 Case series (uncontrolled) Sepsis Provider assessment n/a Malin, 1996 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment Short Malkov, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Mego, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific NCI-CTC (2.0) criteria n/a n/a Blood count; Blood C-96 chemistry Duration of Followup Evidence Table C3. Assessment (continued) Author, Year Study Design Assessed Safety Parameters Published Tool Method Used to Record Harms NCI-CTC (2.0) criteria 2 Provider assessment Duration of Followup Mego, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Michetti, 1999 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a Short Muting, 1968 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a n/a Nobuta, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Questionnaire Interview Short Reid, 2001 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Bladder or vaginal irritation; Discharge; Intestinal upset; Infections Patient record Short Rosenfeldt, 2003 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific; Gastrointestinal inconvenience (abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea); Medical treatment n/a n/a Sakamoto, 2001 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a Short Schneider, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a Short Shen, 2005 Case series (uncontrolled) Bloating; AE nonspecific; Intolerable Bleeding; Worsening abdominal pain Provider assessment n/a Srinivasan, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) Cultures from stool, fluid, blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid; Endotracheal secretions Provider assessment n/a Tasli, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) Nausea; Vomiting; Abdominal fullness Provider assessment Short van Bodegraven, 2004 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a n/a n/a Weiss, 2010 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Yim, 2006 Case series (uncontrolled) n/a Provider assessment n/a Zahradnik, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Diary Provider assessment Short Zahradnik, 2009 Case series (uncontrolled) AE nonspecific Diary Provider assessment Short *Abbreviations AE=Adverse Events C-RCT=Cross-over Randomized Controlled Trial CCT=Controlled Clinical Trials n/a=not available or not applicable RCT=Randomized Controlled Trial C-97 constipation; sputum, n/a Evidence Table C4. Results Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Abrahamsson, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear LTFU Abrahamsson, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear LTFU Agerbaek, 1995 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 La 117 n/a 2 115 VII Constipation n=4 VII Spitting up n=51 VII Colic n=11 XXII Episode of wheezing (withdrawal) n=1 VII Constipation n=6 VII Spitting up n=43 VII Colic n=10 XXII Episode of wheezing n=0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 22, 1 n/a 22, 0 1 En 29 3 0, 0 Agerbaek, 1995 RCT Effective 2 29 Aihara, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 40 VII Borborygmi n=n/a VII Loose stools n=n/a VII Obstipation n=n/a VII Lactose intolerance n=0 VII Borborygmi n=0 VII Loose stools n=0 VII Obstipation n=0 VII Lactose intolerance n=0 XXII Dry cough n=0 XXIII Exanthema n=0 XXIII Skin itching n=0 VII Dysgeusia n=0 XVII Headache n=0 VII Dizziness/drift n=0 VII Inappetence n=0 VII Diarrhea n=2 VII Constipation n=1 VII Flatulence n=0 VII Abdominal discomfort n=0 1, 0 3 C-98 n/a, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Antibiotics unclear Antibiotics unclear Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Aihara, 2005 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 2 40 Alberda, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 St 10 Alberda, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 9 XXII Dry cough n=0 XXIII Exanthema n=0 XXIII Skin itching n=0 VII Dysgeusia n=0 XVII Headache n=0 VII Dizziness/drift n=0 VII Inappetence n=0 VII Diarrhea n=4 VII Constipation n=2 VII Flatulence n=0 VII Abdominal discomfort n=0 VII Bowel obstruction (SAE) n=1 XI Lactobacillus-induced sepsis (SAE) n=0 XXII Respiratory failure death n=0 II Congestive heart failure -death (5) n=1 II Myocardial infarction death (5) n=0 VII Bowel obstruction (SAE) n=0 XI Lactobacillus-induced sepsis (SAE) n=0 XXII Respiratory failure death (SAE) n=0 II Congestive heart failure -death (5) (SAE) n=0 II Myocardial infarction death (5) (SAE) n=1 Other Harms C-99 Patients with AEs 6 N Dropouts, Due to AE n/a, 0 2 n/a, 2 1 n/a, 1 Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Alberda, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 3 St 9 Allen, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Bi 220 VII Bowel obstruction n=0 XI Sepsis due to lactobacilli (SAE) n=0 XXII Respiratory failure death (5) (SAE) n=1 II Congestive heart failure -death (5) (SAE) n=0 II Myocardial infarct death (5) (SAE) n=0 XI Infectious and parasitic diseases (SAE) n=15 V Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases n=0 VI Diseases of the eye and adnexa n=6 IV Diseases of the ear and mastoid process n=3 XI Diseases of the respiratory system n=24 VII Diseases of the digestive system n=8 XXIII Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue n=12 XX Disease of genitourinary system n=0 XXVII Pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium n=4 XVIII Perinatal period conditions (e.g. jaundice) n=10 III Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 The frequency of adverse events in the mothers was similar in the two groups C-100 73 N Dropouts, Due to AE n/a, 1 Hospitalizations n/a, n/a 4 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics needed Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Allen, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera 2 N at Randomization 234 Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms abnormalities (SAE) n=12 XIII Abnormal clinical and lab findings n=7 XII Injury, poisoning and other external causes n=2 XXVII External causes of morbidity and mortality (SAE) n=0 XI Infections due to L. or B. (SAE) n=0 XI Hospitalization with respiratory illness (SAE) n=4 XI Infectious and parasitic diseases (SAE) n=12 V Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases n=1 VI Diseases of the eye and adnexa n=12 IV Diseases of the ear and mastoid process n=3 XI Diseases of the respiratory system n=16 VII Diseases of the digestive system n=12 XXIII Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue n=1 XX Disease of genitourinary system n=5 XXVII Pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium n=18 XVIII Perinatal period conditions (e.g. jaundice) n=18 C-101 Patients with AEs N Dropouts, Due to AE Hospitalizations 75 n/a, n/a 1 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics needed Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms III Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (SAE) n=12 XIII Abnormal clinical and lab findings n=4 XII Injury, poisoning and other external causes n=2 XXVII External causes of morbidity and mortality (SAE) n=2 XI Infections due to L. or B. (SAE) n=0 XI Hospitalization with respiratory illness (SAE) n=1 VII Diarrhea n=4 (states related to oligofructose) Anderson, 2003 RCT Not effective 1 St 72 Anderson, 2003 RCT Not effective Andriulli, 2008 RCT Effective 2 65 VII Diarrhea n=0 1 La 132 VII Diarrhea (withdrew) n=3 VII Abdominal discomfort (withdrew) n=1 VII Vomiting (withdrew) n=1 VII Abdominal pain (withdrew) n=0 XXIII Skin rash n=0 States adverse events are not different between groups, no further data C-102 Patients with AEs N Dropouts, Due to AE 4 n/a, 9 0 n/a, 5 5 25, 5 Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Andriulli, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 2 135 Anukam, 2006 RCT Effective 1 La 65 Anukam, 2006 RCT Effective 2 60 VII Diarrhea (withdrew) n=0 VII Abdominal discomfort (withdrew) n=0 VII Vomiting (withdrew) n=0 VII Abdominal pain (withdrew) n=3 XXIII Skin rash (withdrew) n=1 XVII Persistent headache n=2 XIV Increased appetite n=2 XVII Persistent headache n=0 XIV Increased appetite n=0 Anukam, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 St 12 Anukam, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 Anukam, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear Anukam, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear Other Harms 4 N Drop outs, Due to AE 30, 4 2 16, 0 0 3, 0 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=0 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 XXIII Skin rash n=0 0 2, 0 12 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=0 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 XXIII Skin rash n=3 3 n/a, 0 1 La 39 XVII Headache n=n/a VII Nausea n=n/a n/a 20, n/a 2 20 XVII Headache n=n/a VII Nausea n=n/a n/a 13, n/a C-103 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Yogurt only Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Arunachalam, 2000 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Bi 13 VII Digestive problems n=0 XIV Dietary sensitivities n=0 XXVII Adverse general health problems n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Arunachalam, 2000 RCT Effective 2 12 VII Digestive problems n=0 XIV Dietary sensitivities n=0 XXVII Adverse general health problems n=0 0 0, 0 Aso, 1992 RCT Effective 1 La 29 XIII Abnormal lab findings n=0 0 6, 0 Aso, 1992 RCT Effective 2 29 XIII Abnormal lab findings n=0 0 4, 0 Aso, 1995 RCT Effective 1 La 68 VII Diarrhea (1) n=1 VII Constipation (1) n=1 XIII Elevation of the hepatic transaminases (1) n=1 XIII Elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase and creatinine levels n=0 3 7, n/a C-104 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo No medication or placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Aso, 1995 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 70 VII Diarrhea (1) n=2 VII Constipation (1) n=0 XIII Elevation of the hepatic transaminases n=0 XIII Elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase and creatinine levels n=1 3 Awad, 2010 RCT Effective 1 La 60 XXVII Death (SAE) n=5 XI Probiotic bacteria in blood (SAE) n=0 5 n/a, n/a Awad, 2010 RCT Effective 2 30 XXVII Death (SAE) n=6 XI Probiotic bacteria in blood n=0 6 n/a, n/a Awad, 2010 RCT Effective 3 La 60 XXVII Death (SAE) n=14 XI Probiotic bacteria in blood (SAE) n=0 14 n/a, n/a Baerheim, 1994 RCT Not effective 1 La 25 XXI Messy discharge n=4 4 n/a, 0 Baerheim, 1994 RCT Not effective 2 22 XXI Messy discharge n=1 1 n/a, 0 Bajaj, 2008 RCT Effective 1 St 17 XI Sepsis -death (5) (SAE) n=1 (states unrelated) 1 3, 1 Bajaj, 2008 RCT Effective 2 8 XI Sepsis -death (5) (SAE) n=0 0 0, 0 C-105 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE 6, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo No treatment Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Banaszkiewicz, 2005 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 43 VII Abdominal pain n=3 VII Vomiting n=1 XVII Headache n=0 4 N Drop outs, Due to AE 5, 1 Banaszkiewicz, 2005 RCT Not effective 2 43 VII Abdominal pain n=5 VII Vomiting n=0 XVII Headache n=1 6 3, 0 Barraud, 2010 RCT Not effective 1 Bi 87 VII Bowel ischemia (SAE) n=0 XI Bacteremia due to Lactobacillus (SAE) n=0 n/a 9, 0 Barraud, 2010 RCT Not effective 2 80 VII Bowel ischemia (SAE) n=0 XI Bacteremia due to Lactobacillus (SAE) n=0 n/a 9, 0 Barreto-Zuniga, 2001 RCT Effective 1 Bi 12 VII Bloating n=0 VII Loose stools n=0 XIII Routine blood chemistry changes n=0 0 n/a, 0 Barreto-Zuniga, 2001 RCT Effective 2 12 VII Bloating n=0 VII Loose stools n=0 XIII Routine blood chemistry changes n=0 0 n/a, 0 Basu, 2007 RCT Not effective 1 La 330 XIII Electrolyte imbalance n=3 XI Septicemia (SAE) n=2 (states no LGG complications) XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 n/a 7, 5 Non-severe sepsis patients in probiotics group had a higher mortality rate compared to control (p=0.08) C-106 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Non-probiotic Antibiotics unclear Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Basu, 2007 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 125 XI Septicemia (SAE) n=1 XX Renal failure (SAE) n=1 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 8, 2 Basu, 2007 RCT Not effective 2 332 XIII Electrolyte imbalance n=3 XI Septicemia (SAE) n=2 XXVII Death (SAE) n=1 n/a 9, 6 Placebo Basu, 2007 RCT Effective 2 128 XI Septicemia (SAE) n=3 XX Renal failure (SAE) n=0 n/a 10, 3 ORS only Basu, 2009 RCT Effective 1 La 196 n/a 8, 4 Basu, 2009 RCT Effective 2 196 n/a 11, 8 Basu, 2009 RCT Effective 3 La 196 XIII Electrolyte imbalance n=3 XI Septicemia (SAE) n=1 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 XIII Electrolyte imbalance n=4 XI Septicemia (SAE) n=3 XXVII Death (SAE) n=1 XIII Electrolyte imbalance n=5 XI Septicemia (SAE) n=3 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 n/a 10, 8 C-107 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Glucoseelectrolyte rehydration solution only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Beausoleil, 2007 RCT Effective Beausoleil, 2007 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 La 44 2 45 VII Softened stools n=8 XVII Taste disorder n=6 VII Abdominal cramps n=4 VII Bloating n=3 VII Gastroesophageal reflux n=2 VII Constipation n=2 VII Flatulence n=2 VII Modified stool colon n=1 (states not related) VII Nausea n=0 XXVII Death (SAE) n=3 (states unrelated to preparation) VII Vomiting n=0 VII Foul-smelling stools n=0 XIX Hallucination n=0 XXIII Rash n=0 XXIII Pruritus n=1 VII Softened stools n=9 XVII Taste disorder n=7 VII Abdominal cramps n=5 VII Bloating n=3 VII Gastroesophageal reflux n=2 VII Constipation n=1 VII Flatulence n=1 VII Modified stool colon n=2 VII Nausea n=4 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 VII Vomiting n=1 VII Foul-smelling stools n=1 XIX Hallucination n=1 XXIII Rash n=1 XXIII Pruritus n=0 Other Harms Patients with AEs 21 20 C-108 N Dropouts, Due to AE n/a, n/a n/a, n/a Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Bellomo, 1979 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 En 29 I Significant hematologic change n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Bellomo, 1979 RCT Effective 2 30 I Significant hematologic change n=0 0 0, 0 Bertolami, 1999 C-RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 En 17 VII Nausea n=0 n/a 0, 0 Bertolami, 1999 C-RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 15 VII Nausea n=2 Besselink, 2008 RCT Not effective 1 Bi 153 Besselink, 2008 RCT Not effective 2 145 VII Bowel ischemia (SAE) n=9 XXVII Death (SAE) n=24 VII Nausea n=20 VII Abdominal fullness n=36 VII Diarrhea n=25 XI Infections caused by administered probiotics n=0 VII Bowel ischemia (SAE) n=0 XXVII Death (SAE) n=9 VII Nausea n=23 VII Abdominal fullness n=43 VII Diarrhea n=28 XI Infections caused by administered probiotics n=0 0, 0 n/a Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo 3, 0 7, 5 C-109 Hospi tali zations Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Bin-Nun, 2005 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 St 72 XI Sepsis due to administered probiotics (SAE) n=0 No differences in feeding intolerance (diarrhea, abdominal distension, vomiting), no increased susceptibility to infections Bin-Nun, 2005 RCT Effective 2 73 XI Sepsis due to administered probiotics (SAE) n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Black, 1997 CCT Effectiveness unclear 1 Bi 10 XXVII Feeling sick n=0 XXI Candida vaginitis n=0 VII Diarrhea (severe) n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 n/a 0, 0 Black, 1997 CCT Effectiveness unclear 2 10 XXVII Feeling sick n=1 XXI Candida vaginitis n=1 VII Diarrhea (severe) n=1 VII Diarrhea n=0 Boge, 2009 RCT Effective 1 St 44 XI Common infectious diseases n=n/a 28 3, 2 Boge, 2009 RCT Effective 1 St 113 XI Common infectious diseases n=n/a 59 n/a, 4 Boge, 2009 RCT Effective 2 42 XI Common infectious diseases n=n/a 31 8, 7 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a 1, 1 C-110 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Feeding supplement only Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Boge, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 2 109 XXVII Common infectious diseases n=n/a Borgia, 1982 RCT Effective 1 St 40 Borgia, 1982 RCT Effective 2 40 Borgia, 1982 RCT Effective 3 St 40 2, n/a Borgia, 1982 RCT Effective 4 St 40 3, n/a 61 2 patients died (age>=85, cardiovascular cause) but group unclear C-111 N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, 12 n/a 1, n/a n/a 2, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Antibiotics only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Bousvaros, 2005 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 La 39 VII Perianal abscess (SAE) n=1 (states not related to probiotics) XXVII Perirectal abscess (SAE) n=1 (states not related to probiotics) VII Vomiting/unable to tolerate n=3 VII Diarrhea (1) n=1 (states unrelated) XXVII Acute swelling n=1 (states not related) VII Nausea n=1 (states not related) XXII Sore throat n=0 (states not related) VII Abdominal pain n=1 (states not related) XIX Diagnosis of eating disorder n=1 (states not related) XXVII Cervical lymph nodes n=0 XXVII Headache dizziness n=0 (states not related) XXVII Fatigue n=0 (states not related) Other Harms Patients with AEs 7 C-112 N Dropouts, Due to AE 14, 2 Hospitalizations 2 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics needed surgical drainage Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Bousvaros, 2005 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 36 VII Perianal abscess (SAE) n=0 VII Perirectal abscess (SAE) n=0 VII Vomiting/unable to tolerate n=0 VII Mild diarrhea n=1 XXVII Acute swelling n=0 VII Nausea n=1 XXII Sore throat n=1 VII Abdominal pain n=2 XIX Diagnosis of eating disorder n=1 XXVII Cervical lymph nodes n=1 XXVII Headache dizziness n=1 XXVII Fatigue n=1 8 Bravo, 2008 RCT Not effective 1 Sa 41 VII Abdominal distension or abdominal pain n=2 3 2, n/a Bravo, 2008 RCT Not effective 2 45 VII Abdominal distension or abdominal pain n=n/a 4 2, n/a Brophy, 2008 RCT Not effective 1 Bi 71 VII Stomach cramps n=3 VII Indigestion n=1 XXVII Painful spots n=1 XVII Dizzy spells n=1 XXVII General decline in well-being n=0 6 20, 3 C-113 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations 0 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Brophy, 2008 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 76 VII Stomach cramps n=3 VII Indigestion n=1 XXVII Painful spots n=0 XVII Dizzy spells n=0 XXVII General decline in well-being n=1 5 Bruno, 1981 RCT Effective 1 En 25 I Blood chemistry changes n=0 0 n/a, n/a Bruno, 1981 RCT Effective 2 24 I Blood chemistry changes n=0 0 n/a, n/a Bruzzese, 2007 C-RCT Effective 1 La 19 VII Vomiting n=1 n/a n/a, n/a Bruzzese, 2007 C-RCT Effective 2 19 VII Vomiting n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Bu, 2007 RCT Effective 1 La 18 VII Acute gastroenteritis n=n/a VII Mild diarrhea n=0 n/a 1, n/a Bu, 2007 RCT Effective 2 9 VII Acute gastroenteritis n=n/a VII Mild diarrhea n=0 n/a 1, n/a Chen, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 65 XXVII Nostril erosion n=0 XXII Pneumonia n=0 XI Urinary tract infection n=1 (states unrelated) XXII Aspiration pneumonia n=1 (states unrelated) XXII n= n/a n/a, n/a C-114 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE 19, 3 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Non-probiotic Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Chen, 2005 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 63 XXVII Nostril erosion n=1 (states unrelated) XXII Pneumonia n=1 (states unrelated) XI Urinary tract infection n=0 XXII Aspiration pneumonia n=0 n/a Chen, 2010 RCT Effective 1 La 55 XI Upper respiratory tract infection n=4 4 6, 4 Chen, 2010 RCT Effective 2 63 XI Upper respiratory tract infection n=5 5 7, 5 Chou, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Bi 153 XXVII Growth adverse effects n=0 XVII Neurodevelopmental adverse effects n=0 XVII Sensory adverse effects n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Chou, 2010 RCT Effective 2 148 XXVII Growth adverse effects n=0 XVII Neurodevelopmental adverse effects n=0 XVII Sensory adverse effects n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Chouraqui, 2004 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 St 46 VII Regurgitation and spitting n=5 VII Vomiting n=0 XV Growth (suppression) n=0 5 n/a, 0 C-115 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Non-probiotic Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Chouraqui, 2004 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 2 44 VII Regurgitation and Spitting n=6 VII Vomiting n=0 XV Growth (suppression) n=0 Chouraqui, 2008 RCT Effective 1 Bi 70 VII Gastroenteritis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=1 VII Gastroesophageal reflux disease (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 VII Diarrhea (SAE per author) n=2 XXVII Milk allergy (SAE per author) n=2 VII Vomiting (SAE per author) n=0 XI Febrile infection (SAE per author) (SAE) n=1 XXV Surgery (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 VIII Pyrexia (SAE per author) n=0 VII Rectal hemorrhage (SAE per author) (SAE) n=1 XX Pyelonephritis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=1 XXII Bronchiolitis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=2 XXII Cough (SAE per author) n=1 XXVII Drug toxicity (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 XII Inguinal hernia (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 Other Harms C-116 Patients with AEs Hospitalizations 6 N Dropouts, Due to AE n/a, 0 n/a 10, 1 1 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Antibiotics unclear Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Chouraqui, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 2 70 VII Gastroenteritis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 VII Gastroesophageal reflux disease (SAE per author) (SAE) n=1 VII Diarrhea (SAE per author) n=1 XXVII Milk allergy (SAE per author) n=0 VII Vomiting (SAE per author) n=1 XI Febrile infection (SAE per author) (SAE) n=1 XXV Surgery (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 VIII Pyrexia (SAE per author) n=2 VII Rectal hemorrhage (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 XX Pyelonephritis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 XXII Bronchiolitis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 XXII Cough (SAE per author) n=0 XXVII Drug toxicity (SAE per author) (SAE) n=1 XII Inguinal hernia (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 Other Harms Patients with AEs n/a C-117 N Dropouts, Due to AE 17, 2 Hospitalizations 1 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics unclear Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Chouraqui, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 3 Bi 70 VII Gastroenteritis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 VII Gastroesophageal reflux disease (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 VII Diarrhea (SAE per author) n=1 XXVII Milk allergy (SAE per author) n=0 VII Vomiting (SAE per author) n=0 XI Febrile infection (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 XXV Surgery (SAE per author) (SAE) n=1 VIII Pyrexia (SAE per author) n=0 VII Rectal hemorrhage (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 XX Pyelonephritis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 XXI Bronchiolitis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=3 XXI Cough (SAE per author) n=0 XXVII Drug toxicity (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 XII Inguinal hernia (SAE per author) (SAE) n=2 Other Harms Patients with AEs n/a C-118 N Dropouts, Due to AE 16, 1 Hospitalizations 2 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics unclear Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Chouraqui, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 4 Bi 74 VII Gastroenteritis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 VII Gastroesophageal reflux disease (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 VII Diarrhea (SAE per author) n=0 XXVII Milk allergy (SAE per author) n=0 VII Vomiting (SAE per author) n=2 XI Febrile infection (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 XXV Surgery (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 VIII Pyrexia (SAE per author) n=0 VII Rectal hemorrhage (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 XX Pyelonephritis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=1 XXI Bronchiolitis (SAE per author) (SAE) n=1 XXI Cough (SAE per author) n=0 XXVII Drug toxicity (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 XII Inguinal hernia (SAE per author) (SAE) n=0 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 14, 1 Chui, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 En 20 XXVII Death (SAE) n=1 n/a 0, 0 Chui, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 25 XXVII Death (SAE) n=2 n/a 0, 0 C-119 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations 0 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Antibiotics unclear Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Coccorullo, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 22 VII Vomiting n=0 VII Bloating n=0 VII Increased flatulence n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Coccorullo, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 22 VII Vomiting n=0 VII Bloating n=0 VII Increased flatulence n=0 0 0, 0 Connolly, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 14 XIV D-lactic acidosis n=0 0 0, 0 Connolly, 2005 RCT Effective 2 10 XIV D-lactic acidosis n=0 0 0, 0 Cooper, 2006 RCT Effective 1 Bi 98 n/a n/a, n/a Cooper, 2006 RCT Effective 2 173 Correa, 2005 RCT Effective 1 St 87 XI Pneumonia -death (5) (SAE) n=1 (states infection not due to supplemented bacteria) n/a 7, 1 Correa, 2005 RCT Effective 2 82 XI Pneumonia -death (5) (SAE) n=0 n/a 5, 0 No difference in gastrointestinal or respiratory problems between groups Patients with AEs n/a, n/a C-120 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Formula only Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Cui, 2004 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Ba 103 XIII Body weight changes n=0 VIII Temperature changes n=0 XXII Respiratory rate changes n=0 II Heart rate changes n=0 II Blood pressure changes n=0 XIII Blood routine changes n=0 IX Liver function changes n=0 XX Renal function changes n=0 0 N Dropouts, Due to AE n/a, 0 Cui, 2004 RCT Effective 2 Bi 101 XIII Body weight changes n=0 VIII Temperature changes n=0 XXII Respiratory rate changes n=0 II Heart rate changes n=0 II Blood pressure changes n=0 XIII Blood routine changes n=0 IX Liver function changes n=0 XX Renal function changes n=0 0 n/a, 0 CunninghamRundles, 2000 CCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La VII Flatulence n=0 0 n/a, 0 C-121 Patients with AEs Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Other Probiotic Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU CunninghamRundles, 2000 CCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera Czaja, 2007 RCT Effective 1 La Czaja, 2007 RCT Effective N at Random ization VII Flatulence n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, 0 15 XXI Abnormal vaginal discharge n=6 XXI External genital irritation n=1 XI Vaginal candidiasis n=4 XXI Vaginal odor n=1 VII Abdominal or pelvic cramps / abdominal pain n=0 XX Dysuria n=0 n/a 0, 0 2 15 XXI Abnormal vaginal discharge n=7 XXI External genital irritation n=5 XI Vaginal candidiasis n=2 XXI Vaginal odor n=0 VII Abdominal or pelvic cramps / abdominal pain n=1 XX Dysuria n=1 Dadak, 2006 RCT Not effective 1 La 6 Dadak, 2006 RCT Not effective 2 6 2 Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 0, 0 1 death, unclear group n/a Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo n/a, n/a 1, n/a C-122 Hospi tali zations Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU De Preter, 2006 C-RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Sa 45 VII Flatulence n=0 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE , De Preter, 2006 C-RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 45 VII Flatulence n=0 n/a , de Roos, 1999 RCT Not effective 1 St 39 n/a n/a, n/a de Roos, 1999 RCT Not effective 2 39 De Simone, 1992 RCT Effective 1 Bi 15 VII Intestinal rumbling and flatulence (1) n=2 VII Variation in stool consistency and diarrhea n=0 2 0, 0 De Simone, 1992 RCT Effective 2 10 VII Intestinal rumbling and flatulence n=0 VII Variation in stool consistency and diarrhea n=0 1 0, 0 De Simone, 2001 CCT Effective 1 St 130 XIII Blood count changes n=0 XIII Blood chemistry changes n=0 n/a n/a, n/a De Simone, 2001 CCT Effective 2 En 121 XIII Blood count changes n=0 XIII Blood chemistry changes n=0 1 gastrointestinal complaint, group unclear Patients with AEs n/a, n/a n/a, n/a C-123 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Antibiotics unclear Antibiotics needed Placebo Yogurt only Placebo Other Probiotic Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Dekker, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 170 III Congenital malformation hospitalization (SAE) n=3 XXIII Dermatological hospitalization (SAE) n=3 VII Gastrointestinal hospitalization (SAE) n=7 XX Genito-urinary hospitalization (SAE) n=1 XI Infectious diseases hospitalization (SAE) n=6 XXVII Neurology hospitalization (SAE) n=0 VI Ophthalmology & otology hospitalization (SAE) n=4 XXVII Orthopedics & rheumatoid hospitalization (SAE) n=0 XXII Respiratory hospitalization (SAE) n=9 XI Trauma and injury hospitalization (SAE) n=1 VII Diarrhea or vomiting (SAE) n=3 XXVII Other hospitalizations (SAE) n=11 No statistically significant differences between groups for diarrhea after antibiotics, other diarrhea, reflux or spilling, abdominal pain or vomiting. Hospitalizations of mothers 6.4, 6.9 and 3.2% in the 3 arms C-124 Patients with AEs n/a N Dropouts, Due to AE 26, n/a Hospitalizations 39 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Dekker, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 2 171 III Congenital malformation hospitalization (SAE) n=2 XXIII Dermatological hospitalization (SAE) n=1 VII Gastrointestinal hospitalization (SAE) n=7 XX Genito-urinary hospitalization (SAE) n=3 XI Infectious diseases hospitalization (SAE) n=3 XXVII Neurology hospitalization (SAE) n=0 VI Ophthalmology & otology hospitalization (SAE) n=6 XXVII Orthopedics & rheumatoid hospitalization (SAE) n=1 XXII Respiratory hospitalization (SAE) n=16 XI Trauma and injury hospitalization (SAE) n=1 VII Diarrhea or vomiting (SAE) n=2 XXVII Other hospitalizations (SAE) n=4 Other Harms Patients with AEs n/a C-125 N Dropouts, Due to AE 21, n/a Hospitalizations 39 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Dekker, 2009 RCT Effective Delia, 2002 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 3 Bi 171 III Congenital malformation hospitalization (SAE) n=3 XXIII Dermatological hospitalization (SAE) n=4 VII Gastrointestinal hospitalization (SAE) n=0 XX Genito-urinary hospitalization (SAE) n=1 XI Infectious diseases hospitalization (SAE) n=7 XXVII Neurology hospitalization (SAE) n=1 VI Ophthalmology & otology hospitalization (SAE) n=5 XXVII Orthopedics & rheumatoid hospitalization (SAE) n=0 XXII Respiratory hospitalization (SAE) n=6 XI Trauma and injury hospitalization (SAE) n=4 VII Diarrhea or vomiting (SAE) n=2 XXVII Other hospitalizations (SAE) n=6 1 St 95 VII Gastrointestinal toxicity n=0 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 Other Harms Patients with AEs 0 C-126 N Dropouts, Due to AE 19, n/a 0, 0 Hospitalizations 36 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Delia, 2002 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 2 95 VII Gastrointestinal toxicity n=2 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 Delia, 2007 RCT Effective 1 St 245 XXVI Septic shock (SAE) n=0 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=0 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=0 Delia, 2007 RCT Effective 2 245 Dewan, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 St Dewan, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 N Drop outs, Due to AE 2, 2 n/a 2, 1 XXVI Septic shock (SAE) n=0 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=0 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=0 n/a 6, 0 39 XI Bronchopneumonia death (5) (SAE) n=1 1 7, 1 2 41 XI Bronchopneumonia death (5) (SAE) n=1 1 5, 1 Dolin, 2009 RCT Effective 1 Ba 26 XVII Headache n=n/a 5 0, 0 Dolin, 2009 RCT Effective 2 29 XVII Headache n=1 6 3, 0 Dubey, 2008 RCT Effective 1 St 113 n/a n/a, 0 XXIII Rash n=0 Other Harms 1 myocardial infarction death, group unclear No side effects were noticed that required treatment discontinuation C-127 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Non-probiotic Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Dubey, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, 0 2 111 Duman, 2005 RCT Effective 1 Sa 204 XXIII Skin reaction n=1 II Palpitation n=0 VII Dry mouth n=1 XVII Metallic taste n=1 VII Apthons lesion in mouth n=0 VI Blurred vision n=0 3 8, 1 Duman, 2005 RCT Effective 2 185 XXIII Skin reaction n=n/a II Palpitation n=1 VII Dry mouth n=0 XVII Metallic taste n=0 VII Apthons lesion in mouth n=1 VI Blurred vision n=n/a 3 13, 1 Dupont, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Bi 30 VII Vomiting n=1 (feeding-related per author) VII Colitis n=1 (feeding related per author) VII Constipation n=0 (feeding-related per author) VII Regurgitations n=0 (feeding-related per author) VII Flatulence n=0 (feeding-related per author) n/a 10, 4 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo XXIII Rash n=0 C-128 Triple therapy only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Dupont, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 2 32 Dylewski, 2010 RCT Effective 1 La 233 VII Vomiting n=4 (feeding-related per author) VII Colitis n=1 (feeding related per author) VII Constipation n=5 (feeding-related per author) VII Regurgitations n=3 (feeding-related per author) VII Flatulence n=1 (feeding-related per author) XXVII Death (SAE) n=3 VII Eructation n=0 VII Constipation n=12 VII Flatulence n=7 VII Nausea n=7 VII Vomiting n=5 VII Dyspepsia n=0 VII Dysphagia n=1 VII Fecal incontinence n=1 XXII Dyspnea n=0 VII Gastro esophageal adverse events n=1 VII Reflux gastritis n=1 XI Vulvovaginal mycotic infection n=0 XV Muscle spasms n=0 XXVII Hyperthermia n=0 XIII Pyrexia n=0 XV Arthralgia n=1 XVII Headache n=1 Other Harms C-129 Patients with AEs n/a N Dropouts, Due to AE 6, 5 72 17, 0 Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Formula only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Dylewski, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 239 XXVII Death (SAE) n=4 VII Eructation n=1 VII Constipation n=8 VII Flatulence n=13 VII Nausea n=5 VII Vomiting n=0 VII Dyspepsia n=2 VII Dysphagia n=0 VII Fecal incontinence n=0 XXII Dyspnea n=1 VII Gastro esophageal adverse events n=0 VII Reflux gastritis n=1 XI Vulvovaginal mycotic infection n=2 XV Muscle spasms n=2 XXVII Hyperthermia n=1 XIII Pyrexia n=1 XV Arthralgia n=0 XVII Headache n=0 Presence of at least 1 treatmentemergent non serious adverse event: 76 Ehrstrom, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 60 XXI Vulvovaginal pruritus n=1 XXI Vaginal bleeding n=1 XXI Swollen and vulva n=0 XVII Headache n=0 XXI Vulvar itching n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Ehrstrom, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 35 XXI Vulvovaginal pruritus n=5 XXI Vaginal bleeding n=0 XXI Swollen and vulva n=1 XVII Headache n=1 XXI Vulvar itching n=1 n/a n/a, n/a C-130 Patients with AEs 76 N Dropouts, Due to AE 18, 0 Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Eriksson, 2005 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE 36, n/a 1 La 127 XI Candida infection n=n/a (14.2%) XXI Itching and burning n=4 n/a Eriksson, 2005 RCT Not effective 2 128 XI Candida infection n=n/a (13.5%) XXI Itching and burning n=8 n/a 32, n/a Falck, 1999 RCT Effective 1 St 228 XXII Respiratory related to common cold n=34 (16%) 77 15, 4 Falck, 1999 RCT Effective 2 114 XXII Respiratory related to common cold n=14 (13%) 36 6, 3 Felley, 2001 RCT Effective 1 La 26 VII Diarrhea (profuse; withdrew) n=1 (while taking clarithromycin) n/a 1, 1 Felley, 2001 RCT Effective 2 27 VII Diarrhea (profuse) n=0 Feng, 1999 RCT Effective 1 St 36 VII Nausea (1) n=2 2 0, 0 Feng, 1999 RCT Effective 2 36 VII Nausea (1) n=3 3 0, 0 Folster-Holst, 2006 RCT Not effective 1 La 26 VII Diarrhea (mild) n=4 VII Nausea/vomiting n=3 VIII Fever n=1 XXIII Urticaria n=0 n/a 5, 0 0, 0 C-131 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Other Probiotic Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Folster-Holst, 2006 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 2 28 VII Diarrhea n=4 VII Nausea/vomiting n=4 VIII Fever n=1 XXIII Urticaria n=1 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 7, 1 Forestier, 2008 RCT Effective 1 La 118 XI Lactobacillus-related sepsis (SAE) n=0 n/a 16, 0 Forestier, 2008 RCT Effective 2 118 XI Lactobacillus-related sepsis (SAE) n=0 French, 2009 RCT Effective 1 La 21 XII Injection site temporary pain or redness n=n/a XXVII Febrile illness n=0 n/a 3, 0 French, 2009 RCT Effective 2 26 XII Injection site temporary pain or redness n=n/a XXVII Febrile illness n=0 n/a 4, 0 Frohmader, 2010 RCT Effective 1 St 20 XXVII Death (SAE) n=5 XI Infections due to probiotic strains (SAE) n=0 n/a 0, 0 Frohmader, 2010 RCT Effective 2 25 XXVII Death (SAE) n=3 XI Infections due to probiotic strains n=0 n/a 0, 0 12, 0 C-132 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Fujimori, 2009 RCT Effective Fujimori, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Bi 40 XIII Blood count changes n=0 XIII Liver enzyme changes n=0 XIII Serum urea nitrogen changes n=0 XIII Creatinine changes n=0 XIII Electrolytes changes n=0 XIII Total protein / cholesterol changes n=0 XIII Albumin changes n=0 0 N Dropouts, Due to AE 11, 0 2 40 XIII Blood count changes n=0 XIII Liver enzyme changes n=0 XIII Serum urea nitrogen changes n=0 XIII Creatinine changes n=0 XIII Electrolytes changes n=0 XIII Total protein / cholesterol changes n=0 XIII Albumin changes n=0 0 15, 0 C-133 Patients with AEs Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Prebiotics Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Fujimori, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 3 Bi 40 XIII Blood counts n=0 XIII Liver enzyme changes n=0 XIII Serum urea nitrogen changes n=0 XIII Creatinine changes n=0 XIII Electrolytes changes n=0 XIII Total protein / total cholesterol changes n=0 XIII Albumin changes n=0 Gade, 1989 RCT Effective 1 St 32 Gade, 1989 RCT Effective 2 22 Galpin, 2005 RCT Not effective 1 La 81 Galpin, 2005 RCT Not effective 2 Gao, 2010 RCT Effective Gao, 2010 RCT Effective Other Harms 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 11, 0 n/a n/a, 0 n/a n/a, 0 VII Vomiting n=0 0 1, 1 83 VII Vomiting n=0 0 2, 0 1 La 85 VIII Fever n=0 VII Hematochezia n=0 0 7, 0 2 84 VIII Fever n=1 (not study related per author) VII Hematochezia n=1 (not study related per author) 2 8, 0 1 polyneuritis hospitalization (withdrawal), group unclear C-134 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Gao, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 3 La 86 XIII Fever n=1(not study related per author) VII Hematochezia n=0 1 N Drop outs, Due to AE 4, 0 Garcia Vilela, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 Sa 18 VII Abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea n=0 0 1, 0 Garcia Vilela, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 16 VII Abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea n=2 Gerasimou, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Bi 48 XI Upper respiratory infections n=11 XI Lower respiratory infection n=4 XXIII Herpetic stomatitis n=7 VII Diarrhea n=3 VII Constipation n=6 VII Abdominal colic n=5 XXVII Burn (SAE) n=1 (states unrelated) XXII Croup (SAE) n=1 (states unrelated) XXVII Head injury (SAE) n=0 XXVII Food poisoning n=0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment 2, 2 26 C-135 5, 2 Control Category Placebo Antibiotics needed Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Gerasimou, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 2 48 XI Upper respiratory infections n=10 XI Lower respiratory infection n=5 XXIII Herpetic stomatitis n=5 VII Diarrhea n=2 VII Constipation n=6 VII Abdominal colic n=4 XXVII Burn (SAE) n=0 XXII Croup (SAE) n=0 XXVII Head injury (SAE) n=1 (states unrelated) XXVII Food poisoning n=2 (states unrelated) Gibson, 2008 RCT Not effective 1 Bi 72 XI Intestinal infections disease n=21 VII Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system n=11 VII Feeding problems n=11 XI Respiratory infections n=47 XI Candidiasis n=6 XXIII Dermatitis n=13 VII Parent perception of constipation/irritability ( n=1 (drop out) XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 Other Harms C-136 Patients with AEs Hospitalizations 24 N Dropouts, Due to AE 1, 1 61 17, 1 18 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Gibson, 2008 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 70 XI Intestinal infections disease n=29 VII Symptoms and signs involving the digestive system n=8 VII Feeding problems n=22 XI Respiratory infections n=49 XI Candidiasis n=9 XXIII Dermatitis n=11 VII Parent perception of constipation/irritability n=1 (drop out) XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 65 N Drop outs, Due to AE 27, 1 Gill, 2001 RCT Effective 1 Bi 15 VII Digestive discomfort n=0 0 0, 0 Gill, 2001 RCT Effective 2 Bi 15 VII Digestive discomfort n=1 1 1, 1 Gionchetti, 2000 RCT Effective 1 St 20 XIII CBC n=0 XIII Blood chemistry changes n=0 0 0, 0 Gionchetti, 2000 RCT Effective 2 20 XIII CBC n=0 XIII Blood chemistry changes n=0 0 0, 0 Gionchetti, 2003 RCT Effective 1 St 20 XIII Blood count changes n=0 XIII Blood chemistry changes n=0 0 0, 0 C-137 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations 11 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Formula only Other Probiotic Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Gionchetti, 2003 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 2 20 XIII Blood count changes n=0 XIII Blood chemistry changes n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Goossens, 2003 RCT Effective 1 La 11 VII 5 liquid stools per day n=0 n/a 0, 0 Goossens, 2003 RCT Effective 2 11 5 liquid stools per day1 Gracheva, 1999 CCT Effective 1 Bi 30 VII Abdominal pain (treatment discontinued) n=1 1 n/a, n/a Gracheva, 1999 CCT Effective 2 Bi 20 VII Abdominal pain n=0 0 n/a, n/a 2, 1 C-138 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Other Probiotic Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Gruber, 2007 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 La 56 XI Lower respiratory tract infections n=24 XI Ear nose and throat infections n=8 VII Gastrointestinal complaints n=18 XI Other infections n=22 XXIII Skin disorders n=9 XXVII Conjunctivitis, dental problems or unrest n=9 VII Acute enteritis n=1 (states not related to study medication) XXIII Eczema herpeticatum n=1 (states not related to study medication) XXII Spasmodic croup n=1 (states not related to study medication) VII Inguinal hernia n=1 (states not related to study medication) XI Pneumonia n=1 (states not related to study medication) Other Harms Patients with AEs 46 C-139 N Dropouts, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Gruber, 2007 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 50 XI Lower respiratory tract infections n=18 XI Ear nose and throat infections n=15 VII Gastrointestinal complaints n=10 XI Other infections n=16 XXIII Skin disorders n=5 XXVII Conjunctivitis, dental problems or unrest n=7 VII Acute enteritis n=0 XXIII Eczema herpeticatum n=0 XXII Spasmodic croup n=0 VII Inguinal hernia n=0 XI Pneumonia n=0 38 Guillemard, 2010 RCT Effective 1 St 537 XV Muscular-bone adverse events n=n/a VII Gastrointestinal adverse events n=n/a XI Infections other than common infectious diseases n=n/a 137 n/a, n/a Guillemard, 2010 RCT Effective 2 535 XV Muscular-bone adverse events n=n/a VII Gastrointestinal adverse events n=n/a XI Infections other than common infectious diseases n=n/a 139 n/a, n/a Guyonnet, 2009 RCT Effective 1 St 144 VII Adverse digestive comfort n=0 0 n/a, 0 C-140 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Guyonnet, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 2 69 VII Adverse digestive comfort n=0 Guyonnet, 2009 RCT Effective 3 St 147 VII Adverse digestive comfort n=0 Habermann, 2001 RCT Effective 1 En 70 VII Various gastrointestinal complaints n=4 Habermann, 2001 RCT Effective 2 66 Habermann, 2002 RCT Effective 1 En Habermann, 2002 RCT Effective 2 Other Harms Patients with AEs 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category No intervention n/a, 0 No difference in blood and clinical lab panels between groups 4 n/a, n/a VII Various gastrointestinal complaints n=3 3 n/a, n/a 78 VII Disgust n=n/a VII Nausea n=n/a VII Vomiting n=n/a VII Meteorism n=n/a I Blood count changes n=0 XXVII Clinical chemical panel changes n=0 12 n/a, n/a 79 VII Disgust n=n/a VII Nausea n=n/a VII Vomiting n=n/a VII Meteorism n=n/a I Blood count changes n=0 XXVII Clinical chemical panel changes n=0 13 n/a, n/a C-141 Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU HaschkeBecher, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 19 XI Bronchopneumonia n=0 VII Vomiting n=0 XI Otitis n=0 XVII Neuropathy n=0 Increased D-lactate excretion in probiotic group compared to breastfed group HaschkeBecher, 2008 RCT Effective 2 26 Hatakka, 2008 C-RCT Not effective 1 La Hatakka, 2008 C-RCT Not effective Patients with AEs n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 2, 0 XI Bronchopneumonia n=1 VII Vomiting n=1 XI Otitis n=1 XVII Neuropathy n=1 n/a 8, 4 19 VII Gastrointestinal complaints n=n/a XXVII Any signs of illness n=n/a n/a 0, 0 2 19 VII Gastrointestinal complaints n=n/a XXVII Any signs of illness n=n/a Heimburger, 1994 RCT Not effective 1 La 31 Heimburger, 1994 RCT Not effective 2 31 0, 0 Discontinuation due to gastric retention of feeding, patient removal of feeding tube, death, number and group unclear n/a Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Antibiotics unclear Antibiotics unclear Placebo Placebo 13, n/a 8, n/a C-142 Hospi tali zations Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Hemmerling, 2009 RCT Effective Hemmerling, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 La 3 XXI Vaginal discharge n=1 VII Abdominal pain n=1 XXI Metrorrhagia n=0 XXI Vulvovaginitis n=0 XVII Headache n=1 XXI Vaginal candidiasis n=0 XXI Vaginal odor n=1 XXI Erythema n=0 XXI Petechiae n=0 XXI Edema n=0 XXI Abrasion n=0 XXI Laceration n=0 XX Urinary tract infection n=0 2 3 XXI Vaginal discharge n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=1 XXI Metrorrhagia n=2 XXI Vulvovaginitis n=1 XVII Headache n=1 XXI Vaginal candidiasis n=1 XXI Vaginal odor n=0 XXI Erythema n=1 XXI Petechiae n=0 XXI Edema n=1 XXI Abrasion n=0 XXI Laceration n=1 XXI Urinary tract infection n=1 Other Harms 1 Gastroenteritis, 1 ear pain, 1 upper respiratory tract infection, treatment group unclear C-143 Patients with AEs 3 N Dropouts, Due to AE 0, 0 3 0, 0 Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Hemmerling, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 3 La 3 XXI Vaginal discharge n=2 VII Abdominal pain n=2 XXI Metrorrhagia n=0 XXI Vulvovaginitis n=1 XVII Headache n=1 XXI Vaginal candidiasis n=1 XXI Vaginal odor n=2 XXI Erythema n=0 XXI Petechiae n=1 XXI Edema n=0 XXI Abrasion n=1 XXI Urinary tract infection n=0 3 N Dropouts, Due to AE 0, 0 Hemmerling, 2009 RCT Effective 4 La 3 XXI Vaginal discharge n=2 VII Abdominal pain n=0 XXI Metrorrhagia n=2 XXI Vulvovaginitis n=2 XVII Headache n=0 XXI Vaginal candidiasis n=1 XXI Vaginal odor n=0 XXI Erythema n=1 XXI Petechiae n=0 XXI Edema n=0 XXI Abrasion n=0 XXI Urinary tract infection n=0 3 0, 0 Higashikawa, 2009 RCT Effective 1 La 24 XX Abnormal changes in urinalysis n=0 XIII Abnormal changes in serum biochemical parameters n=0 n/a 0, n/a C-144 Patients with AEs Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Higashikawa, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 2 La 22 XX Abnormal changes in urinalysis n=0 XIII Abnormal changes in serum biochemical parameters n=0 Higashikawa, 2009 RCT Effective 3 St 22 XX Abnormal changes in urine analysis n=0 XIII Abnormal changes in serum biochemical parameters n=0 Hilton, 1997 RCT Effective 1 La 200 VII Abdominal cramps n=2 2 74, 0 Hilton, 1997 RCT Effective 2 200 VII Abdominal cramps n=2 n/a 81, 0 Hirata, 2002 CCT Effective 1 Sa 18 VII Constipation (1) n=1 XVII Exacerbation of headaches n=0 VIII Dry cough n=0 XVII Dizziness n=0 XVII Other neurological symptoms n=0 VII Gastrointestinal symptoms n=0 XXIII Skin symptoms n=0 n/a 2, 0 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 3, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Other Probiotic 1, n/a C-145 Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Hirata, 2002 CCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 18 VII Constipation (mild) n=0 XVII Exacerbation of headaches n=0 VIII Dry cough n=0 XVII Dizziness n=0 XVII Other neurological symptoms n=0 VII Gastrointestinal symptoms n=0 XXIII Skin symptoms n=0 n/a Hochter,1990 RCT Effective 1 Sa 43 VII Constipation n=1 1 n/a, n/a Hochter,1990 RCT Effective 2 49 VII Vomiting n=1 1 n/a, n/a Honeycutt, 2007 RCT Not effective 1 La 31 XXVII Death (SAE) n=2 VII Nausea n=1 XI Lactobacillus bacteremia (SAE) n=0 3 4, 3 Honeycutt, 2007 RCT Not effective 2 30 XXVII Death (SAE) n=4 VII Nausea n=1 XI Lactobacillus bacteremia (SAE) n=0 5 5, 5 Hong, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Bi 36 XXVII Common cold, headache, cystitis, and / or low back pain n=8 n/a 1, 1 12 patients reported common cold, headache, cystitis, low back pain, exacerbation of abdominal pain, exacerbation of constipation but group unclear. 8 AEs in each group C-146 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE 2, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Hong, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 34 XXVII Common cold, headache, cystitis, and / or low back pain n=8 n/a Horvat, 2010 RCT Effective 1 La 20 XI Mild wound infection with secretion n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Horvat, 2010 RCT Effective 2 La 20 XI Mild worsened infection with secretion n=1 n/a n/a, n/a Horvat, 2010 RCT Effective 3 28 XI Mild infection with secretion n=1 1 n/a, n/a Ishikawa, 2002 RCT Effective 1 Sa 11 XI Coryza-like illness n=1 VII Abdominal pain n=1 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Vomiting n=0 1 0, 0 Ishikawa, 2002 RCT Effective 2 10 XI Coryza-like illness n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Vomiting n=0 0 0, 0 Ishikawa, 2003 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 28 n/a n/a, n/a Ishikawa, 2003 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 21 0 n/a, n/a 2 patients with soft stools and abdominal discomfort, probiotics group but unclear which one VII Abdominal discomfort n=0 VII Loose stools n=0 C-147 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE 1, 1 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Other Probiotic No treatment No treatment Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Ishikawa, 2003 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization 3 La 29 Ishikawa, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 99 Ishikawa, 2005 RCT Effective 2 Ishikawa, 2005 RCT Effective 3 La Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations XVI Colorectal cancer (2) (SAE) n=2 XVII Cerebral hemorrhage -death (SAE) n=0 VII Peritonitis (3, surgery) (SAE) n=0 XVI Lung cancer -death (SAE) n=0 n/a 3, n/a 0 97 XVI Colorectal cancer (2) (SAE) n=1 XVII Cerebral hemorrhage -death (SAE) n=0 VII Peritonitis (3, surgery) (SAE) n=0 XVI Lung cancer -death (SAE) n=0 n/a 4, n/a 0 103 XVI Colorectal cancer (SAE) n=1 XVII Cerebral hemorrhage -death (SAE) n=1 XVI Lung cancer -death (SAE) n=0 VII Peritonitis (SAE) n=1 n/a 7, n/a 1 2 patients taking LS 1 experienced abdominal discomfort and loose stools but unclear which treatment group Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category 0 C-148 Dietary instructions only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Isolauri, 1991 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 La 24 VII Vomiting on day 1 n=14 VII Vomiting on day 2 n=5 VII Vomiting on day 3 n=0 VII Vomiting on day 4 + 5 n=0 Isolauri, 1991 RCT Effective 2 24 VII Vomiting on day 1 n=13 VII Vomiting on day 2 n=9 VII Vomiting on day 3 n=4 VII Vomiting on day 4 + 5 n=0 0, 0 Isolauri, 1991 RCT Effective 3 La 23 VII Vomiting on day 1 n=10 VII Vomiting on day 2 n=5 VII Vomiting on day 3 n=2 VII Vomiting on day 4 + 5 n=0 0, 0 Isolauri,1995 RCT Effective 1 La 30 VIII Fever (>38C) n=n/a VII Vomiting n=2 VII Loose stool n=n/a Isolauri,1995 RCT Effective 2 30 VIII Fever (>38C) n=n/a VII Vomiting n=0 VII Loose stool n=n/a n/a n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Non-probiotic n/a, n/a n/a, n/a C-149 Hospi tali zations Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Jirapinyo, 2002 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Bi 8 XXVII Worsening of clinical condition n=0 XI Sepsis due to Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium (SAE) n=0 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Jirapinyo, 2002 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 10 XXVII Worsening of clinical condition n=0 XI Sepsis due to Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium (SAE) n=0 n/a 0, 0 Johansson, 1998 RCT Effective 1 La 26 XXVII Transient nausea, abdominal discomfort and flu-like symptoms n=5 5 0, 0 Johansson, 1998 RCT Effective 2 22 XXVII Transient nausea, abdominal discomfort and flu-like symptoms n=5 5 0, 0 Kadooka, 2010 RCT Effective 1 St 43 VII Nausea n=0 XVII Headache n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 0 0, 0 Kadooka, 2010 RCT Effective 2 44 VII Nausea n=0 XVII Headache n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 0 0, 0 Kajander, 2005 RCT Effective 1 Bi 52 XXVII Illness or hospitalization, not IBS related n=1 n/a 8, 4 Kajander, 2005 RCT Effective 2 51 XXVII Illness or hospitalization, not IBS related n=3 n/a 9, 4 C-150 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Fermented milk only Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Kajander, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 Bi 43 VII GI symptoms n=n/a XXII Respiratory tract n=n/a VI Eye operation n=n/a XXVI Atherosclerotic finding in the carotid artery n=n/a XXIII Inflamed mole n=n/a XX Cystitis n=n/a XV Tenosynovitis n=n/a XI Oral herpes n=0 V Hyperthyroidism n=0 XXII Breathing difficulties n=0 V Hyperthyroidism n=0 XXVII Backache n=0 XXV Foot operation n=0 XXI Vaginitis n=0 XXVII Intestinal warms n=0 Other Harms Patients with AEs 10 C-151 N Dropouts, Due to AE 5, 2 Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Kajander, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 43 VII GI symptoms n=n/a XXII Respiratory tract n=n/a VI Eye operation n=0 XXVI Atherosclerotic finding in the carotid artery n=0 XXIII Inflamed mole n=0 XX Cystitis n=0 XV Tenosynovitis n=0 XI Oral herpes n=0 V Hyperthyroidism n=n/a Breathing difficultiesn/a V Hyperthyroidism n=n/a XXVII Backache n=n/a XXV Foot operation n=n/a XXI Vaginitis n=n/a XXVII Intestinal warms n=n/a 15 N Drop outs, Due to AE 10, 6 Kajimoto, 2002 RCT Effective 1 St 33 XXII Dry cough n=0 VII Gastrointestinal symptoms n=0 XXIII Skin symptoms n=0 0 n/a, 0 Kajimoto, 2002 RCT Effective 2 33 XXII Dry cough n=0 VII Gastrointestinal symptoms n=0 XXIII Skin symptoms n=0 0 n/a, 0 Karvonen, 2001 RCT Effective 1 La 12 VII Abdominal symptoms n=n/a (states similar between groups) n/a n/a, n/a Karvonen, 2001 RCT Effective 2 28 VII Abdominal symptoms n=n/a n/a n/a, n/a C-152 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Yogurt only Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Karvonen, 2001 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 3 La 25 VII Abdominal symptoms n=n/a n/a Karvonen, 2001 RCT Effective 4 La 25 VII Abdominal symptoms n=n/a n/a n/a, n/a Kerac, 2009 RCT Not effective 1 La 399 XXVII Death (SAE) n=108 XXVII Not tolerating/clinically worsening n=6 XI Probiotics-related sepsis (SAE) n=0 XXVII Medical visits with problem n=26 XXVII Readmission episodes (SAE) n=87 n/a n/a, n/a 27 Kerac, 2009 RCT Not effective 2 396 XXVII Death (SAE) n=119 XXVII Not tolerating/clinically worsening n=5 XI Probiotics-related sepsis (SAE) n=0 XXVII Medical visits with problem n=48 XXVII Readmission episodes (SAE) n=71 n/a n/a, n/a 16 Kianifar, 2009 RCT Effective 1 Bi 34 XIII Bacteremia (SAE) n=0 XIII Fungemia (SAE) n=0 n/a 2, 0 Kianifar, 2009 RCT Effective 2 34 XIII Bacteremia (SAE) n=0 XIII Fungemia (SAE) n=0 n/a 4, 0 17/68 (probiotic group) versus 23/69 (control group) taken blood cultures positive C-153 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Kim, 2006 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Ba 12 VII Loose stool, diarrhea or worsening of GI symptoms n=0 VII Dehydration n=0 IX Elevated blood pressure n=0 No abnormal changes in blood chemistry Kim, 2006 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 Ba 12 Kim, 2006 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 Kim, 2006 RCT Effectiveness unclear Kim, 2006 RCT Effectiveness unclear 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 3, 0 VII Loose stool, diarrhea w/ or w/out worsening of GI symptoms n=1 (states not related) VII Dehydration n=1 (states not related) IX Elevated blood pressure n=1 (states not related) 1 2, 1 12 VII Loose stool, diarrhea or worsening of G1 symptoms n=0 VII Dehydration n=0 IX Elevated blood pressure n=0 0 3, 0 Placebo 2 Ba 12 VII Loose stool, diarrhea w/ or w/out worsening of GI symptoms n=1 (states not related) VII Dehydration n=0 (states not related) IX Elevated blood pressure n=0 (states not related) 1 3, 1 Other Probiotic 3 Ba 12 VII Loose stool, diarrhea or worsening of GI symptoms n=1 VII Dehydration n=0 IX Elevated blood pressure n=0 1 2, 1 C-154 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Kim, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 St 168 XXVII Metallic taste n=28 VII Diarrhea n=16 VII Epigastric soreness n=7 VII Epigastric pain n=4 VII Bloating n=4 VII Epigastric discomfort n=1 VII Nausea n=3 VII Acid regurgitation n=2 VIII Headache n=1 VII Constipation n=1 XIV Weight gain n=1 XXIII Pruritus n=1 69 N Dropouts, Due to AE 6, 2 Kim, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 179 XXVII Metallic taste n=13 VII Diarrhea n=14 VII Epigastric soreness n=6 VII Epigastric pain n=5 VII Bloating n=2 VII Epigastric discomfort n=4 VII Nausea n=n/a VII Acid regurgitation n=1 VIII Headache n=1 VII Constipation n=1 XIV Weight gain n=1 XXIII Pruritus n=n/a 47 15, 1 Kirjavainen,2003 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 17 VII Diarrhea n=0 0 3, 0 C-155 Patients with AEs Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Triple therapy only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Kirjavainen,2003 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 2 10 VII Diarrhea n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 2, 0 Kirjavainen,2003 RCT Effectiveness unclear 3 La 16 VII Diarrhea n=5 5 3, 0 Klarin, 2008 RCT Not effective 1 La 23 XXVII Death (SAE) n=5 n/a n/a, n/a Klarin, 2008 RCT Not effective 2 21 XXVII Death (in-hospital mortality) (SAE) n=6 Klarin,2005 RCT Effective 1 La 9 XXVII Death (SAE) n=2 VII Diarrhea n=n/a (states no difference between groups) VII Gas bloating n=n/a n/a 1, 0 Klarin,2005 RCT Effective 2 8 XXVII Death (SAE) n=2 VII Diarrhea n=n/a VII Gas bloating n=n/a n/a 1, 0 Knight, 2007 RCT Not effective 1 La 150 XXVII Death attributable to probiotics (SAE) n=0 VII Diarrhea n=7 XXVII Colonization (Leuconostoc, in tracheal aspirate) n=1 n/a 20, 0 n/a, n/a C-156 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Non-probiotic Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Knight, 2007 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 150 XXVII Death attributable to probiotics (SAE) n=0 VII Diarrhea n=9 XXVII Colonization (Leuconostoc, in tracheal aspirate) n=0 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 21, 0 Koning, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 En 20 VII Nausea n=n/a VII Abdominal cramps n=n/a VII Bloating n=n/a VII Flatulence n=n/a n/a 1, 0 Koning, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 21 VII Nausea n=n/a VII Abdominal cramps n=n/a VII Bloating n=n/a VII Flatulence n=n/a n/a 2, 0 Kopp, 2008 RCT Not effective LTFU Kopp, 2008 RCT Not effective LTFU Kotzampassi, 2006 RCT Effective 1 La 54 XXII Wheezing bronchitis (5 or more episodes) n=13 n/a 4, 0 2 51 XXII Wheezing bronchitis (5 or more episodes) n=4 n/a 7, 0 1 La 41 VII Severe constipation n=4 VII Diarrhea n=5 VII Increased gastric residuals n=7 XI Infection due to species contained in formula (SAE) n=0 n/a 6, 6 90% mild-mod symptoms in placebo White blood cell count, c-reactive protein levels and endotoxin levels decreased compared to placebo C-157 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Kotzampassi, 2006 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 36 VII Severe constipation n=6 VII Diarrhea n=10 VII Increased gastric residuals n=15 XI Infection due to species contained in formula (SAE) n=0 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 6, 6 Krasse, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 20 VII Increased bowel movements n=0 0 n/a, 0 Antibiotics unclear Krasse, 2005 RCT Effective 2 18 VII Increased bowel movements n=0 0 n/a, 0 Antibiotics needed Krasse, 2005 RCT Effective 3 La 21 VII Increased bowel movements n=1 1 n/a, 0 Antibiotics unclear Kuitunen, 2009 RCT Not effective LTFU 1 Bi 610 XIII Anemia n=16 (1 at 6 months) XXVII Excessive crying n=13 VII Abdominal discomfort n=35 VII Vomiting n=7 n/a n/a, n/a Kuitunen, 2009 RCT Not effective LTFU 2 613 XIII Anemia n=10 (0 at 6 mons; 10 at 2yrs) XXVII Excessive crying n=9 VII Abdominal discomfort n=37 VII Vomiting n=12 n/a n/a, n/a Kurugol, 2005 RCT Effective 1 Sa 115 VII Meteorism n=1 1 15, 0 C-158 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Kurugol, 2005 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 117 VII Meteorism n=0 0 La Rosa, 2003 RCT Effective 1 Ba 60 XXVII Abdominal colic n=0 0 n/a, n/a La Rosa, 2003 RCT Effective 2 60 VII Abdominal colic n=1 1 n/a, 1 Laitinen, 2008 RCT Effective 1 Bi 85 VII Flatulence, loose stools or constipation n=5 5 12, 9 Laitinen, 2008 RCT Effective 2 86 VII Flatulence, loose stools or constipation n=6 6 17, 7 Langhendries, 1995 RCT Effective 1 St 20 n/a n/a, n/a Langhendries, 1995 RCT Effective 2 20 n/a n/a, n/a Larsen, 2006 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 Bi 15 X Hay fever n=n/a VII Diarrhea n=n/a (1 pat dropped out before treatment) n/a 1, 1 Larsen, 2006 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 15 X Hay fever n=n/a VII Diarrhea n=n/a n/a 1, 0 Well accepted (both groups) 68% in all groups complained of flatulence, 37% abdominal bloating, 22% headache C-159 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE 17, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Formula only Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Larsen, 2006 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 3 Bi 15 X Hay fever n=n/a VII Diarrhea n=n/a Larsen, 2006 RCT Effectiveness unclear 4 Bi 15 X Hay fever n=1 VII Diarrhea n=n/a Larsson, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 50 X Suspected allergy (vaginal discomfort) n=1 XXIII Itching n=0 XI Candida infection n=5 Larsson, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 50 Lata, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 Bi Lata, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 Other Harms Patients with AEs n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category 0, 0 Headache, menorrhagia, hemorrhoids, influenza, bronchitis, whiplash, asthma, urinary tract infection occurred, number and group unclear 14 n/a, 1 X Suspected allergy (vaginal discomfort) n=0 XXIII Itching n=0 XI Candida infection n=4 12 n/a, 1 7 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 n/a n/a, n/a 15 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 n/a n/a, n/a C-160 Antibiotics needed Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Lawrence, 2005 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 8 VII Bloating n=2 VII Excessive flatulence n=3 VII Nausea n=0 VII Vomiting n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Constipation n=0 XI Lactobacillus infections (SAE) n=0 Concomitant antibiotics may have caused side effects Lawrence, 2005 RCT Not effective 2 7 Li, 2004 RCT Effective 1 Bi Li, 2004 RCT Effective 2 5 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 VII Bloating n=1 VII Excessive flatulence n=0 VII Nausea n=0 VII Vomiting n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Constipation n=0 XI Lactobacillus infections (SAE) n=0 1 0, 0 10 VII Flatulence n=0 VII Increased residual gastric content n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Constipation n=0 XI Septicemia due to Bifidobacterium (SAE) n=0 0 n/a, n/a 10 VII Flatulence n=0 VII Increased residual gastric content n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Constipation n=0 XI Septicemia due to Bifidobacterium (SAE) n=0 0 n/a, n/a C-161 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo No supplement Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Ligaarden, 2010 C-RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 La 10 Ligaarden, 2010 C-RCT Not effective 2 9 Lighthouse, 2004 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 Bi 10 VII Bowel abnormalities n=0 VIII Feverish episode n=2 VIII Diarrheal syndrome n=0 Lighthouse, 2004 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 10 VII Bowel abnormalities n=0 VIII Feverish episode n=0 VIII Diarrheal syndrome n=0 Lin, 1989 C-RCT Not effective 1 La 460 VII Constipation n=6 VII Flatulence n=15 VII Diarrhea n=9 VII Stomach upset n=3 Lin, 1989 C-RCT Not effective 2 460 VII Constipation n=5 VII Flatulence n=11 VII Diarrhea n=10 VII Stomach upset n=1 Lin, 2005 RCT Effective 1 Bi 180 XI Sepsis due to Lactobacillus a Bifidobacterium (SAE) n=0 Other Harms 1 pts was hospitalized for cervicobrachialgia during washout and there were 3 minor adverse events, group unclear Patients with AEs n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 1, 0 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category hospital stay 2, 0 n/a n/a Non-probiotic 126, n/a 126, n/a n/a Placebo 2, 2 0, 0 C-162 Hospi tali zations n/a, 7 Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Lin, 2005 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 187 XI Sepsis due to Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium (SAE) n=0 n/a Lin, 2008 RCT Effective 1 Bi 222 XI Sepsis due to probiotics (SAE) n=0 VII Flatulence n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 n/a 5, 2 Lin, 2008 RCT Effective 2 221 XI Sepsis due to probiotics (SAE) n=0 VII Flatulence n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 n/a 4, 3 Ljungberg, 2006 RCT Effective LTFU Ljungberg, 2006 RCT Effective LTFU Loguercio, 1987 RCT Effective 1 Bi n/a n/a, n/a 1 En 20 Loguercio, 1987 RCT Effective 2 Lonnermark, 2010 RCT Effective 1 La 3 samples positive for beta cell autoantibodies, group not stated Patients with AEs 2 N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, 20 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Breast only 1 20 VII Constipation (switched treatment) n=0 VII Meteorism n=5 VII Abdominal pain n=6 VII Diarrhea n=1 6 2, 2 118 VII Constipation n=3 3 38, n/a milk Placebo n/a, n/a VII Constipation (switched treatment) n=1 VII Meteorism n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 Control Category Placebo 1, 1 Lactulose C-163 Non-probiotic Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Lonnermark, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 121 VII Constipation n=3 3 Lu, 2004 CCT Effective 1 La VII Vomiting n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Obstipation n=0 XXI Abdominal pain n=0 X Allergic reactions n=0 0 n/a, 0 Lu, 2004 CCT Effective 2 VII Vomiting n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Obstipation n=0 XXI Abdominal pain n=0 X Allergic reactions n=0 0 n/a, n/a Lu, 2004 CCT Effective 3 La VII Vomiting n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Constipation n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 XXI Cough n=0 X Allergic reaction n=0 0 n/a, n/a Lu, 2004 CCT Effective 4 La VII Vomiting n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Constipation n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 XXI Cough n=0 X Allergic reaction n=0 0 n/a, n/a Luoto, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Bi 85 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=0 XXVII Illness in child n=3 n/a 18, n/a Luoto, 2010 RCT Effective 2 86 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=0 XXVII Illness in child n=1 n/a 23, n/a Discontinued to illness in mother (treatment = 3, control = 3); miscarriage 2 in both groups C-164 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE 38, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Dietary counseling only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Mдkelдinen, 2003 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a 1 Bi 19 VII Intestinal complaints n=0 0 Mдkelдinen, 2003 RCT Effective 2 20 VII Intestinal complaints n=0 0 n/a, n/a Malaguarnera, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 Bi 30 VII Nausea n=1 XVII Headache (1) n=1 VII Abdominal pain n=2 VII Diarrhea n=0 XVII Headache moderate n=0 n/a 0, 0 Malaguarnera, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 30 VII Nausea n=0 XVII Headache slight n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Diarrhea n=2 XVII Headache moderate n=1 Malaguarnera, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Bi 63 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Cramping n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Flatulence n=0 0 n/a, n/a Malaguarnera, 2010 RCT Effective 2 62 VII Abdominal pain n=n/a VII Cramping n=n/a VII Diarrhea n=n/a VII Flatulence n=n/a n/a n/a, n/a 0, 0 C-165 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Non-probiotic Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Maldonado, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 40 VII Spitting up n=1 XXVII Night awakenings n=1 XXVII Irritability n=0 XXVII Severe crying n=0 VII Constipation n=4 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Maldonado, 2009 RCT Effective 2 40 VII Spitting up n=2 XXVII Night awakenings n=3 XXVII Irritability n=1 XXVII Severe crying n=0 VII Constipation n=6 n/a 0, 0 Mandel, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Ba 22 XXIII Shingles n=1 XXIII Poison ivy n=1 XXII A cold n=1 I Leg edema n=1 VII Gastrointestinal reflux n=0 XI Upper respiratory infection n=0 XI Urinary tract infection n=0 4 n/a, n/a Mandel, 2010 RCT Effective 2 22 XXIII Shingles n=0 XXIII Poison ivy n=0 XXII A cold n=0 I Leg edema n=0 VII Gastrointestinal reflux n=1 XI Upper respiratory infection n=1 XI Urinary tract infection n=1 3 n/a, n/a Manley, 2007 C-RCT Effective 1 La 14 XXVII Death (SAE) n=3 (2 after cross-over to treatment) n/a 3, 1 C-166 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Manley, 2007 C-RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 13 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 Manzoni, 2006 RCT Effective 1 La 39 XI Sepsis due to LGG (SAE) n=0 0 0, 0 Manzoni, 2006 RCT Effective 2 41 XI Sepsis due to LGG (SAE) n=0 0 0, 0 Margreiter, 2006 RCT Effective 1 Bi 81 XIII Lab abnormalities n=0 0 10, 0 Margreiter, 2006 RCT Effective 2 En 85 XIII Lab abnormalities n=0 0 8, 0 Marotta, 2003 C-RCT Effective 1 Bi 26 XXVII Significant dietary change n=0 XXVII Significant pharmacological change n=0 XIII Significant weight change n=0 VII Abdominal complaints n=0 VII Changes in bowel habit n=0 0 0, 0 C-167 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE 5, 2 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Yogurt only Milk only Other Probiotic Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Marotta, 2003 C-RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 2 15 XXVII Significant dietary change n=0 XXVII Significant pharmacological change n=0 XIII Significant weight change n=0 VII Abdominal complaints n=0 VII Changes in bowel habit n=0 Marrazzo, 2006 RCT Effective 1 La XXVII Stickiness n=n/a XXI Abnormal vaginal discharge n=n/a Marrazzo, 2006 RCT Effective 2 XXVII Stickiness n=n/a XXI Abnormal vaginal discharge n=n/a Marseglia, 2007 RCT Effective 1 Ba 40 Marseglia, 2007 RCT Effective 2 40 Marteau, 2004 RCT Not effective 1 La 48 VII Digestive disorder n=n/a XXIII Edema n=1 XXIII Cutaneous nevus n=0 6 13, 0 Marteau, 2004 RCT Not effective 2 50 VII Digestive disorder n=n/a XXIII Edema n=1 XXIII Cutaneous nevus n=0 6 7, 0 0 Between 3.6% and 7.8% reported SE's 3 cases of diarrhea, group unclear N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 n/a n/a, n/a n/a n/a, n/a n/a 0, 0 0, 0 C-168 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Non-probiotic Placebo No treatment Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Martiney, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 St 24 XIII Abdominal hematological parameters n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 3, 0 Martiney, 2009 RCT Effective 2 25 XIII Abdominal hematological parameters n=0 0 2, 0 Martinez, 2008 RCT Effective 1 La 29 XIV Increased appetite n=2 (states not due to probiotics) XVII Headache n=1 VII Light stool n=1 n/a n/a, n/a Martinez, 2008 RCT Effective 2 26 XIV Increased appetite n=0 XVII Headache n=0 VII Light stool n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Martinez, 2009 RCT Effective 1 La 32 XVII Persistent headache n=1 (states not due to probiotics) n/a n/a, n/a Martinez, 2009 RCT Effective 2 32 XVII Persistent headache episode n=0 Mayanagi, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 34 XI Respiratory infection n=0 0 0, 0 Mayanagi, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 33 XI Respiratory infection n=1 1 1, 0 n/a, n/a C-169 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Yogurt only Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU McFarland, 1994 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Sa 57 VII Constipation n=8 XI Pneumonia -death (5) (SAE) n=1 XI Staphylococcus sepsis -death (5) (SAE) n=0 XXVII Increased thirst n=5 1 rash occurred (withdrew), group unclear McFarland, 1994 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 67 VII Constipation n=2 XI Pneumonia -death (5) (SAE) n=0 XI Staphylococcus sepsis -death (5) (SAE) n=4 XXVII Increased thirst n=0 McFarland, 1995 RCT Effective 1 Sa 97 VII Intestinal gas n=0 VIII Fever n=0 McFarland, 1995 RCT Effective 2 96 McNaught, 2002 RCT Not effective 1 La McNaught, 2002 RCT Not effective 2 Patients with AEs n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a n/a n/a, n/a n/a n/a, n/a VII Intestinal gas n=7 VIII Fever n=5 n/a n/a, n/a 64 VII Nausea n=16 VII Paralytic ileus n=12 n/a n/a, n/a 65 VII Nausea n=0 (or not reported) VII Paralytic ileus n=0 (or not reported) n/a n/a, n/a 3 deaths, 4 nausea or constipation, group unclear C-170 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo No treatment Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Merenstein, 2009 RCT Not effective Merenstein, 2009 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Sa 61 XXVII Emesis n=1 VII Constipation n=0 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 XXVII Permanent disability (SAE) n=0 XXVII Life-threatening event (SAE) n=0 XXVII Hospitalization (SAE) n=0 XXVII Prolonged hospital stay (SAE) n=0 1 2 Sa 64 XXVII Emesis n=0 VII Constipation n=1 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 XXVII Permanent disability (SAE) n=0 XXVII Life-threatening event (SAE) n=0 XXVII Hospitalization (SAE) n=0 XXVII Prolonged hospital stay (SAE) n=0 1 C-171 Patients with AEs N Dropouts, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospitalizations n/a, n/a 0 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category 0 Other Probiotic Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Merenstein, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 St 314 VII Diarrhea n=6 VII Gas n=1 VII Vomiting n=0 VII Lack of appetite n=0 VII Constipation n=2 XXIII Hives n=1 XXIII Rash n=7 XI Gastro-intestinal virus (SAE) n=1 XI Pneumonia leading to asthma attack (SAE) n=0 XI Viral infection causing fever (SAE) n=0 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 XXVII Life-threatening event (SAE) n=0 XXVII Hospitalization (SAE) n=1 (unrelated to study product per author) XXVII Prolonged hospital stay (SAE) n=0 XXVII Permanent disability (SAE) n=0 Other Harms Patients with AEs 18 C-172 N Dropouts, Due to AE 1, n/a Hospitalizations 1 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Merenstein, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 342 VII Diarrhea n=3 VII Gas n=0 VII Vomiting n=3 VII Lack of appetite n=3 VII Constipation n=2 XXIII Hives n=0 XXIII Rash n=10 XI Gastro-intestinal virus (SAE) n=0 XI Pneumonia leading to asthma attack (SAE) n=1 XI Viral infection causing fever (SAE) n=1 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 XXVII Life-threatening event (SAE) n=0 XXVII Hospitalization (SAE) n=2 (unrelated to study product per author) XXVII Prolonged hospital stay (SAE) n=0 XXVII Permanent disability (SAE) n=0 22 Metts, 2003 RCT Effective 1 La 9 XXI Vaginal discharge n=0 0 n/a, n/a Metts, 2003 RCT Effective 2 10 XXI Vaginal discharge n=1 1 n/a, n/a Metts, 2003 RCT Effective 3 Bi 8 XXI Vaginal discharge n=1 1 n/a, n/a Miele, 2009 RCT Effective 1 St 14 XIII Lab value changes n=0 0 0, 0 C-173 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE 1, n/a Hospi tali zations 2 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Miele, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 2 15 XIII Lab value changes n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Millar, 1993 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 10 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=0 XI Perineal Candida infection n=1 XI Infection attributable to LGG n=0 1 0, 0 Antibiotics unclear Millar, 1993 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 10 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=0 XI Perineal Candida infection n=1 XI Infection attributable to LGG n=0 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Mimura, 2004 RCT Effective 1 St 20 VII Abdominal cramps n=1 VII Vomiting n=1 VII Diarrhea n=1 1 1, 1 Antibiotics needed Mimura, 2004 RCT Effective 2 16 VII Abdominal cramps n=0 VII Vomiting n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 0 0, 0 Miyaji, 2006 RCT Effective 1 La 21 VII New gastrointestinal symptoms n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Miyaji, 2006 RCT Effective 2 18 VII New gastrointestinal symptoms n=0 Morrow, 2010 RCT Effective 1 La 73 XI Lactobacillus bacteremia (SAE) n=0 XI Lactobacillus pneumonia (SAE) n=0 n/a, n/a n/a C-174 5, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Milk only Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Morrow, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 73 XI Lactobacillus bacteremia (SAE) n=0 XI Lactobacillus pneumonia (SAE) n=0 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 3, 0 Mukerji, 2009 RCT Not effective 1 La 39 VII Bloating n=7 VII Diarrhea n=8 VII Abdominal pain n=7 VII Loose stools n=9 14 2, n/a Mukerji, 2009 RCT Not effective 2 38 VII Bloating n=9 VII Diarrhea n=10 VII Abdominal pain n=7 VII Loose stools n=8 17 3, n/a Naito, 2008 RCT Effective LTFU 1 La 100 XX Pain on micturition n=31 XX Urinary frequency adverse events n=25 XX Gross hematuria n=16 VII Constipation n=6 VII Diarrhea n=2 XXVII Death (SAE) n=4 n/a 24, 0 Naito, 2008 RCT Effective LTFU 2 102 XX Pain on micturition n=42 XX Urinary frequency adverse events n=31 XX Gross hematuria n=19 VII Constipation n=4 VII Diarrhea n=0 XXVII Death (SAE) n=3 n/a 7, 0 Newcomer, 1983 RCT Not effective 1 La 10 VII Diarrhea n=n/a VII Abdominal pain n=n/a VII Gas n=n/a VII Borborygmi n=n/a n/a 0, 0 C-175 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Chemotherapy only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Newcomer, 1983 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 10 VII Diarrhea n=n/a VII Abdominal pain n=n/a VII Gas n=n/a VII Borborygmi n=n/a Niers, 2009 RCT Effective LTFU 1 Bi 78 XXVII Health problems n=4 XXVII Feeding difficulties n=9 VII Gastrointestinal colic n=1 Niers, 2009 RCT Effective LTFU 2 78 XXVII Health problems n=3 XXVII Feeding difficulties n=7 VII Gastrointestinal colic n=1 VII n= Niv, 2005 RCT Not effective 1 La 27 VII Dyspepsia n=1 XVII Headache n=1 VII Nausea n=0 13 6, 0 Niv, 2005 RCT Not effective 2 27 VII Dyspepsia n=3 XVII Headache n=0 VII Nausea n=1 13 9, 1 Nobuta, 2009 RCT Effective 1 La 16 VII Abdominal pain n=1 XI Cold n=0 VII Abdominal pain and diarrhea n=0 n/a 2, 1 Nobuta, 2009 RCT Effective 2 16 VII Abdominal pain n=0 XI Cold n=0 VII Abdominal pain and diarrhea n=0 n/a 0, 0 Health problems mother (4 versus 2 in treatment and control); use of antibiotics by mother or child (both 3) C-176 Patients with AEs n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo 28, 19 Antibiotics unclear 30, 17 Antibiotics unclear Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Nobuta, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 3 La 16 VII Abdominal pain n=0 XI Cold n=1 VII Abdominal pain and diarrhea n=0 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 1, 1 Nobuta, 2009 RCT Effective 4 La 16 VII Abdominal pain n=0 XI Cold n=0 VII Abdominal pain and diarrhea n=1 n/a 2, 1 O'Mahony, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La XIII Blood count changes n=0 XIII Serum chemistry changes n=0 XIII Serum immunoglobulin changes n=0 n/a n/a, n/a O'Mahony, 2005 RCT Effective 2 XIII Blood count changes n=0 XIII Serum chemistry changes n=0 XIII Serum immunoglobulin changes n=0 n/a n/a, n/a O'Mahony, 2005 RCT Effective 3 Bi XIII Blood count changes n=0 XIII Serum chemistry changes n=0 XII Serum immunoglobulin changes n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Ojetti, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La VII Constipation n=1 n/a 0, 0 20 Other Harms 1 epistaxis, 1 unstable angina, 1 chest pain due to anxiety, 1 hospitalized with abdominal pain, group unclear C-177 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Ojetti, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 20 VII Constipation n=0 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Ojetti, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear 3 20 VII Diarrhea n=n/a VII Constipation n=n/a VII Flatulence n=n/a VII Bloating n=n/a VII Abdominal pain n=n/a n/a 0, 0 Olah, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 33 VII Diarrhea n=n/a VII Bloating n=n/a 5 n/a, n/a Olah, 2005 RCT Effective 2 29 VII Diarrhea n=n/a VII Bloating n=n/a 4 n/a, n/a Olivares, 2006 RCT Effective 1 St 15 I Hematological changes n=0 XXVII Health disturbances n=0 n/a n/a, 0 Olivares, 2006 RCT Effective 2 15 I Hematological changes n=0 XXVII Health disturbances n=0 n/a n/a, 0 Osterlund, 2007 RCT Effective 1 La 98 XI Lactobacillus growth in blood n=0 n/a n/a, 0 Osterlund, 2007 RCT Effective 2 52 I Lactobacillus growth in blood n=0 n/a n/a, 7 Gastrointestinal discomfort was very low in both groups C-178 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Prebiotics Yogurt only Chemotherapy only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Ouwehand, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 Bi 24 XXII Asthma n=2 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 4, 2 Hospi tali zations Ouwehand, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 23 XXII Asthma n=1 n/a 2, 1 Ozkinay, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 240 VII Diarrhea n=1 VII Nausea n=0 1 4, 0 Ozkinay, 2005 RCT Effective 2 120 VII Diarrhea n=1 VII Nausea n=1 Panigrahi, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 19 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=0 VII Diarrhea (hospitalized) n=0 0 n/a, 0 0 Panigrahi, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 12 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=0 VII Diarrhea (hospitalized) n=4 4 n/a, 0 4 Parent, 1996 RCT Effective 1 La 17 XXI Disagreeable sensations and burning n=1 1 9, 0 Parent, 1996 RCT Effective 2 15 XXI Disagreeable sensations and burning n=0 0 6, 0 Control Category Placebo 2, 0 C-179 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Parfenov, 2005 CCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 St 30 VII Bloating n=5 5 Parfenov, 2005 CCT Effective 1 St 20 XXVII Allergic reactions n=0 0 n/a, n/a Parfenov, 2005 CCT Effective 2 30 VII Bloating n=0 0 , Parfenov, 2005 CCT Effective 2 10 XXVII Allergic reactions n=0 0 n/a, n/a Parra, 2004 RCT Effective 1 La 23 XXVII Modification in nutritional parameters n=0 XXVII General Health problem associated with consumption of the product n=0 n/a 0, 0 Parra, 2004 RCT Effective 2 22 XXVII Modification in nutritional parameters n=0 XXVII General Health problem associated with consumption of the product n=0 n/a 0, 0 Passeron, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 24 VII Abdominal pain (1) n=2 2 7, 0 Passeron, 2005 RCT Effective 2 24 VII Abdominal pain (1) n=1 1 2, 0 C-180 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE , Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category No treatment Milk only Prebiotics Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Peral, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 La 38 X Local or systemic allergic symptoms n=0 XIII Pain (tolerable) n=5 XI Administered organism in peripheral blood or wound samples (SAE) n=0 5 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Peral, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 42 X Local or systemic allergic symptoms n=0 XIII Pain (tolerable) n=0 XI Administered organism in peripheral blood or wound samples (SAE) n=0 0 0, 0 Pereg, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 St 20 XXVII Acute illnesses not related to liver disease requiring hospitalization (SAE) n=2 n/a 2, 0 Pereg, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 20 XXVII Acute illnesses not related to liver disease requiring hospitalization n=2 n/a 2, 0 Petschow, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 15 XXVII Increased fussiness n=n/a VII Increased gas n=n/a XI Thrush n=n/a XXII Nasal congestion n=n/a XXIII Diaper rash n=n/a XXII Upper respiratory events n=n/a n/a 3, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Non-probiotic 3 Paracentesis C-181 3 Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Petschow, 2005 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 2 15 XXVII Increased fussiness n=n/a VII Increased gas n=n/a XI Thrush n=n/a XXII Nasal congestion n=n/a XXIII Diaper rash n=n/a XXII Upper respiratory events n=n/a Petschow, 2005 RCT Effective 3 La 14 XXVII Increased fussiness n=n/a VII Increased gas n=n/a XI Thrush n=n/a XXII Nasal congestion n=n/a XXIII Diaper rash n=n/a XXII Upper respiratory events n=n/a 0, 0 Petschow, 2005 RCT Effective 4 La 15 XXVII Increased fussiness n=n/a VII Increased gas n=n/a XI Thrush n=n/a XXII Nasal congestion n=n/a XXIII Diaper rash n=n/a XXII Upper respiratory events n=n/a 2, n/a n/a C-182 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Formula only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Prantera, 2002 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 23 XI Suture stitch suppuration n=1 (states not treatment related) XIII Mild increased alanine aminotransferase n=1 (not treatment related per author) XXIII Acne n=0 VII Nausea n=0 XX Hematuria n=0 XIX Depressive state n=0 Diarrhea, bloating, and meteorism did not differ between groups Prantera, 2002 RCT Not effective 2 22 Pregliasco, 2008 RCT Effective 1 Bi 122 2 N Dropouts, Due to AE 5, 0 XI Suture stitch suppuration n=1 (not treatment related per author) XIII Mild increased alanine aminotransferase n=1 (not treatment related per author) XXIII Acne n=1 (not treatment related per author) VII Nausea n=1 (not treatment related per author) XX Hematuria n=1 (not treatment related per author) XIX Depressive state n=1 (not treatment related per author) 6 3, 0 VII Worsened bowel function n=9 9 8, 0 C-183 Patients with AEs Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Pregliasco, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 115 VII Worsened bowel function n=9 9 N Drop outs, Due to AE 10, 0 Pregliasco, 2008 RCT Effective 1 Bi 79 VII Worsened bowel function n=6 6 5, 0 Pregliasco, 2008 RCT Effective 2 76 VII Worsened bowel function n=10 10 8, 0 Pregliasco, 2008 RCT Effective 3 Bi 79 VII Worsened bowel function n=9 9 9, 0 Pregliasco, 2008 RCT Effective 1 Bi 84 VII Worsened bowel function n=13 13 8, 0 Pregliasco, 2008 RCT Effective 2 82 VII Worsened bowel function n=5 5 7, 0 Pregliasco, 2008 RCT Effective 3 Bi 84 VII Worsened bowel function n=9 9 6, 0 C-184 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Puccio, 2007 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Bi 42 XI Respiratory tract infections n=17 XXVII Sudden infant death (SAE) n=1 XXVII Congenital disorder (SAE) n=0 XXVII Adverse event (illnesses and symptoms) n=30 XXVII Life-threatening event (permanent harm, in-patient treatment) (SAE) n=12 XXVII Serious adverse event (fatal, life thretening, in-patient treatment) (SAE) n=12 No significant difference in dropout rates (reasons: lifethreatening events, hospitalizations, spitting and crying, other adverse events or other reasons; group unclear), crying, restlessness, colic, spitting and vomiting Puccio, 2007 RCT Effective 2 55 XI Respiratory tract infections n=27 XXVII Sudden infant death (SAE) n=0 XXVII Congenital disorder (SAE) n=1 XXVII Adverse event (illnesses and symptoms) (SAE) n=12 XXVII Life-threatening event (permanent harm, in-patient treatment) (SAE) n=10 XXVII Serious adverse event (fatal, life thretening, in-patient treatment) (SAE) n=10 n/a 14, n/a Rampengan, 2010 RCT Effective 1 La 43 XXVII Respiratory or bowel symptoms n=4 n/a 4, 4 C-185 Patients with AEs n/a N Dropouts, Due to AE 23, n/a Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Rampengan, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 2 La 43 XXVII Respiratory or bowel symptoms n=3 Ranganathan C-RCT Effective 1 St 16 Ranganathan C-RCT Effective 2 16 Rautava, 2008 RCT Effective 1 Bi 38 VII Vomiting n=1 VII Flatulence n=0 XXVII Increased fussing n=0 1 6, 2 Rautava, 2008 RCT Effective 2 43 VII Vomiting n=n/a VII Flatulence n=n/a XXVII Increased fussing n=n/a 3 2, 1 Rayes, 2002 RCT Effective 1 La 35 VII Abdominal side effects (distension, cramps or diarrhea) n=6 6 4, 0 Rayes, 2002 RCT Effective 2 36 VII Abdominal side effects (distension, cramps or diarrhea) n=8 8 4, 0 n/a Death due to a myocardial infarction and minor event such as bloating or gastrointestinal of temporary nature, lasting only a few days, group / phase unclear n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 3, 3 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Other Probiotic n/a, n/a n/a, n/a C-186 Hospi tali zations Placebo Placebo Parenteral or enteral nutrition only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Rayes, 2002 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 3 La 34 VII Abdominal side effects (distension, cramps or diarrhea) n=11 11 N Drop outs, Due to AE 2, 0 Rayes, 2002 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 30 VII Abdominal distension n=3 VII Abdominal cramps n=4 VII Diarrhea n=0 n/a 0, 0 Rayes, 2002 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 30 VII Abdominal distension n=4 VII Abdominal cramps n=6 VII Diarrhea n=0 0, 0 Rayes, 2002 RCT Effectiveness unclear 3 La 30 VII Abdominal distension n=6 VII Abdominal cramps n=5 VII Diarrhea n=0 0, 0 Rayes, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 33 VII Diarrhea (disappeared with temporary treatment reduction) n=3 VII Abdominal cramps (disappeared with temporary treatment reduction) n=5 VII Abdominal distension n=0 n/a C-187 0, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Standard crystalloid solution only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Rayes, 2005 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 2 33 VII Diarrhea (disappeared with temporary treatment reduction) n=4 VII Abdominal cramps (disappeared with temporary treatment reduction) n=6 VII Abdominal distension (disappeared with temporary treatment reduction) n=6 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Rayes, 2007 RCT Effective 1 La 45 VII Diarrhea n=2 VII Abdominal cramps n=3 VII Abdominal distension and cramps n=0 n/a 5, 0 Rayes, 2007 RCT Effective 2 Reid, 1992 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La VII Diarrhea n=2 VII Abdominal cramps n=0 VII Abdominal distension and cramps n=6 19 XXIII Rash n=0 VII Vomiting n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Nausea n=0 XX Irritation n=0 XX Discharge n=0 XI Superinfection (SAE) n=0 , 1 pneumonia, group unclear C-188 n/a n/a, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Reid, 1992 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 21 XXIII Rash n=o VII Vomiting n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Nausea n=0 XX Irritation n=0 XX Discharge n=0 XI Superinfection (SAE) n=n Reid, 1995 RCT Effective 1 La 25 XXVII Emergence of uncommon uropathogens n=0 XXVII Adverse alteration of urogenital flora n=0 0 8, 0 Reid, 1995 RCT Effective 2 24 XXVII emergence of uncommon uropathogens n=0 XXVII Adverse alteration of urogenital flora n=0 0 3, 0 Ren, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Bi 35 XXIII Skin rash n=0 VII Gastrointestinal side effects n=0 0 n/a, n/a Ren, 2010 RCT Effective 2 35 XXIII Skin rash n=0 VII Gastrointestinal side effects n=0 0 n/a, n/a Reuman, 1986 RCT Not effective 1 La 15 XXVII Death (SAE) n=1 n/a 1, 1 No statistically significant difference between groups in duration of hospitalization, days not fed orally, antibiotics use, weight gain, formula volume, or other morbidity scores C-189 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Prebiotics Non-probiotic Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Reuman, 1986 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 2 15 XXVII Death (SAE) n=3 Richelsen, 1996 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 En 44 Richelsen, 1996 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 43 Rio, 2002 RCT Effective 1 La 50 Rio, 2002 RCT Effective 2 Roos, 1996 RCT Effective Other Harms Patients with AEs n/a 1 abdominal symptoms, 1 weight gain, 1 hypertriglyceridemia but unclear which group N Drop outs, Due to AE 3, 3 n/a n/a, n/a n/a n/a, n/a XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 n/a 28, n/a 50 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 n/a 14, n/a 1 St 51 XXII Throat pain n=1 XVII Headache n=0 XXII Coughing n=1 XXII Running nose n=1 VIII Fever n=2 XXII Common cold n=1 13 n/a, n/a Roos, 1996 RCT Effective 2 61 XXII Throat pain n=3 XVII Headache n=3 XXII Coughing n=3 XXII Running nose n=2 VIII Fever n=2 XXII Common cold n=2 18 n/a, n/a Roos, 2001 RCT Effective 1 St 53 XI Pneumonia n=0 22 n/a, 0 C-190 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Roos, 2001 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 2 55 XI Pneumonia n=1 Rose, 2010 RCT Not effective 1 La 65 XXIII Diaper rash n=2 XXVII Lactose intolerance (withdrawn) n=0 Rose, 2010 RCT Not effective 2 66 Rosenfeldt, 2002 RCT Effective 1 La Rosenfeldt, 2002 RCT Effective Other Harms 25 N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, 2 n/a 9, 3 XXIII Diaper rash n=0 XXVII Lactose intolerance (withdrawn) n=1 0 n/a 20, 6 27 VII Constipation n=1 1 3, 3 2 23 VII Constipation n=n/a n/a 4, 2 Rosenfeldt, 2003 C-RCT Effective 1 La 13 VII Abdominal pain (mild, transitory) n=2 VII Loose stools n=0 2 1, 0 Rosenfeldt, 2003 C-RCT Effective 2 13 VII Abdominal pain (1) n=1 VII Loose stools n=1 1 1, 0 LGG recipients with allergic sensitization even tended to need more medical intervention. C-191 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Rouge, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Bi 45 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=15 XI Sepsis due to Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus (SAE) n=0 XI Nosocomial infection in infants <=1000g (SAE) n=12 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 2, 2 Rouge, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 49 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=13 XI Sepsis due to Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus (SAE) n=0 XI Nosocomial infection in infants <=1000g (SAE) n=14 n/a 4, 4 Ruiz-Palacios, 1996 RCT Effective 1 Bi n/a n/a, n/a Ruiz-Palacios, 1996 RCT Effective 2 n/a n/a, n/a Ruiz-Palacios, 1996 RCT Effective 3 Bi n/a n/a, n/a Ruiz-Palacios, 1996 RCT Effective 4 Bi n/a n/a, n/a Intake, incidences of vomiting, abdominal discomfort, gas and stool characteristics were not statistically different across groups C-192 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Saavedra, 2004 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 St 44 XXIII Viral rash (dropout) n=1 VII Loose stools (dropout) n=1 VII Vomiting (dropout) n=1 Saavedra, 2004 RCT Effective 2 44 XXIII Viral rash n=0 VII Loose stools n=0 VII Vomiting n=0 Saavedra, 2004 RCT Effective 3 St 43 XXIII Viral rash n=0 VII Loose stools n=0 VII Vomiting n=0 Safdar, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 23 VIII Fever n=2 VII Nausea n=0 2 0, 0 Safdar, 2008 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 17 VIII Fever n=2 VII Nausea n=3 5 1, 0 Sahagun-flores, 2007 RCT Effective 1 La 35 VII Diarrhea, metallic taste, abdominal upset (withdrawal) n=1 XXVII Allergy n=0 n/a 4, 1 Sahagun-flores, 2007 RCT Effective 2 36 VII Diarrhea, metallic taste, abdominal upset (withdrawal) n=0 XXVII Allergy n=1 n/a 3, 1 No difference in growth; other data presented as mean values per 100 subject days. Patients with AEs n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 5, 3 n/a 5, 1 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo 4, 1 C-193 Placebo Antibiotics only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Saint-Marc, 1995 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Sa 18 XI Infection (SAE) n=0 Potassium and hemoglobin levels were slightly but significantly increased in the treated group compared to control Saint-Marc, 1995 RCT Effective 2 17 Salminen, 1988 RCT Effective 1 La Salminen, 1988 RCT Effective Patients with AEs n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 XI Infection (SAE) n=0 n/a 0, 0 12 VII Flatulence n=6 (states due to lactulose) n/a 1, 0 2 12 VII Flatulence n=7 Salminen, 2004 C-RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 20 XIII Change in CD4 counts / no effect on counts n=0 XIII Change in HIV R copies (SAE) n=0 (no HIV R copies) XI Infections due to Lactobacillus n=0 0 3, 0 Salminen, 2004 C-RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 20 XIII Change in CD4 counts / no effect on counts n=0 XIII Change in HIV R copies (SAE) n=0 XI infections due to Lactobacillus n=0 0 3, 0 2, 0 C-194 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Dietary counseling only Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Samanta, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Bi 91 XI Blood culture grew Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium (monitored for sepsis) (SAE) n=0 n/a Samanta, 2008 RCT Effective 2 95 XI Blood culture grew Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium (monitored for sepsis) (SAE) n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Satokari, 2001 RCT Not effective 1 Bi 10 VII Abdominal discomfort n=0 0 n/a, 0 Satokari, 2001 RCT Not effective 2 9 VII Abdominal discomfort n=1 n/a n/a, 0 Savino, 2006 RCT Effective 1 La 45 n/a 4, 0 Savino, 2006 RCT Effective 2 45 Sazawal, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Bi 312 XXVII Death (SAE) n=0 0 16, 0 Sazawal, 2010 RCT Effective 2 312 XXVII Death (SAE) n=2 2 27, 2 1 participant was treated with antibiotics, timing unclear 2 gastroesophageal reflux, group unclear Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a 3, 0 C-195 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Antibiotics unclear Prebiotics Non-probiotic Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Scalabrin, 2009 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 95 XXVII Excessive crying n=0 XXVII Intolerant to formula (SAE) n=0 (SAE per author) VII Gastroesophageal reflux (SAE) n=1 (SAE per author) VII Vomiting n=n/a Upper respiratory infection (27%), nasal congestion (21%), gas (17%), otitis media (16%), diaper rash (15%), group unclear; 5 serious adverse events per author in study group, 3 in control group, 8 in additional group Scalabrin, 2009 RCT Effective 2 95 Scalabrin, 2009 RCT Effective 3 La 99 n/a N Dropouts, Due to AE 32, 23 XXVII Excessive crying n=0 XXVII Intolerant to formula (SAE) n=0 (SAE per author) VII Gastroesophageal reflux (SAE) n=0 (SAE per author) VII Vomiting n=n/a n/a 25, 14 XXVII Excessive crying n=0 XXVII Intolerant (SAE) n=1(SAE per author) VII Gastroesophageal reflux (SAE) n=0(SAE per author) VII Vomiting n=n/a n/a 22, 10 C-196 Patients with AEs Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Formula only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Schrezenmeir, 2004 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Bi 50 VII Diarrhea n=2 (states unrelated to treatment in 1 patient) VII Vomiting (moderate) n=1 VII Postprandial abdominal pain n=0 XXII Asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia n=1 (states unrelated) XXVII Anorexia (severe) and weight loss n=0 XXVII Asthenia n=0 4 Schrezenmeir, 2004 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 43 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Vomiting (moderate) n=1 VII Postprandial abdominal pain (moderate) n=0 XXII Asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia n=0 XXVII Anorexia (severe) and weight loss n=0 XXVII Asthenia n=0 1 17, n/a Schultz, 2004 RCT Not effective 1 La 5 VII Bloating (mild) n=n/a n/a n/a, 0 Schultz, 2004 RCT Not effective 2 6 VII Bloating n=n/a n/a n/a, 0 Seppo, 2003 RCT Effective 1 La 22 XXVII Feeling ill (withdrew) n=n/a VII Bloating n=0 VII Flatulence n=0 n/a n/a, n/a C-197 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE 24, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Pediasure only Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Seppo, 2003 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 17 XXVII Feeling ill n=n/a VII Bloating n=1 VII Flatulence n=1 Sierra, 2010 RCT Effective 1 La 20 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Constipation n=0 VII Dyspepsia n=0 VII Flatulence n=0 VII Stomach ache n=0 VII Maldigestion n=0 VIII Fever n=0 XVII Headache n=0 XV Muscular or bone ache n=0 XI Flu symptoms n=0 I Hematological abnormalities n=0 0 0, 0 Sierra, 2010 RCT Effective 2 20 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Constipation n=0 VII Dyspepsia n=0 VII Flatulence n=0 VII Stomach ache n=0 VII Maldigestion n=0 VIII Fever n=0 XVII Headache n=0 XV Muscular or bone ache n=0 XI Flu symptoms n=0 I Hematological abnormalities n=0 0 0, 0 Simons, 2006 RCT Not effective 1 La 24 VII Constipation and flatulence n=2 2 1, 1 Simons, 2006 RCT Not effective 2 22 VII Constipation and flatulence n=1 1 1, 0 C-198 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Milk only Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Simren, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 St 37 XIII Effects on biochemistry n=0 XIII Effects on hematology n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 4, 0 Simren, 2010 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 37 XIII Effects on biochemistry n=0 XIII Effects on hematology n=0 0 3, 0 Song, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Sa 330 XI Fungemia due to Saccharomyces boulardii (SAE) n=0 0 21, 0 Song, 2010 RCT Effective 2 331 XI Fungemia due to Saccharomyces boulardii (SAE) n=0 0 35, 0 Song, 2010 RCT Effective 3 Sa 330 XI Fungemia due to Saccharomyces boulardii (SAE) n=0 0 11, 0 Songisepp, 2005 CCT Effective 1 La 16 XI Acute infections n=0 VII Changes in GI function n=0 XXVII Adverse affects in general welfare n=0 0 0, 0 Songisepp, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 12 VII Change in GI function n=0 XXVII Adverse effects in general welfare n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Songisepp, 2005 CCT Effective 2 5 XI Acute infections n=0 VII Changes in GI function n=0 XXVII Adverse affects in general welfare n=0 0 0, 0 1 acute respiratory viral infection, group unclear C-199 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Triple therapy only Goat's only milk Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Songisepp, 2005 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 12 VII Change in GI function n=0 XXVII Adverse effects in general welfare n=0 n/a Sood, 2009 RCT Effective 1 St 77 VII Abdominal bloating and discomfort n=14 XVII Unpleasant taste feeling n=7 n/a 22, n/a Sood, 2009 RCT Effective 2 70 VII Abdominal bloating and discomfort n=0 XVII Unpleasant taste feeling n=0 n/a 41, n/a Spanhaak, 1998 RCT Effective 1 La 10 XIII Body weight changes n=0 XIII Blood pressure n=0 II Heart rate n=0 XIII Temperature n=0 XIII Hematology n=0 XIII Blood chemistry changes n=0 0 n/a, 0 Spanhaak, 1998 RCT Effective 2 10 XIII Body weight changes n=0 XIII Blood pressure n=0 II Heart rate n=0 XIII Temperature n=0 XIII Hematology n=0 XIII Blood chemistry changes n=0 0 n/a, 0 Stockert, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 En 9 VII Mild flatulence and diarrhea n=2 n/a 0, 0 C-200 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Stockert, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 2 8 VII Mild flatulence and diarrhea n=4 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 1, 0 Stotzer, 1996 C-RCT Not effective 1 La 17 XXVII Deteriorated general condition n=1 (states due to underlying disease during run-in) XXVII Side effects unspecified n=1 n/a 3, 2 Stotzer, 1996 C-RCT Not effective 2 17 Stratiki, 2007 RCT Effective 1 Bi 43 VII Feeding intolerance (Vomiting; Abdominal distension; Tenderness; Stool characteristics) n=0 Stratiki, 2007 RCT Effective 2 37 Sullivan, 2003 RCT Effective 1 Bi Sullivan, 2003 RCT Effective 2 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Placebo 3, 2 2 intervention, 3 control infants excluded due to NEC, severe infection, need for parenteral nutrition or inadequate urine collection n/a 2, n/a VII Feeding intolerance (Vomiting; Abdominal distension; Tenderness; Stool characteristics) n=n/a 0 3, n/a 12 VII Diarrhea n=1 VII Looser stools n=1 2 n/a, n/a 12 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Looser stools n=0 0 n/a, n/a C-201 Control Category Placebo Placebo Antibiotics needed Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Sykora, 2005 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 La 39 VII Nausea n=n/a XVII Headache n=n/a VII Recurrent vomiting n=n/a VII Diarrhea n=n/a VII Abdominal pain n=n/a VII Heart burn n=n/a XIV Anorexia n=n/a XVII Metallic taste n=n/a VII Flatulence n=n/a VII Borborygmi n=n/a 13 adverse events 7 N Drop outs, Due to AE 3, 2 Sykora, 2005 RCT Effective 2 47 VII Nausea n=n/a XVII Headache n=n/a VII Recurrent vomiting n=n/a VII Diarrhea n=n/a VII Abdominal pain n=n/a VII Heart burn n=n/a XIV Anorexia n=n/a XVII Metallic taste n=n/a VII Flatulence n=n/a VII Borborygmi n=n/a 15 adverse events 9 3, 1 Tamura, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 60 XXVII Cold n=10 (states not related to probiotic) VII diarrhea n=3 (states not related to probiotic) VII Vomiting n=1 (not related to diarrhea) n/a 5, 0 Tamura, 2007 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 60 6, 0 C-202 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Taylor, 2007 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 115 VII Colic / abdominal discomfort n=3 XIX Postnatal depression n=1 XXVII Unrelated infant health problem n=1 XXVII Infant refused supplement n=1 X Allergy sensitization (skin prick test) n=35 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 26, 5 Taylor, 2007 RCT Not effective 2 111 VII Colic / abdominal discomfort n=1 XIX Postnatal depression n=1 XXVII Unrelated infant health problem n=3 XXVII Infant refused supplement n=0 X Allergy sensitization (skin prick test) n=21 n/a 22, 5 Tempe, 1985 RCT Effective 1 Sa 20 XXVII Death (SAE) n=3 (states not attributable to intervention) 3 n/a, 3 Tempe, 1985 RCT Effective 2 20 XXVII Death (SAE) n=3 3 n/a, 3 Teran, 2008 RCT Effective 1 Sa 30 XXVII Staining of physiologic fluids n=0 n/a 5, 0 Teran, 2008 RCT Effective 2 29 XXVII Staining of physiologic fluids n=0 n/a 4, 0 No significant difference between groups for fever, vomiting and number of stools per day C-203 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Rehydration solution only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Thomas, 2001 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 La 152 VII Nausea n=n/a VII Abdominal cramps n=n/a VII Gas or bloating n=n/a Thomas, 2001 RCT Not effective 2 150 Tomoda, 1991 CCT Effective 1 St 10 Tomoda, 1991 CCT Effective 2 Tsuchiya, 2004 CCT Effective Other Harms n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 19, 0 VII Nausea n=n/a VII Abdominal cramps n=n/a VII Gas or bloating n=n/a n/a 16, 0 I Changes in blood chemistry n=0 0 , 10 I Changes in blood chemistry n=0 0 , 1 Bi 34 VII Diarrhea n=n/a (a few) XXVII Overt clinical adverse side-effects n=0 XXVII Biochemical adverse events n=0 n/a n/a, 0 Tsuchiya, 2004 CCT Effective 2 Bi 34 VII Diarrhea n=n/a XXVII Overt clinical adverse side-effects n=0 XXVII Biochemical adverse events n=0 n/a n/a, 0 Turchet, 2003 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 180 VII Dyspepsia n=45 XI Bronchopneumonia (SAE) n=1 (states not related) n/a n/a, 2 no statistically significant difference in proportion of participants experiencing adverse events Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo 2 C-204 0 Yogurt only Synbiotics Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Turchet, 2003 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 180 VII Dyspepsia n=0 (or not reported) XI Bronchopneumonia (SAE) n=0 n/a Tursi, 2004 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 St 30 XXIII Cutaneous rash n=0 VII Diarrhea and abdominal pain n=0 XXVII Cephalea, epigastric pain, or fatigue n=1 1 2, 0 Tursi, 2004 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 30 XXIII Cutaneous rash n=0 VII Diarrhea and abdominal pain n=0 XXVII Cephalea, epigastric pain, or fatigue n=3 3 4, 0 Tursi, 2008 CCT Effective 1 La 29 XI Acute bronchial pneumonia (SAE) n=0 n/a n/a, 0 Tursi, 2008 CCT Effective 2 27 XI Acute bronchial pneumonia (SAE) n=0 n/a n/a, 0 Tursi, 2008 CCT Effective 3 La 29 XI Acute bronchial pneumonia (SAE) n=1 n/a n/a, 0 2 epigastric pain, 1 nausea, 1 diarrhea, group unclear C-205 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category No study product Balsalazide only Mesalazine only 1 Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Tursi, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 St 71 XVII Dizziness n=1 XI Flue-like syndrome n=1 VII Abdominal bloating w/ or w/out discomfort n=6 VIII Fever n=0 XX Cystitis n=0 XVII Unpleasant taste in mouth n=0 8 N Drop outs, Due to AE 6, 0 Tursi, 2010 RCT Effective 2 73 XVII Dizziness n=0 XI Flue-like syndrome n=0 VII Abdominal bloating w/ or w/out discomfort n=3 VIII Fever n=1 XX Cystitis n=1 XVII Unpleasant taste in mouth n=4 9 7, 5 Underwood, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 30 VII Feeding intolerance (emesis, gastric distention, excessive gastric residuals; transient) n=3 3 n/a, 0 Underwood, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 29 VII Feeding intolerance (emesis, gastric distention, excessive gastric residuals; transient) n=1 1 n/a, 0 Underwood, 2009 RCT Effectiveness unclear 3 Bi 31 VII Feeding intolerance (emesis, gastric distention, excessive gastric residuals; transient) n=0 0 n/a, 0 C-206 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Urban, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 Bi 45 XXVII Serious illness (SAE) n=7 Urban, 2008 RCT Effective 2 43 Urbansek, 2001 RCT Effective 1 La Urbansek, 2001 RCT Effective Other Harms n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 13, 0 XXVII Serious illness (SAE) n=4 n/a 9, 0 102 VII Gastrointestinal problems n=3 XXVII Labial edema n=0 3 n/a, n/a 2 103 VII Gastrointestinal problems n=2 XXVII Labial edema n=1 3 n/a, n/a Van der Aa, 2010 RCT Not effective 1 Bi 46 XXII Respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis (hospitalized) (SAE) n=1 XXVII Cow's milk allergy (hospitalized) (SAE) n=0 n/a 6, 2 2 Van der Aa, 2010 RCT Not effective 2 44 XXII Respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis (hospitalized) (SAE) n=0 XXVII Cow's milk allergy (hospitalized) (SAE) n=1 n/a 2, 1 0 Spitting up, vomiting, hard stools, loose stools, flatulence, restlessness: no difference between groups; 17 hospital admissions including 5 cases of septicemia, group unclear C-207 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Formula only Antibiotics unclear Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Van Gossum, 2007 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 La 34 Van Gossum, 2007 RCT Not effective 2 36 Velaphi, 2008 RCT Not effective 1 Bi 53 XI Bronchopneumonia n=3 VII Gastroenteritis n=1 Velaphi, 2008 RCT Not effective 2 51 Vendt, 2006 RCT Effective 1 La Vendt, 2006 RCT Effective 2 Other Harms Feeding intolerance and treatment related complications occurred, number and group unclear Patients with AEs n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 7, n/a n/a 14, n/a n/a 16, n/a XI Bronchopneumonia n=6 VII Gastroenteritis n=0 n/a 15, n/a 60 VII Colic pain n=1 VII Constipation n=1 VII diarrhea n=2 4 9, 4 60 VII Colic pain n=3 VII Constipation n=1 VII Diarrhea n=0 4 6, 4 5 withdrawals due to prolonged illness, group unclear; No statistically significant difference in number of stools, spitting, vomiting, flatulence, doctor visits or hospital admissions; congenital syphilis, ophthalmia neonatorum, jaundice, and diabetes insipidus occurred, group unclear C-208 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Maltodextrin only Formula only Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Vleggaar, 2008 C-RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 Bi 14 XI Submandibular abscess n=1 VII Ulcerative colitis exacerbation n=0 1 N Drop outs, Due to AE 2, 2 Vleggaar, 2008 C-RCT Not effective 2 12 XI Submandibular abscess n=0 VII Ulcerative colitis exacerbation n= 1 0, 0 Vlieger, 2009 RCT Effective 1 Bi 69 VII Vomiting n=10 VII Diarrhea n=2 VII Constipation n=4 VII Colic n=17 XI Rash n=15 n/a 28, n/a Vlieger, 2009 RCT Effective 2 64 VII Vomiting n=15 VII Diarrhea n=1 VII Constipation n=7 VII Colic n=13 XI Rash n=19 Wada, 2010 RCT Effective 1 Bi 19 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=0 0 1, 0 Wada, 2010 RCT Effective 2 23 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=0 0 1, 0 Wang, 2004 RCT Effective 1 St 60 VIII Fever n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 n/a 0, 0 Wang, 2004 RCT Effective 2 20 VIII Fever n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 n/a 0, 0 26, n/a C-209 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Prebiotics Placebo Fermented milk only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Wang, 2007 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 Bi 33 XI Serious infections n=0 XI Positive blood culture n=0 XIII Elevated c-reactive protein level n=0 Wang, 2007 RCT Effective 2 33 XI Serious infections n=0 XI Positive blood culture n=0 XIII Elevated c-reactive protein level n=0 Weizman, 2005 RCT Effective 1 Bi 73 VII Bloody stools n=0 XXVII Hospitalization (SAE) n=0 Weizman, 2005 RCT Effective 2 60 Weizman, 2005 RCT Effective 3 Weizman, 2006 RCT Effective Other Harms Patients with AEs n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment n/a, n/a No differences in growth parameters, behavior or stooling parameter No supplement n/a 2, 0 0 Antibiotics unclear VII Bloody stools n=0 XXVII Hospitalization (SAE) n=0 n/a 2, 0 0 Antibiotics unclear 68 VII Bloody stools n=0 XXVII Hospitalization (SAE) n=0 n/a 3, 0 0 Antibiotics unclear 1 Bi 20 IV Otitis media n=0 XI Upper respiratory infection n=1 1 4, 0 Weizman, 2006 RCT Effective 2 19 IV Otitis media n=0 XI Upper respiratory infection n=1 1 3, 0 Weston, 2005 RCT Effective 1 La 28 VII Vomiting n=0 n/a 2, 0 Weston, 2005 RCT Effective 2 28 VII Vomiting n=1 n/a 1, 1 C-210 Control Category Placebo Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Wewalka, 2002 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 35 XX Pollakiuria (reversible) n=0 V Increased thyroidstimulating hormone (TSH) n=0 0 Wewalka, 2002 RCT Effective 2 35 XX Pollakiuria n=1 V Increased thyroidstimulating hormone (TSH) n=2 3 n/a, n/a Wheeler, 1997 C-RCT Not effective 1 St 16 VII Gastrointestinal complications n=0 0 1, 0 Wheeler, 1997 C-RCT Not effective 2 16 VII Gastrointestinal complication n=0 0 1, 0 Wildt, 2006 RCT Not effective 1 Bi 21 VII Gastrointestinal symptoms n=6 XV Musculoskeletal pain n=2 XXVII Tiredness, dizziness, malaise, and hot flush n=1 XVII Headache n=3 XXVII Cold, flu, gastroenteritis, and cystitis n=5 VII Blood in stool n=2 21 n/a, n/a C-211 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Non-probiotic Yogurt only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Wildt, 2006 RCT Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 8 VII Gastrointestinal symptoms n=4 XV Musculoskeletal pain n=1 XXVII Tiredness, dizziness, malaise, and hot flush n=5 XVII Headache n=2 XXVII Cold, flu, gastroenteritis, and cystitis n=2 VII Blood in stool n=2 8 Williams, 2008 RCT Effective 1 Bi 28 VII Increased flatulence n=1 1 0, 0 Williams, 2008 RCT Effective 2 28 VII Increased Flatulence n=0 0 4, 1 C-212 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Wind, 2010 RCT Effective Wind, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 18 VII Increased flatulence n=2 (possibly related to intervention per author) VII Intermittent abdominal cramps n=1 (possibly related to intervention per author) VII More loose stools n=1 (possibly related to intervention per author) VII Pain in the lower abdomen n=2 (possibly related to intervention per author) I Clinically relevant changes in blood parameters n=0 No difference between groups regarding heartburn, acid regurgitation, sucking sensations in the epigastrium, nausea and vomiting, borborygmi, abdominal distension, eructation, hard stools, urgent need for defecation, feeling of incomplete evacuation, dyspeptic syndrome, indigestion syndrome, bowel dysfunction syndrome; 16 adverse events in treatment, 27 in control group 2 18 VII Increased flatulence n=0 VII Intermitted abdominal cramps n=0 VII More loose stools n=4 (possibly related to intervention per author) VII Pain in the lower abdomen n=1 (possibly related to intervention per author) I Clinically relevant changes in blood parameters n=0 C-213 Patients with AEs n/a N Dropouts, Due to AE 1, 0 n/a 1, 0 Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Wolf, 1994 RCT Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 La 15 VII Flatulence n=n/a VII Diarrhea n=1 VII Cramping n=0 Wolf, 1994 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 15 VII Flatulence n=n/a VII Diarrhea n=n/a VII Cramping n=n/a Wolf, 1998 RCT Effective 1 La 18 XI Bacteria in blood samples (SAE) n=0 VII Diarrhea (severe) n=n/a VII Vomiting (severe) n=0 VII Flatulence (severe) n=n/a VII Burping (sever) n=n/a VII Reflux (severe) n=0 VII Nausea (severe) n=n/a VII Cramping (severe) n=n/a VII Distension (severe) n=n/a VII Constipation (severe) n=0 Other Harms Patients with AEs n/a N Dropouts, Due to AE n/a, 0 n/a, 0 Bacteria samples different groups in urine not across C-214 n/a 3, 0 Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Wolf, 1998 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Randomization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 2 21 XI Bacteria in blood samples (SAE) n=0 VII Diarrhea (severe) n=n/a VII Vomiting (severe) n=0 VII Flatulence 9severe) n=n/a VII Burping (severe) n=n/a VII Reflux (severe) n=n/a VII Nausea (severe) n=n/a VII Cramping (severe) n=n/a VII Distension (severe) n=n/a VII Constipation (severe) n=n/a n/a Worthley, 2009 C-RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 Bi 19 VII Excessive flatus n=5 VII Abdominal pain n=1 VII Abdominal bloating n=4 VII Frequent or loose bowel movements n=7 VII Excessive abdominal gurgling noises n=2 n/a n/a, n/a Worthley, 2009 C-RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 20 VII Excessive flatus n=n/a VII Abdominal pain n=n/a VII Abdominal bloating n=n/a VII Frequent or loose bowel movements n=n/a VII Excessive abdominal gurgling noises n=n/a n/a n/a, n/a C-215 Patients with AEs N Dropouts, Due to AE 1, 0 Hospitalizations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Prebiotics Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Xia, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 30 XI Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SAE) n=26 VII Anastomotic leakage (SAE) n=2 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Xia, 2010 RCT Effective 2 30 XI Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SAE) n=24 VII Anastomotic leakage (SAE) n=2 n/a 0, 0 Xiang, 2006 RCT Effective 1 Ba 22 VII Nausea (1) n=1 VIII Headache (1) n=0 VII Vomiting (1) n=0 1 0, 0 Xiang, 2006 RCT Effective 2 24 VII Nausea (1) n=1 VIII Headache (1) n=1 VII Vomiting (1) n=1 2 0, 0 Xiao, 2003 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 St 16 VII Increased fecal frequency n=5 5 0, 0 Xiao, 2003 RCT Effective 1 La 70 VII Vomiting (excessive, withdrew) n=3 XXVII Insomnia n=0 VII Constipation n=0 3 1, 1 Xiao, 2003 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 16 VII Increased fecal frequency n=1 1 0, 0 Yogurt only Xiao, 2003 RCT Effective 2 La 67 VII Vomiting (excessive, withdrew) n=1 XXVII Insomnia n=1 VII Constipation n=1 3 3, 3 Other Probiotic C-216 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Sulfasalazine only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Yang, 2008 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 St 67 XIII Blood assay changes n=0 XIII Change in stool assays n=0 XIII Change in liver function n=0 XIII Change in urine assays n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 4, 0 Yang, 2008 RCT Effective 2 68 XIII Blood assay changes n=0 XIII Change in stool assays n=0 XIII Change in liver function n=0 XIII Change in urine assays n=0 0 5, 0 Yao-Zong, 2004 RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 En 202 VII Cessation of bowel movement for 2 days n=5 5 9, 5 Yao-Zong, 2004 RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 208 VII Cessation of bowel movement for 2 days n=8 8 12, 8 Yonekura RCT Effectiveness unclear 1 La 69 VII Loose stools and diarrhea n=n/a 15% n/a 11, 0 Yonekura RCT Effectiveness unclear 2 69 VII Loose stools and diarrhea n=n/a (10%) n/a 11, 0 Adverse events reported were minor and nonspecific and their frequency was not different in the two groups. No significant difference in adverse events between groups. C-217 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Placebo Dioctahedral smectite Placebo Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Zhang, 2010 RCT Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Bi 30 VII Gastrointestinal discomfort n=3 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Zhang, 2010 RCT Effective 2 30 VII Gastrointestinal discomfort n=6 n/a 0, 0 Ziegler, 2003 RCT Effective 1 Bi 40 VII Constipation n=n/a VII Flatulence n=n/a XI Upper respiratory infections n=n/a 7 12, 0 Ziegler, 2003 RCT Effective 2 42 VII Constipation n=n/a VII Flatulence n=n/a XI Upper respiratory infections n=n/a 5 9, 0 Zocco, 2003 RCT Effective 1 La 65 n/a n/a, 0 Zocco, 2003 RCT Effective 2 62 n/a n/a, 0 Zocco, 2003 RCT Effective 3 La n/a n/a, 0 Most frequent side effects were nausea, epigastric pain, and constipation, group unclear; side effects determining drop out was observed only in patients with Crohn's disease consuming LGG (group unclear) C-218 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Non-probiotic Formula only Mesalazine only Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU An, 2010 Case Series Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Bi 19 VII Vomiting n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 0 Barrett, 2008 Case Series Effective 1 La 18 VII Increased nausea n=3 3 2, 2 Beck, 1961 Case Series Effective 1 La 59 VII Constipation (1) n=1 VII Gassy n=1 VII Large amounts of gas n=1 VII Liquid stool n=1 n/a 0, 0 Bekkali, 2007 Case Series Effective 1 Bi 20 VII Vomiting n=0 VII Bloating n=0 VII Flatulence n=0 0 0, 0 Bellomo, 1979 Case Series Effective 1 En 45 I Significant hematologic changes n=0 0 0, 0 Benchimol, 2004 Case Series Effective 1 Bi 2 XXIII Erythema around the anus (1) n=1 1 0, 0 Berman, 2006 Case Series Effective 1 Bi 10 VII Gastrointestinal gas n=1 VII Increased constipation n=1 1 0, 0 Bibiloni, 2005 Case Series Effectiveness unclear 1 St 32 XIII Biochemical adverse events n=0 VII Bloating n=10 10 2, 0 Bruce, 1988 Case Series Effectiveness unclear 1 La 5 VII Gastroenteritis n=1 1 0, 0 C-219 Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE n/a, n/a Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Bruni, 2008 Case Series Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 La 85 XXVII Sensitization (skin prick test) n=n/a XXVII Sensitization (cow's milk) n=n/a n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Carlsson, 2009 Case Series Effectiveness unclear 1 La 15 XXVII Death (SAE) n=2 VII Diarrhea n=1 3 2, 2 Cobo Sanz, 2006 Case Series Effective 1 St 381 XI Otorhinolaryngological infections n=16 VII Abdominal pain n=11 VII Diarrhea n=7 n/a n/a, n/a Colecchia, 2006 Case Series Effective 1 Bi 645 VII Diarrhea (1) n=6 6 9, 0 Di Pierro, 2009 Case Series Effective 1 La 165 XXI Irritation (mild) n=12 12 0, 0 Dughera, 2007 Case Series Effective 1 Bi 129 VII Dyspepsia (1) n=1 1 n/a, n/a Elmer, 1995 Case Series Effectiveness unclear 1 Sa 7 XXVII Thirst n=3 XXVII Dry month n=2 VII Gas n=1 XXIII Itching n=1 3 0, 0 Fukuda, 2008 Case Series Effective 1 Bi 117 VII Diarrhea n=1 1 15, 0 Gabrielli, 2009 Case Series Effective 1 Ba 40 VII Constipation n=1 1 0, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment reduced probiotics by half C-220 Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Garrido, 2005 Case Series Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Ba 8 VII Mild increases of borborygmi n=n/a (only with 500 ml/day) n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Gionchetti, 2007 Case Series Effective 1 St 23 VII Transient bloating (1) n=1 1 0, 0 Glintborg, 2006 Case Series Not effective 1 La 8 VII Constipation worsened n=1 n/a 1, 1 Gniwotta, 1977 Case Series Effective 1 Sa 145 XXVII Allergic reactions n=0 0 29, Gotteland, 2003 Case Series Effective 1 La 12 VII Diarrhea n=1 1 1, 1 Gruenwald, 2002 Case Series Effectiveness unclear 1 Bi 42 VII Nausea n=n/a XXIII Pruritus n=n/a XXII Dyspnea n=n/a IX Cholecystitis n=n/a XXVII Depression n=n/a VII Uneasiness n=n/a VII Gastralgia n=n/a VII Fullness n=n/a VII Eructation n=n/a n/a 4, 4 Hensgens, 1976 Case Series Not effective 1 La 5 VII Gastrointestinal intolerance n=0 VII Change in stools n=0 0 0, 0 C-221 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Huynh, 2009 Case Series Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs N Drop outs, Due to AE 1, n/a 1 St 19 VII Increased nausea n=7 XIII Biochemical adverse events n=0 VII Flatulence n=12 VII Vomiting (3) n=1 VII Diarrhea (3) n=1 VII Increased bloating n=12 n/a Karimi, 2005 Case Series Effectiveness unclear 1 St 29 XXVII Rhinitis (withdrew, was present before study strted) n=1 VII Nausea (1/3 withdrew ) n=3 VII Mild to moderate bloating (withdrew) n=1 VII Nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms (withdrew) n=1 XXVII Non-IBD deterioration of well being n=1 n/a 13, 7 Kawamura,1981 Case Series Effective 1 La 30 VII GI symptoms n=0 VIII Fever n=0 0 0, 0 Kirchhelle, 1996 Case Series Effective 1 Sa 98 X Allergic reactions (medium intensity) n=2 (states unlikely related to probiotics or link could not be established) 2 4, 0 Kitajima, 1997 Case Series Effective 1 Bi 66 VII Functional ileus n=2 2 0, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment 1 IV fluids C-222 Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Lamiki, 2010 Case Series Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Bi 46 VII Diarrhea n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Nausea n=0 XIII Biochemical adverse effects n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 1, 0 Lee, 2010 Case Series Not effective 1 St 12 VII Gastrointestinal disturbances n=3 XV Flare of rheumatoid arthritis n=1 4 0, 0 Lombardo, 2009 Case Series Effective 1 La 100 VII Nausea (slight) n=1 1 n/a, 0 Luoto, 2010 Case Series Effective 1 La 644 XI LGG Septicemia (SAE) n=0 n/a n/a, n/a Malin, 1996 Case Series Effective 1 La 16 VII Watery stools n=1 n/a n/a, n/a Malkov, 2006 Case Series Effective 1 Ba 10 VII Sicchasia n=1 XXVII Slight blood n=n/a XVII Intracranial pressure gain (SAE) n=n/a XVII Stroke -death (5) (SAE) n=1 XXVII Death (SAE) n=7 IX Liver failure -death (5) (SAE) n=1 XXVII Death due to pulmonary edema and stroke (SAE) n=1 n/a 0, 0 C-223 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Mego, 2005 Case Series Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 En 11 VIII Febrile episode n=0 XI Infection caused by tested probiotics n=0 XXVII Significant mucositis n=0 VII Diarrhea n=0 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=5 VII Enterocolitis n=2 XI Candidemia (SAE) n=1 XI Pneumonia n=1 VII Meteorism (mild) n=1 5 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Mego, 2006 Case Series Not effective 1 En 14 XI Bacteremia caused by probiotic strain (SAE) n=0 XI Infection caused by probiotic strain (SAE) n=0 VII Diarrhea (1) n=2 XXVII Treatment related death (SAE) n=0 n/a 0, 0 Michetti, 1999 Case Series Effectiveness unclear 1 La 10 VII Diarrhea (1) n=0 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Loss of appetite n=0 VII Constipation n=2 VII Pyrosis n=2 VII Nausea n=1 5 0, 0 Muting, 1968 Case Series Effective 1 Bi 20 XIII Increased blood sugar n=n/a VII Stomach pains n=1 XI Severe tooth infection n=1 n/a 0, 0 C-224 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics needed Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Nobuta, 2009 Case Series Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 42 VII Acute enterocolitis n=1 VII Tenesmus n=n/a VII Abdominal pain n=n/a VII Diarrhea n=n/a n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 3, 1 Reid, 2001 Case Series Effective 1 La 10 XX Bladder irritation n=0 XXI Vaginal irritation n=0 XXI Discharge n=0 VII Intestinal upset n=0 XXII Bronchitis n=1 n/a 7, 0 Rosenfeldt, 2003 Case Series Effective 1 La 11 VII Abdominal pain n=0 VII Loose stools n=0 0 n/a, 0 Sakamoto, 2001 Case Series Effective 1 La 31 VII Gastrointestinal n=0 0 2, 0 Schneider, 2005 Case Series Effectiveness unclear 1 Sa 10 VII Changes in the number of bowel movements n=0 VII Changes in stool consistency n=0 VIII Fever n=0 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=0 VII Diarrhea (1) n=1 1 0, 0 Shen, 2005 Case Series Not effective 1 St 31 VII Bloody bowel movements n=1 VII Severe constipation n=n/a VII Bloating n=n/a VII Gas n=n/a n/a 25, 2 C-225 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics needed Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Srinivasan, 2006 Case Series Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 28 XIII Pathologic growth of lactobacilli n=0 0 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Tasli, 2006 Case Series Effective 1 La 25 VII Nausea n=n/a 1 withdrew VII Abdominal fullness (withdrew) n=1 n/a 2, 1 van Bodegraven, 2004 Case Series Effectiveness unclear 1 St 29 VIII Deterioration of general well-being n=2 (not IBD related) VII Gastrointestinal symptoms n=5 7 12, 9 Weiss, 2010 Case Series Effective 1 St 10 VII Mild flatulence n=3 n/a 0, 0 Yim, 2006 Case Series Effective 1 Bi 64 VII Constipation n=1 n/a 14, 3 Zahradnik, 2009 Case Series Effective 1 St 8 XXVII Tingle in the throat (1) n=2 (states unrelated) XXVII Sore throat (1) n=2 (unrelated per author) XXVII Cold sore/ulcer (1) n=2 (unrelated per author) XVII Headache (1) n=1 (unrelated per author) VII Stomach ache (1) n=1 (unrelated per author) n/a 0, 0 C-226 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Zahradnik, 2009 Case Series Effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 St 12 XXVII Sore throat n=2 XXVII Mouth sore/fever blister n=4 XVII Headache n=1 XXII Cough n=2 XXVII Congestion n=1 n/a N Drop outs, Due to AE 1, 0 Barton, 2001 Case Study Not effective 1 En 1 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=1 XI Meningitis (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Bassetti, 1998 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Burkhardt, 2005 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 XI Sepsis (4) (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Cesaro, 2000 Case Study Not effective LTFU Cherifi, 2004 Case Study Effectiveness unclear 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (4) (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=1 XXVII Death (SAE) n=1 (states anorexia nervosa complications) 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Conen, 2009 Case Study Not effective 1 La 1 XI Abscess (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 De Groote, 2005 Case Study Not effective 1 La 1 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Force, 1995 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 2 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=2 2 0, 0 C-227 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations 1 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics needed Antifungal treatment Antibiotics needed Antibiotics needed Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Fredenucci, 1998 Case Study Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms Patients with AEs 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=1 1 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Hennequin, 2000 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 4 XI Fungemia (4) (SAE) n=4 XI Septic shock (SAE) n=1 XXVI Hypotension n=1 VIII Fever n=2 4 0, 0 Antibiotics unclear Henry, 2004 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Hwang, 2009 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 XXVII Food proteininduced enterocolitis syndrome (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Jensen, 1974 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 VIII Fever n=1 1 0, 0 Kniehl, 2003 Case Study Effectiveness unclear 1 Ba 3 VII Diarrhea n=3 3 0, 0 Ku, 2006 Case Study Not effective 1 Bi 1 XIV D-lactic acidosis (4) (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Kunz, 2004 Case Study Not effective 1 La 2 XI Sepsis (4) (SAE) n=2 2 0, 0 Antibiotics needed 1 IV fluid C-228 1 Antibiotics needed supportive care, magnesium, IV bicarbonate Antibiotics needed Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Land, 2005 Case Study Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 La 2 XI Bacteremia (4) (SAE) n=2 XI Sepsis (4) (SAE) n=2 LeDoux, 2006 Case Study Not effective 1 La 1 Lestin, 2003 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa Lherm, 2002 Case Study Not effective Other Harms Hospi tali zations 2 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 1 1 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=1 VII Toxic megacolon (SAE) n=1 XXVII Death (SAE) n=1 (organ failure after bypass) 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed 1 Sa 6 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=6 XXVII Death (SAE) n=3 6 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Lolis, 2008 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (4) (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Lungarotti, 2003 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=1 I Methemoglobinemia (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Mackay, 1999 Case Study Not effective 1 St 1 XI Endocarditis (4) (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 1 Antibiotics needed Munakata, 2010 Case Study Not effective 1 St 1 XXVII D-lactic acidosis (4) (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 1 Antibiotics needed Muсoz, 2005 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 3 XI Sepsis (SAE) n=2 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=3 XXVII Death (unknown cause, bacteremia, stroke) (SAE) n=3 3 0, 0 C-229 Patients with AEs Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics needed 2 Antibiotics needed Antibiotics needed Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Niault, 1999 Case Study Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=1 Oggioni, 1998 Case Study Not effective 1 Ba 1 Oh, 1979 Case Study Not effective 1 La Ohishi, 2010 Case Study Not effective Other Harms Hospi tali zations 1 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 XI Septicemia -death (SAE) n=1 VIII Fever (40C) (2) n=1 XVII Mental confusion (3) n=1 VII Diarrhea n=1 XXVII Death (central nervous system related) (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 1 Antibiotics needed 1 XIV D-lactic acidosis (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 1 Antibiotics needed 1 Bi 1 XI Septicemia (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Perapoch, 2000 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (4) - patient (SAE) n=1 XI Infection also contracted by second infant in proximity of patient (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Piarroux, 1999 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed A 2nd patient also developed fungemia believed to be caused by hand contact with the patient #1 C-230 Patients with AEs Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics needed Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Piechno, 2007 Case Study Effectiveness unclear Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=1 XI Inflammatory bowel n=1 VII Perforated ulcer (SAE) n=1 XXVI State of shock n=1 VII Pseudomembranous colitis (SAE) n=1 1 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Pletinex, 1995 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Presterl, 2001 Case Study Not effective LTFU 1 La 1 XI Endocarditis (4) (SAE) n=1 (PCR shows pathogen is not from yogurt per author) XI Septic arthritis (4) (SAE) n=1 (PCR shows pathogen is not from yogurt per author) 1 0, 0 1 Rautio, 1999 Case Study Not effective 1 La 1 XI Liver abscess (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 1 Richard, 1988 Case Study Not effective 1 Ba 4 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=4 XXVII Death (SAE) n=2 4 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Rijnders, 2000 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia -death (SAE) n=1 VII Colitis n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Riquelme, 2003 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 2 XI Fungemia (4) (SAE) n=2 2 0, 0 Antibiotics needed C-231 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics needed Antifungal treatment Antibiotics needed acetylsalicylic acid Antibiotics needed Synovectomy, valve replacement Antibiotics needed Control Category Evidence Table C4. Results (continued) Author, Year Design Described as Effective LTFU Tommasi, 2008 Case Study Not effective Arm Genera N at Random ization Reported Harms, SAE and Number of Patients Other Harms 1 La 1 XI Bacteremia (SAE) n=1 1 N Drop outs, Due to AE 0, 0 Trautmann, 2008 Case Study Effectiveness unclear 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=1 XVII Psychomotor disturbance n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Viggiano, 1995 Case Study Not effective 1 Sa 1 VII Gastrointestinal intolerance n=1 VIII Fever n=1 XXII Respiratory distress requiring use of respirator (SAE) n=1 XI Blood cultures positive for S. cerevisiae/boulardii n=1 1 0, 0 Antibiotics needed Zein, 2008 Case Study Effectiveness unclear 1 St 1 XI Lactobacillus septicemia (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Zunic, 1991 Case Study Effectiveness unclear 1 Sa 1 XI Fungemia (SAE) n=1 1 0, 0 Abbreviations I=Blood and lymphatic system disorders II=Cardiac disorders III=Congenital, familial and genetic disorders IV=Ear and labyrinth disorders V=Endocrine disorders VI=Eye disorders VII=Gastrointestinal disorders VIII=General disorders and administration site conditions IX=Hepatobiliary disorders X=Immune system disorders C-232 Patients with AEs Hospi tali zations 1 1 Antibiotic Therapy Any Other Treatment Antibiotics needed Antibiotics needed Antibiotics needed Control Category XI=Infections and infestations XII=Injury, poisoning and procedural complications XIII=Investigations XIV=Metabolism and nutrition disorders XV=Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders XVI=Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (incl cysts and polyps) XVII=Nervous system disorders XVIII=Pregnancy, puerperiumand and perinatal conditions XIX=Psychiatric disorders XX=Renal and urinary disorders XXI=Reproductive system and breast disorders XXII=Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders XXIII=Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders XXIV=Social circumstances XXV=Surgical and medical procedures XXVI=Vascular disorders XXVII=Other AE=Adverse Events Ba=Bacillus Bi=Bifidobacterium C-RCT=Cross-over Randomized Controlled Trial CCT=Controlled Clinical Trials Effective=Described as Effective En=Enterococcus La=Lactobacillus LTFU=Long-term follow-up ml-milliliter n=number of participants n/a=not available or not applicable RCT=Randomized Controlled Trial a=Saccharomyces SAE=Serious Adverse Event St=Streptococcus C-233 ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok () () ok () () ok ok () ok () ok () () ok () ok () () ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok ok () () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok Conflict of Interest Confounding ITT ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () ok () () () ok ok () () ok ok ok () () () () () () () () () () ok ok ok () () () () ok ok ok () () () ok ok ok ok ok ok () Dropouts ok () ok Assessor Blinding: ok ok () Participant Blinding: () ok () Concealment () () ok Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability ok Selection Bias ok Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Abrahamsson, 2007 3970 RCT Agerbaek, 1995 13296 RCT Aihara, 2005 2709 RCT Alberda, 2007 3979 RCT Allen, 2010 13253 RCT Anderson, 2003 2226 RCT Andriulli, 2008 4735 RCT Anukam, 2006 3319 RCT Anukam, 2008 4736 RCT Anukam, 2009 13529 RCT Arunachalam, 2000 894 RCT Aso, 1992 12899 RCT Aso, 1995 12942 RCT Awad, 2010 13543 RCT Baerheim, 1994 12960 RCT Bajaj, 2008 4750 RCT Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality ok C-234 ok ok () ok ok ok ok () () () () Banaszkiewicz, 2005 2725 RCT Barraud, 2010 13579 RCT Barreto-Zuniga, 2001 7806 RCT Basu, 2007 4007 RCT Basu, 2007 4008 RCT Basu, 2009 4762 RCT Beausoleil, 2007 4012 RCT Bellomo, 1979 13309 RCT Bertolami, 1999 13273 C-RCT Besselink, 2008 4767 RCT Bin-Nun, 2005 2746 RCT Black, 1997 13153 CCT Boge, 2009 13656 RCT Boge, 2009 15876 RCT Borgia, 1982 15834 RCT Bousvaros, 2005 2765 RCT ok ok () ok ok () ok () () ok () ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok Conflict of Interest Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok () () () () () () () ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok ok () () ok ok () ok () ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () () () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok C-235 ok () () () ok () ok () () Bravo, 2008 4796 RCT Brophy, 2008 4800 RCT Bruno, 1981 12379 RCT Bruzzese, 2007 4053 C-RCT Bu, 2007 4054 RCT Chen, 2005 9337 RCT Chen, 2010 13804 RCT Chou, 2010 13817 RCT Chouraqui, 2004 2291 RCT Chouraqui, 2008 4846 RCT Chui, 2009 13870 RCT Coccorullo, 2010 13833 RCT Connolly, 2005 2805 RCT Cooper, 2006 13033 RCT Correa, 2005 2809 RCT Cui, 2004 9076 RCT CunninghamRundles, 2000 919 CCT () ok ok ok () ok ok () ok () ok () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () () ok () () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok () () () ok () ok ok () ok ok ok () () () ok ok () ok () () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () () () () () ok ok () ok () () () () ok () ok ok () () ok ok C-236 ok Conflict of Interest () () ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization ok ok ok () ok () ok ok () ok () ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok Surveillance Compliance Power ok ok () ok Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) () ok () ok () ok ok ok () () Czaja, 2007 4116 RCT Dadak, 2006 13232 RCT De Preter, 2006 13275 C-RCT de Roos, 1999 13272 RCT De Simone, 1992 13096 RCT De Simone, 2001 13264 CCT Dekker, 2009 12563 RCT Delia, 2002 1488 RCT Delia, 2007 4132 RCT Dewan, 2007 4139 RCT Dolin, 2009 13961 RCT Dubey, 2008 4903 RCT Duman, 2005 2838 RCT Dupont, 2010 13989 RCT Dylewski, 2010 13992 RCT Ehrstrom, 2010 14005 RCT Eriksson, 2005 2845 RCT ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok () ok ok ok () ok ok () () () ok ok () ok () () () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok () ok () () () ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok () () () () () () () () () () ok () () () () () ok () ok () () () ok Conflict of Interest ok ok ok Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization ok ok ok () () () () ok ok ok ok ok () () () () () ok ok ok () () () ok ok ok () () ok () () () ok () () ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok () () ok ok () () () ok () () ok ok ok () () ok ok () () ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () ok () ok () ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok C-237 ok () ok ok () ok ok ok Falck, 1999 13279 RCT Felley, 2001 12954 RCT Feng, 1999 12883 RCT Folster-Holst, 2006 3503 RCT Forestier, 2008 4929 RCT French, 2009 13313 RCT Frohmader, 2010 14075 RCT Fujimori, 2009 5672 RCT Gade, 1989 13050 RCT Galpin, 2005 2875 RCT Gao, 2010 14095 RCT Garcia Vilela, 2008 4941 RCT Gerasimou, 2010 14116 RCT Gibson, 2008 5676 RCT Gill, 2001 1192 RCT Gionchetti, 2000 944 RCT () ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok C-238 Conflict of Interest Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment ok ok ok ok () () () ok () ok ok ok Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) () ok ok () () () () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok () Gionchetti, 2003 1923 RCT Goossens, 2003 1928 RCT Gracheva, 1999 764 CCT Gruber, 2007 4223 RCT Guillemard, 2010 14197 RCT Guyonnet, 2009 5687 RCT Habermann, 2001 12892 RCT Habermann, 2002 1540 RCT HaschkeBecher, 2008 4993 RCT Hatakka, 2008 4995 C-RCT Heimburger, 1994 13228 RCT Hemmerling, 2009 14262 RCT Higashikawa, 2009 14278 RCT Hilton, 1997 548 RCT Hirata, 2002 12881 CCT ok () ok ok () () ok () ok ok () ok () () ok () ok () () () ok ok () () ok () () ok () () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () () ok () ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () () () ok () () () () () ok ok ok () ok () () ok ok ok () () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok () () ok () () ok ok Conflict of Interest () () ok () () () () ok () () () ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok () () () ok () () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok C-239 ok () ok ok Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power ok ok ok Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok () () () Hochter,1990 12996 RCT Honeycutt, 2007 4253 RCT Hong, 2010 14295 RCT Horvat, 2010 14304 RCT Ishikawa, 2002 1968 RCT Ishikawa, 2003 12937 RCT Ishikawa, 2005 2922 RCT Isolauri, 1991 12412 RCT Isolauri,1995 12826 RCT Jirapinyo, 2002 1566 RCT Johansson, 1998 653 RCT Kadooka, 2010 14403 RCT Kajander, 2005 2937 RCT Kajander, 2008 5072 RCT Kajimoto, 2002 12882 RCT Karvonen, 2001 13044 RCT Kerac, 2009 14441 RCT ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok () () ok () ok () () ok ok ok ok () () () ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () () () () ok ok () () () () ok () () ok () () ok ok () () () () () () () () () ok ok () ok ok ok () ok () ok () () () () () ok () ok ok ok () () () () () ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () () ok () ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () C-240 ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok Conflict of Interest () ok ok ok Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok () ok () () ok ok () ok () Kianifar, 2009 14448 RCT Kim, 2006 13298 RCT Kim, 2006 3610 RCT Kim, 2008 5096 RCT Kirjavainen,2003 1993 RCT Klarin, 2008 5105 RCT Klarin,2005 2953 RCT Knight, 2007 5110 RCT Koning, 2008 5112 RCT Kopp, 2008 5117 RCT Kotzampassi, 2006 3597 RCT Krasse, 2005 3601 RCT Kuitunen, 2009 14517 RCT Kurugol, 2005 2972 RCT La Rosa, 2003 2008 RCT Laitinen, 2008 5127 RCT Langhendries, 1995 13114 RCT ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok ok () () () ok ok ok () () ok () () () () ok ok ok () () () ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () () ok ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () () () ok ok ok ok () ok () () () ok () () () ok () ok () ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok Conflict of Interest Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok C-241 ok () ok ok () ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok () () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () () () () ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok () () () ok () () ok () () () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok () () ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok () () ok ok () () () () () () () ok ok ok ok Conflict of Interest Confounding ok ok ok () ok ok () () ok () ok () () () () ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () () ok ok C-242 ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance () ok ok () ok ok ok ok Power ok () ok ok Comparability ok Selection Bias () Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Larsen, 2006 3613 RCT Larsson, 2008 5131 RCT Lata, 2009 14560 RCT Lawrence, 2005 2988 RCT Li, 2004 13042 RCT Ligaarden, 2010 14622 C-RCT Lighthouse, 2004 9143 RCT Lin, 1989 13095 C-RCT Lin, 2005 3004 RCT Lin, 2008 5156 RCT Ljungberg, 2006 3636 RCT Loguercio, 1987 13116 RCT Lonnermark, 2010 14668 RCT Lu, 2004 7077 CCT Luoto, 2010 14685 RCT Mäkeläinen, 2003 2031 RCT Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) () ok () ok () () ok () ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok () () ok ok () () () () ok () () () () ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok () () () ok ok () () () ok ok ok () ok () () ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () Conflict of Interest ok ok () Confounding () ok () ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: ok ok () () Concealment ok ok ok Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability ok Selection Bias ok Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Malaguarnera, 2007 4374 RCT Malaguarnera, 2010 14707 RCT Maldonado, 2009 14708 RCT Mandel, 2010 14715 RCT Manley, 2007 4378 C-RCT Manzoni, 2006 3654 RCT Margreiter, 2006 3656 RCT Marotta, 2003 8348 C-RCT Marrazzo, 2006 3658 RCT Marseglia, 2007 4383 RCT Marteau, 2004 3661 RCT Martiney, 2009 14747 RCT Martinez, 2008 5755 RCT Martinez, 2009 5756 RCT Mayanagi, 2009 14773 RCT McFarland, 1994 12403 RCT Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok ok C-243 () ok ok () ok () () ok ok McFarland, 1995 12753 RCT McNaught, 2002 1637 RCT Merenstein, 2009 14810 RCT Merenstein, 2010 14809 RCT Metts, 2003 6459 RCT Miele, 2009 5767 RCT Millar, 1993 388 RCT Mimura, 2004 2486 RCT Miyaji, 2006 10450 RCT Morrow, 2010 14862 RCT Mukerji, 2009 5774 RCT Naito, 2008 5252 RCT Newcomer, 1983 13137 RCT Niers, 2009 13237 RCT Niv, 2005 3096 RCT Nobuta, 2009 13315 RCT ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok () () ok () () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () () () Conflict of Interest Confounding ITT Dropouts ok ok ok Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance ok ok ok ok ok ok Power () ok ok ok Comparability ok ok ok Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok () ok ok ok ok ok () () () () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () () ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok C-244 () ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok () () ok () ok ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok () ok ok () () ok ok ok () () ok () () ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok () ok () () () () () () () () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () () () ok () () () ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () () ok ok ok () () ok ok () () ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok () () ok ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok C-245 ok Confounding Conflict of Interest () () ok ok ok ok () () () () ok () ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () ok ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power () ok () Comparability () Selection Bias ok Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting O'Mahony, 2005 3107 RCT Ojetti, 2010 14951 RCT Olah, 2005 3105 RCT Olivares, 2006 3718 RCT Osterlund, 2007 4452 RCT Ouwehand, 2009 14975 RCT Ozkinay, 2005 13286 RCT Panigrahi, 2008 5292 RCT Parent, 1996 13168 RCT Parfenov, 2005 3114 CCT Parfenov, 2005 3115 CCT Parra, 2004 2523 RCT Passeron, 2005 3733 RCT Peral, 2009 5801 RCT Pereg, 2010 15027 RCT Petschow, 2005 12409 RCT Prantera, 2002 1692 RCT Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) () () ok () ok () ok ok () ok ok Pregliasco, 2008 13299 RCT Pregliasco, 2008 13300 RCT Pregliasco, 2008 5328 RCT Puccio, 2007 4504 RCT Rampengan, 2010 15104 RCT Ranganathan 15107 C-RCT Rautava, 2008 5350 RCT Rayes, 2002 12475 RCT Rayes, 2002 1702 RCT Rayes, 2005 3152 RCT Rayes, 2007 4518 RCT Reid, 1992 12959 RCT Reid, 1995 12815 RCT Ren, 2010 15136 RCT Reuman, 1986 12770 RCT Richelsen, 1996 12374 RCT Rio, 2002 1714 RCT Conflict of Interest Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok () ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () ok () () ok ok () () () () () () () ok () ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () () ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () () () ok () () () () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok () () () () () () () () () () () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () () ok ok () () () () ok () C-246 () ok ok () ok () ok () ok ok () () () ok ok () ok ok () ok () Roos, 1996 13278 RCT Roos, 2001 12970 RCT Rose, 2010 15187 RCT Rosenfeldt, 2002 1722 RCT Rosenfeldt, 2003 6738 C-RCT Rouge, 2009 5819 RCT Ruiz-Palacios, 1996 13088 RCT Saavedra, 2004 2572 RCT Safdar, 2008 5377 RCT Sahagun-flores, 2007 15865 RCT Saint-Marc, 1995 15843 RCT Salminen, 1988 12816 RCT Salminen, 2004 2578 C-RCT Samanta, 2008 5828 RCT Satokari, 2001 1329 RCT Savino, 2006 4569 RCT ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok () () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok Conflict of Interest Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () () ok () ok () ok ok () () () () () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () () () () ok () ok ok () ok () ok ok () () ok () () ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () () () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok () Concealment () ok () Randomization () ok () ok Surveillance Compliance () ok () Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok ok C-247 () () () ok ok () () ok ok () () () () Sazawal, 2010 15858 RCT Scalabrin, 2009 15253 RCT Schrezenmeir, 2004 2586 RCT Schultz, 2004 2588 RCT Seppo, 2003 12878 RCT Sierra, 2010 15343 RCT Simons, 2006 3839 RCT Simren, 2010 15353 RCT Song, 2010 15379 RCT Songisepp, 2005 16079 RCT Songisepp, 2005 3207 CCT Sood, 2009 15381 RCT Spanhaak, 1998 703 RCT Stockert, 2007 4607 RCT Stotzer, 1996 515 C-RCT Stratiki, 2007 4609 RCT ok ok ok () ok () () ok () ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok Conflict of Interest ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () () () () () () ok ok () () () () ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () () ok () () ok () () () ok () ok ok () () () ok () ok () () ok () ok ok () ok () ok ok () () ok ok ok Confounding () () ok ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization ok ok ok Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) () ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok () () ok () ok ok ok ok () () () ok ok ok ok () ok () () ok ok ok ok C-248 ok ok () Sullivan, 2003 2156 RCT Sykora, 2005 3222 RCT Tamura, 2007 4626 RCT Taylor, 2007 4631 RCT Tempe, 1985 13083 RCT Teran, 2008 5482 RCT Thomas, 2001 6623 RCT Tomoda, 1991 13152 CCT Tsuchiya, 2004 2648 CCT Turchet, 2003 2182 RCT Tursi, 2004 2652 RCT Tursi, 2008 5505 CCT Tursi, 2010 15548 RCT Underwood, 2009 5878 RCT Urban, 2008 11572 RCT Urbansek, 2001 1367 RCT Van der Aa, 2010 15566 RCT ok ok ok ok () ok () ok () () () ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () () () ok () ok () () () ok ok () () ok () ok () () () ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok () ok () ok () ok ok () ok () ok ok Conflict of Interest Confounding () ok ok ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance () () ok ok Power () () ok Comparability () ok ok Selection Bias ok ok ok Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok ok ok () ok ok () () () () ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok ok () () ok () () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () ok () () ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () C-249 () ok ok ok ok () Conflict of Interest () () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok () ok () () ok ok ok () () () ok ok ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () () () () ok () ok ok () () () ok ok ok ok () ok ok () () () () () () ok () ok ok ok ok ok Confounding ok () ok ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: ok Concealment ok Randomization ok () ok Surveillance () Compliance ok ok Power ok Comparability () Selection Bias ok Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Van Gossum, 2007 4658 RCT Velaphi, 2008 5526 RCT Vendt, 2006 3908 RCT Vleggaar, 2008 5531 C-RCT Vlieger, 2009 5893 RCT Wada, 2010 15642 RCT Wang, 2004 2671 RCT Wang, 2007 11346 RCT Weizman, 2005 3278 RCT Weizman, 2006 3925 RCT Weston, 2005 3280 RCT Wewalka, 2002 1792 RCT Wheeler, 1997 12498 C-RCT Wildt, 2006 3935 RCT Williams, 2008 5562 RCT Wind, 2010 15719 RCT Wolf, 1994 12856 RCT Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok ok () ok ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok ok () () () () ok () ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok () () ok ok ok () () C-250 ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok () () () () An, 2010 13513 Case Series Barrett, 2008 4760 Case Series Beck, 1961 13117 Case Series Bekkali, 2007 4013 Case Series Bellomo, 1979 13195 Case Series ok () ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok () () () ok ok () () () () () ok ok () () () () () ok ok ok () () ok () () () () ok () ok ok ok ok () () () () ok () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () () ok () C-251 ok ok () ok () ok () () ok ok () () () () ok () () ok () ok ok () ok ok ok ok Conflict of Interest ok ok Confounding ok ITT ok Dropouts ok Assessor Blinding: ok Participant Blinding: () Concealment () ok Randomization () Surveillance ok Compliance ok Power ok Comparability ok Selection Bias ok Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Wolf, 1998 718 RCT Worthley, 2009 15730 C-RCT Xia, 2010 15742 RCT Xiang, 2006 10102 RCT Xiao, 2003 2206 RCT Xiao, 2003 2207 RCT Yang, 2008 5576 RCT Yao-Zong, 2004 2684 RCT Yonekura 15779 RCT Zhang, 2010 15796 RCT Ziegler, 2003 8418 RCT Zocco, 2003 13023 RCT Author, Year Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) () ok () ok () ok () () () Benchimol, 2004 2238 Case Series Berman, 2006 10085 Case Series Bibiloni, 2005 2745 Case Series Bruce, 1988 12963 Case Series Bruni, 2008 5627 Case Series Carlsson, 2009 13758 Case Series Cobo Sanz, 2006 9897 Case Series Colecchia, 2006 3427 Case Series Di Pierro, 2009 13935 Case Series Dughera, 2007 4153 Case Series Elmer, 1995 13220 Case Series Fukuda, 2008 11700 Case Series Gabrielli, 2009 14088 Case Series Garrido, 2005 2878 Case Series Gionchetti, 2007 4209 Case Series Glintborg, 2006 12738 Case Series Gniwotta, 1977 13081 Case Series ok () ok ok ok () () ok () ok ok () ok ok ok () () ok Conflict of Interest Confounding ITT ok () ok () () () ok ok ok () () ok () ok () () ok ok ok ok ok () () ok () () ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok Dropouts ok () ok Assessor Blinding: ok () ok Participant Blinding: ok ok () Concealment () ok ok Randomization Surveillance () ok ok Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) ok () ok () () ok ok () () ok ok () C-252 Gotteland, 2003 13214 Case Series Gruenwald, 2002 1533 Case Series Hensgens, 1976 12902 Case Series Huynh, 2009 5699 Case Series Karimi, 2005 2943 Case Series Kawamura,1981 12842 Case Series Kirchhelle, 1996 13030 Case Series Kitajima, 1997 6362 Case Series Lamiki, 2010 14545 Case Series Lee, 2010 14586 Case Series Lombardo, 2009 14662 Case Series Luoto, 2010 14683 Case Series Malin, 1996 13109 Case Series Malkov, 2006 3653 Case Series Mego, 2005 3051 Case Series Mego, 2006 3675 Case Series Michetti, 1999 12400 Case Series ok () () () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () Conflict of Interest ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Confounding () () ok () ok () () () ok ok () ok () ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok Concealment () () ok ok Randomization ok ok ok Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias ok () () Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) () () () () ok ok ok ok () () () () ok () () () () ok () () ok () ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok C-253 () ok ok ok Muting, 1968 13121 Case Series Nobuta, 2009 15883 Case Series Reid, 2001 1309 Case Series Rosenfeldt, 2003 13297 Case Series Sakamoto, 2001 1322 Case Series Schneider, 2005 3191 Case Series Shen, 2005 3198 Case Series Srinivasan, 2006 3854 Case Series Tasli, 2006 10000 Case Series van Bodegraven, 2004 8828 Case Series Weiss, 2010 15681 Case Series Yim, 2006 9923 Case Series Zahradnik, 2009 15788 Case Series Zahradnik, 2009 15877 Case Series Barton, 2001 1109 Case Study Bassetti, 1998 12397 Case Study () ok ok () () ok Conflict of Interest Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) () () ok ok () ok ok () ok () () ok () ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () () ok ok () () () ok () () ok () () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok C-254 ok () () () ok () Burkhardt, 2005 13039 Case Study Cesaro, 2000 12395 Case Study Cherifi, 2004 2290 Case Study Conen, 2009 13233 Case Study De Groote, 2005 2814 Case Study Force, 1995 12806 Case Study Fredenucci, 1998 12788 Case Study Hennequin, 2000 959 Case Study Henry, 2004 13015 Case Study Hwang, 2009 14335 Case Study Jensen, 1974 12870 Case Study Kniehl, 2003 1996 Case Study Ku, 2006 10240 Case Study Kunz, 2004 2424 Case Study Land, 2005 2984 Case Study LeDoux, 2006 3617 Case Study Lestin, 2003 2017 Case Study ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok Confounding ITT Conflict of Interest () () ok ok () () () ok ok Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) () () ok () () ok () () ok () () () ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok () () ok ok ok () ok () ok () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () C-255 () ok Lherm, 2002 12398 Case Study Lolis, 2008 5164 Case Study Lungarotti, 2003 12924 Case Study Mackay, 1999 812 Case Study Munakata, 2010 14875 Case Study Muñoz, 2005 3076 Case Study NA 14585 NA NA 15045 NA NA 4095 NA NA 4912 NA Niault, 1999 817 Case Study Oggioni, 1998 679 Case Study Oh, 1979 13223 Case Study Ohishi, 2010 14945 Case Study Perapoch, 2000 12396 Case Study Piarroux, 1999 12804 Case Study Piechno, 2007 4488 Case Study ok ok () () ok ok () ok ok ok () ok ok ok ok () () ok ok () ok () ok () ok ok ok ok ok ok ok () ok ok () ok ok () ok ok ok () ok () ok ok ok ok () ok ok Conflict of Interest Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) () ok ok C-256 () () Conflict of Interest Confounding ITT Dropouts Assessor Blinding: Participant Blinding: Concealment Randomization Surveillance Compliance Power Comparability Selection Bias Harm Reporting Assessment Reporting Genus, Species, and Strain reporting Author, Year Evidence Table C5. Quality (continued) Pletinex, 1995 ok ok ok () () 12363 Case Study Presterl, 2001 ok ok () 1299 Case Study Rautio, 1999 ok ok ok () 12357 Case Study Richard, 1988 ok ok ok () 12358 Case Study Rijnders, 2000 () ok ok ok () 1033 Case Study Riquelme, 2003 ok ok ok () 2094 Case Study Tommasi, 2008 ok ok ok 5492 Case Study Trautmann, ok ok () ok () () 2008 11966 Case Study Viggiano, 1995 ok ok ok () () 12787 Case Study Zein, 2008 ok ok ok ok () ok 5583 Case Study Zunic, 1991 () () () ok () ok ok 12362 Case Study Note: ( ): quality criterion partially met; ok: quality criterion met *Abbreviations ITT=Intention to treat analysis - Was an intention to treat (ITT) analysis described for the effectiveness data? (Were all participants' data included in the analysis, according to the treatment group to which they were originally assigned, regardless of whether they completed the treatment/study?) C-257 Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements Author, Year Design Agarwal, 2002 RCT Agustina, 2007 RCT Ahuja, 2001 RCT Alm, 1983 CT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* casei DN-114001 , n/a , 10^8 cfu , t.i.d. Lactobacillus* bulgaricus n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu , 100 ml t.i.d. Streptococcus* thermophilus n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu , 100 ml t.i.d. Lactococcus lactis n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 100 ml t.i.d. Lactococcus lactis cremoris , n/a , n/a , n/a Leuconostoc mesenteroids cremoris , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name *Actimel® #Dahi Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus LMG P-227 99 , n/a , 5*10^8 cfu , ad libitum NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; 1-5 yrs Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus n/a n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Cataract surgery patients Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* acidophilus NCDO 1748 , n/a , 10^9 cfu/ml , ad libitum Lactobacillus# acidophilus NCDO 1748 , n/a , 10^9 cfu/ml , 200 ml q.d. Lactobacillus** acidophilus NCDO 1748 , n/a , 10^9 cfu/ml , 300 ml q.d Streptococcus** lactis n/a , n/a , 10^9 cfu/ml , 300 ml q.d. Streptococcus** cremoris n/a , n/a , 10^9 cfu/ml , 300 ml q.d Streptococcus** diacetylactis n/a , n/a , 10^9 cfu/ml , 300 ml q.d NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison Timing Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a C-258 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement All products were well accepted. >65 Assessment n/a Result Statement No treatment failure or other side effects occurred. Assessment At followup evaluation a week later… emergence of any other new symptoms attributable to trial drug therapy. Result Statement Very well tolerated. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects on constipation. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Arrola, 1999 RCT Ataie-Jafari, 2009 RCT Attar, 1999 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , n/a , 2*10^10 cfu/capsule , 2*10^10 b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics <2yrs; 2 wks-12.8 yrs Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Bifidobacterium lactis n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name ABY-1 Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 1500 mg /day NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a C-259 small bowel bacterial overgrowth Safety Assessment Results Assessment The parents kept a daily symptom diary. Result Statement Parents reported no adverse effects. Assessment There was a check up every week by phone to ask about compliance and side effects. Result Statement No adverse effects or symptoms were experienced by the subjects. Assessment Other indication taken and any side effects were also recorded. Result Statement n/a Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Barone, 1999 RCT Bausserman, 2005 RCT Bellomo, 1980 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* delbrueckii Bulgaricus , n/a , 3*10^8/g , n/a Lactobacillus* acidophilus n/a , n/a , 2*10^9/g , n/a Lactobacillus* plantarum n/a , n/a , 2.2*10^8/g , n/a Lactobacillus* casei n/a , n/a , 2.2*10^8/g , n/a Streptococcus* salivarius thermophilus , n/a , 2.04*10^11/g , n/a Streptococcus* faecium n/a , n/a , 3*10^7/g , n/a Bifidobacterium* longum n/a , n/a , 9.3*10^9/g , n/a Bifidobacterium (Yovis) breve n/a , n/a , 9.3*10^9cfu/g , n/a Bifidobacterium (Yovis) infantis n/a , n/a , 9.3*10^9cfu/g , n/a Lactobacillus# acidophilus n/a , n/a , 10^9/vial , n/a #Bifidobacterium bifidum n/a , n/a , 5*10^8cfu/g , n/a #Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , n/a , 10^9cfu/vial , n/a #Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , n/a , 10^9cfu/vial , NA **Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , 5*10^9cfu/250mg capsule , n/a Product Name *Yovis #Lactogermine **Codex Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , n/a , 10^10 cfu , 1 capsule NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* bulgaricus n/a , Lyophilized , 5*10^8cfu/unit , 1 unit b.i.d., 2 unit t.i.d. Streptococcus* lactis n/a , Lyophilized , 4*10^9cfu/unit , 1 unit b.i.d., 2 unit t.i.d. Lactobacillus* acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized , 5*10^8cfu/unit , 1 unit b.i.d., 2 unit t.i.d. Streptococcus# faecium SF68 , Lyophilized , >3.75*10^7cfu /unit , 1 unit b.i.d., 2 unit t.i.d. NA Product Name *n/a (control)#Bioflorin Analysis Direct Comparison Genera Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a High-Risk Population Children Safety Assessment Results Assessment Following items have been analyzed during the clinical courses… other associated symptoms. Result Statement No associated symptoms were recorded in all subjects. Direct Comparison Mode of administration Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison Genera mix Subgroup Analysis Age Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics C-260 n/a n/a Assessment Patients were withdrawn … based on … any unexpected intolerance or side effect. Result Statement There were no adverse effects noted with Lactobacillus GG treatment. Assessment n/a Result Statement No untoward side effects. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Benhamou, 1999 RCT Billoo, 2006 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 226 mg/day NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , 250mg , b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a High-Risk Population <2yrs; antibiotic induced diarrhea Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement Despite rare cases of fungemia during administration of high doses of Saccharomyces boulardii, products were tolerated, as we have noted in this study. Assessment The second visit information variables included … tolerance and acceptability of treatment. Result Statement Tolerance and acceptability of treatment were recorded in the study record forms. S. boulardii was well accepted and tolerated and there were no reports of any side effects during the study period. C-261 Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Bittner, 2005 RCT Black, 1988 RCT Bleichner, 1997 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Blend including Bacillus strains n/a n/a , n/a , n/a , 1 500 mg capsule b.i.d. NA Product Name Prescript-Assist Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized, live , 3*10^9cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d. Bifidobacterium bifidum n/a , Lyophilized, live , 3*10^9cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , Lyophilized, live , 3*10^9cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d. Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , Lyophilized, live , 3*10^9cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , 500mg b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a High-Risk Population : Irritable Bowel Syndrome Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis Disease or immunologic status Cotreatment n/a Immune compromised / critically ill C-262 Safety Assessment Results Assessment Data on the … symptoms collected as part of the 64-item instrument allowed basic analysis of the safety profile, in that any significant increase in a…symptom with treatment would point toward an adverse event or tolerability concern… Result Statement No safety/tolerability concerns emerged. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects were recorded in any of the two groups. Assessment n/a Result Statement Tolerance of S. boulardii was good and no adverse effect was noted. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Bruno, 1983 RCT Bruns, 1995 RCT Buydens, 1996 RCT Cadieux, 2002 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Enterococcus faecium SF 68 , n/a , 7.5*10^7cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d. NA Product Name Bioflorin Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a High-Risk Population Enterocolitis Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen CBS 5926 , n/a , n/a , 150 mg q.i.d. NA Product Name Perenterol Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Enterococcus faecium SF 68 , n/a , 75*10^6 cfu/capsule , 2 capsules t.i.d. NA Product Name Bioflorin Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* rhamnosus GR-1 , Lyophilized , 10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule Lactobacillus fermentum RC-14 , Lyophilized , 10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule /day Lactobacillus# rhamnosus GG , Lyophilized , 10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule /day NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison Strains Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a C-263 Safety Assessment Results Assessment Patients were assessed daily, recording the presence of … possible side-effects attributable to the drugs. Result Statement No side effects attributable to drugs. Assessment Undesired events were assessed and documented. Result Statement There were no adverse drug reactions in both groups. Assessment n/a Result Statement No side effects. n/a Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events reported. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Caglar, 2006 RCT Camarri, 1981 RCT Can, 2006 RCT Canani, 2007 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus reuteri Acid 55730 , n/a , >10^8 cfu/straw , 1/day Lactobacillus reuteri Acid 55730 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/tablet , 1 tablet /day NA Product Name (1)Life top straw (BioGaia); (2) ProDenta (BioGaia) Direct Comparison Delivery vehicles Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Streptococcus faecium SF 68 , Lyophilized , >7.5*10^7 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d. NA Product Name Bioflorin Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a acute enteritis Genus, Species, Strain Saccaromyces* boulardii n/a , n/a , 5*10^9 cells , 5*10^9 cells b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* casei Rhamnosus GG , n/a , 6*10^9 cfu , b.i.d. Saccharomyces# boulardii lt , Live , 5*10^9 cfu , b.i.d. Bacillus** clausii O/C84, N/R84, T84, SIN84(mix of strains) , n/a , 10^9 cfu , b.i.d Lactobacillus## delbrueckii LMG-P17550 Bulgaricus , n/a , 10^9 cfu , b.i.d Lactobacillus## acidophilus LMG-P17549 , n/a , 10^9cfu , b.i.d Streptococcus## thermophilus LMG-P17503 , n/a , 10^9 cfu , b.i.d Bifidobacterium## bifidum LMG-P17500 , n/a , 5*10^8 cfu , b.i.d Enterococcus*** faecium SF 68 , n/a , 7.5*10^7 cfu , b.i.d NA Product Name *Dicoflor 60; #Codex; **Enterogermina; ##Lactogermina; ***Bioflorin Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Direct Comparison Genera, Genera mix, Species, Strains Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a C-264 <2yrs; Acute Diarrhea Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement Compliance was excellent in all groups, with no drop outs or reported side or adverse effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement No side effects were observed with either treatment. Assessment n/a Result Statement No serious side effects (per abstract). Assessment We also investigated safety and tolerability. Result Statement Probiotic preparations… were well received by nearly all the children and no adverse events were observed. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Carrierol, 2007 CT Cetina-Sauri, 1994 RCT Chapoy, 1985 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus plantarum P17630 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 200mg t.i.d. NA Product Name Ultra-Levure Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 250 mg b.i.d. NA Product Name Ultra-Levure Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a C-265 High-Risk Population Candida vulvovaginitis <2yrs; acute diarrhea <2yrs; acute diarrhea Safety Assessment Results Assessment Tolerability and safety were evaluated by putting a non leading question to the patient to ascertain whether any adverse events had occurred; if any had occurred, additional information was to be collected, i.e. its time of onset, nature, duration, outcome, relation to treatment, severity and any action taken. Result Statement No adverse events worthy of note were reported. Assessment On the clinical records were recorded … and possible side effects. Result Statement Didn't have secondary effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement No undesirable effect was noted and the acceptability of the treatment was excellent. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Chapoy, 1986 CT Chen, 2010 RCT Chitapanarux, 2010 RCT Cildir, 2009 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen CBS 5926 , , n/a , 500 mg q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; diarrhea Genus, Species, Strain Bacillus mesentericus TO-A , n/a , 5*10^7 cfu/mixed sachet (3*10^8 cfu total) , 2.2*10^6 cfu/kg t.i.d Enterococcus faecalis T-110 , n/a , 2*10^8 cfu/mixed sachet , 4.2*10^6 cfu/kg t.i.d Clostridium butyricum n/a , lyophilized , 5.0*10^7 cfu/mixed sachet , 2.2*10^6 cfu/kg t.i.d NA Product Name Bio-three Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized , 10^9 /capsule , 2 capsules b.i.d Bifidobacterium bifidum n/a , Lyophilized , 10^9 /capsule , 2 capsules b.i.d. NA Product Name Infloran Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis Disease or immunologic status Cotreatment n/a Immune compromised / critically ill Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium acidophilus Lactis DN 173010 , n/a , 4*10^10 , 4*10^10 q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a C-266 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No undesirable effects were measured. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects were recorded. Adolescents Assessment Patients were evaluated weekly. An adverse event or adverse drug reaction was recorded in each week of treatment. Result Statement There were no adverse events attributable to the study drug. Assessment n/a Result Statement No side effects or adverse effects were registered. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Cindoruk, 2007 RCT Cohen, 2007 RCT Costalos, 2003 RCT Cremonini, 2002 RCT D'Apuzzo, 1982 CT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , 250 mg/dose , 1 dose, b.i.d. NA Product Name Reflor Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus GG n/a , n/a , 2x10^10 organisms / capsule , n/a NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 10^9 cfu/kg body weight b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Preterm Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* casei subsp. Rhamnosus GG , n/a , 6*10^9 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet b.i.d. Saccharomyces# boulardii n/a , n/a , 5*10^9 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet b.i.d. Lactobacillus** acidophilus n/a , n/a , 5*10^9 cfu/capsule (in sachet) , 1 capsule b.i.d. Bifidobacterium** lactis n/a , n/a , n/a , 5*10^9 cfu b.i.d. NA Product Name *Giflorex; #Codex; **Ferzyme Genus, Species, Strain Streptococcus faecium SF-68 , Lyophilized , 7.5*10^7 cfu , t.i.d. NA Product Name Bioflorin Direct Comparison Genera, Genera mix Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Hylicobacter pylori infection Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; 2-144 mos old C-267 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No major side effects leading to treatment discontinuation were observed. Assessment n/a Result Statement There were no significant adverse events recorded. Assessment n/a Result Statement Drug is well tolerated by the infants and caused no side effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement No major side effects leading to treatment discontinuation were observed. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects were noticed in either patient group. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design De Francesco, 2000 CT Delforge, 1983 RCT Delia, 2006 RCT Delia, 2003 CT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus LB , Spent culture supernatant , Equivalent to 10^10 cfu/0.8 g , 0.8g b.i.d. NA Product Name LB-SCS Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics High-Risk Population Helicobacter pylori Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen CBS 5926 , n/a , n/a , 3 capsules t.i.d. NA Product Name Perenterol Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a IBS Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* acidophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Lactobacillus# paracasei paracasei F19 , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name *Calagin; #Genefilus Direct Comparison Species Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , 3.00*10^6cfu mixture/gm , n/a Lactobacillus casei n/a , n/a , n/a , Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus , n/a , n/a , Lactobacillus plantarum n/a , n/a , n/a , Bifidobacterium longum n/a , n/a , n/a , Bifidobacterium infantis n/a , n/a , n/a , Bifidobacterium breve n/a , n/a , n/a , Streptococcus salivarius thermophilus , n/a , n/a , Streptococcus faecium n/a , n/a , n/a , NA Product Name Yovis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Radiapy C-268 Safety Assessment Results Assessment Patients were specifically questioned concerning sideeffects during therapy. Result Statement No severe side effects were reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement No sign of intolerance was recorded during this trial. Assessment n/a Result Statement All patients tolerated the treatment well, and there was not a single dropout. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well-tolerated (3 patients excluded due to intolerance of the taste of Yovis). Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design DePaula, 2008 RCT deVrese, 2005 RCT Diop, 2008 RCT Falcao, 2004 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium animalis DN 173010 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/gm , 116 gm b.i.d. Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , n/a , 10^7cfu/gm , 116 gm b.i.d. Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , n/a , 10^7 cfu/gm , 116 gm b.i.d. NA Product Name Activia Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus gasseri PA 16/8 , Viable , 5*10^7 cfu/tablet , q.d. Bifidobacterium longum SP 07/3 , Viable , 5*10^7 cfu/tablet , q.d. Bifidobacterium bifidum MF 20/5 , Viable , 5*10^7 cfu/tablet , q.d. NA Product Name Tribion harmonis Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus Rosell-52 , n/a , 3*10^9 cfu , 3*10^9 cfu q.d. Bifidobacterium longum Rosell-175 , n/a , 3*10^9 cfu/day , 3*10^9 cfu q.d. NA Product Name Probio-stick Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a constipation Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Diet therapies n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus johnsonii La1 , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name Nestle LC1 Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Diet therapies Immune compromised / critically ill C-269 Safety Assessment Results Assessment … instructed to withdraw due to intolerance Result Statement No adverse effects were seen related to either intervention. Assessment n/a Result Statement No report of adverse events. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse reactions were reported during the study. The product was safe and well tolerated. Assessment n/a Result Statement No complications Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Fanigliulo, 2006 RCT Fisberg, 2002 RCT Francavilla, 2008 RCT Fukushima, 2007 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium longum W 11 , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name n/a Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics High-Risk Population n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei n/a , n/a , 3*10^7 cfu/g , 375-750 ml/daily Bifidobacterium n/a n/a , n/a , 3*10^7 cfu/g , n/a NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 , Lyophilized , 1*10^8 cfu/tablet , 1 tablet q.d. NA Product Name Reuterin Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus johnsonii La 1 NCC 533 , n/a , 10^9 cfu/90g , 90g q.d. NA Product Name LC1 Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Diet therapies Helicobacter pylori C-270 >65 Safety Assessment Results Assessment Patients who developed complications or side effects, recorded by means of a structured clinical interview during each clinical evaluation or whenever necessary, were withdrawn from the study. Result Statement n/a Assessment Adverse events were monitored throughout the study. Result Statement Both study findings were well tolerated and the overall incidence of adverse events were very low. None of the serious adverse events were considered study related. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events were reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement Accepted well; no adverse health conditions were observed. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Furrie, 2005 RCT Gaon, 2002 RCT Gaon, 2003 RCT Gawronska, 2007 RCT Giralt, 2008 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium longum n/a , Lyophilized, viable , 2*10^11 cfu b.i.d. , 2x/d for 4 weeks NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei n/a , Lyophilized, viable , n/a , 1.5g b.i.d. Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized, viable , n/a , 1.5g b.i.d. NA Product Name CERELA Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* acidophilus CRL 730 , Lyophilized , 10^10 10^12 cfu/g , 175g b.i.d. Lactobacillus (cerela)* casei CRL 431 , Lyophilized , 10^10 10^12 cfu/g , 175g b.i.d. Saccharomyces# boulardii n/a , Lyophilized , 10^10 cfu/g , 175g b.i.d. NA Product Name *CERELA; #n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , n/a , n/a , 3*10^9 cfu b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison Genera mix Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 , n/a , 1*10^cfu/g , 96 ml, t.i.d. Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus n/a , n/a , n/a , NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a C-271 Ulcerative colitis n/a Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No reports of adverse reactions. Assessment …and any side effects were also recorded (by the patients). Result Statement No side effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement No treatment failures, neither appearance of symptoms possibly related to treatment. Cancer, receiving radiation Assessment All patients received a diary to record … any symptoms they considered important. Result Statement Well tolerated; no adverse effects were reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement The study product was well tolerated and none of the adverse events reported were considered related. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Girola, 1995 RCT Gosselink, 2003 RCT Grigoriev, 1997 RCT Grudyanov, 2002 CT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized, live , n/a , 10^9 cfu q.d. in the AM Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , Lyophilized, live , n/a , 10^9 cfu q.d. in the AM Lactobacillus lactis n/a , Lyophilized, live , n/a , 10^9 cfu q.d. in the AM Saccharomyces cerevisiae n/a , Lyophilized, live , n/a , 10^9 cfu q.d. PM NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , Live , n/a , 1.4*10^10 cfu q.d. NA Product Name Vifit ® Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Ulcerative Colitis Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium n/a n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , 10^6-10^8 cfu Bifidobacterium n/a n/a , n/a , n/a , NA Product Name Bifidumbacterin forte Direct Comparison Genera Subgroup Analysis Age, Disease or immunologic status Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics n/a Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium bifidum n/a , n/a , n/a , Varies by patients Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , Varies by patients NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison Genera Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a C-272 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement During the study no side effect was observed that could be associated (or attributed) to the two treatments. Assessment n/a Result Statement None of the patients had complaints that were possibly connected with the intake of Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Assessment n/a Result Statement ADR were not observed, no there were no treatment discontinuations. Assessment n/a Result Statement The probiotics are well tolerated and no side effects, no contraindications. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Guandalini, 2010 RCT Guandalini, 2000 RCT Guslandi, 2000 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized, live , 4.5*10^11 bacteria /sachet , varies by age (1-2 sachets/d) Lactobacillus casei n/a , Lyophilized, live , 4.5*10^11 bacteria /sachet , varies by age (1-2 sachets/day) Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , Lyophilized, live , 4.5*10^11 bacteria /sachet , varies by age (1-2 sachets /day) Lactobacillus plantarum n/a , Lyophilized, live , 4.5*10^11 bacteria /sachet , varies by age (1-2 sachets/d) Bifidobacterium longum n/a , Lyophilized, live , 4.5*10^11 bacteria /sachet , varies by age (1-2 sachets/d) Bifidobacterium infantis n/a , Lyophilized, live , 4.5*10^11 bacteria /sachet , varies by age (1-2 sachets /day) Bifidobacterium breve n/a , Lyophilized, live , 4.5*10^11 bacteria /sachet , varies by age (1-2 sachets /day) Streptococcus salivarius thermophilus n/a , Lyophilized, live , 4.5*10^11 bacteria /sachet , varies by age (1-2 sachets /day) NA Product Name VSL#3 Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei GG ATCC 53103 , Live , 10^10 cfu/250ml , Single dose NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 500 mg b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Analysis High-Risk Population Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Diet therapies Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs C-273 Safety Assessment Results Assessment Data were recorded in a daily questionnaire/dairy. Result Statement No adverse event was reported in any of the participating patients throughout the duration of the study. Crohn's Disease Assessment n/a Result Statement Can be safely administered. Assessment n/a Result Statement All patients completed the study without reporting any side effects. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Guyonnet, 2009 RCT Guyonnet, 2007 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 , n/a , 1.25*10^10 cfu/125 g , 125g b.i.d Streptococcus thermophilus I-1630 , n/a , 1.2*10^9 cfu/125g , 125g b.i.d. Lactobacillus bulgaricus I-1632, I-1519 , n/a , 1.2*10^9 cfu/125g , 125g b.i.d. Lactobacillus cremoris CMI-1631 , n/a , 1.25*10^9 cfu/125g , 125g b.i.d. NA Product Name Activia ® Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173010 , n/a , 1.25*10^10 cfu/pot , b.i.d. Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , n/a , 1.25*10^9 cfu/pot , b.i.d. Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , n/a , 1.25*10^9 cfu/pot , b.i.d. NA Product Name Activia Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a adu<s with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement These data, taken together with previous data obtained on GI transit and in IBS, suggest that this specific probiotic food may represent a promising nutritional and safe solution for the management of GI symptoms. Assessment Subjects recorded daily in their diary… as well as any adverse events. Result Statement Ten subjects from the control group and 13 from the test product group reported minor adverse events throughout the study. Four subjects in the control group and three in the test group stopped the consumption of the product after an adverse event. Two subjects reported serious adverse events in the control group. C-274 Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Hafeez, 2002 RCT Hatakka, 2001 RCT Hatakka, 2003 RCT Hatakka, 2007 RCT Hickson, 2007 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , Lyophilized , 250 mg b.i.d. , twice daily for 6 days NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a 2-5 yrs Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 , n/a , 5-10 *10^5 cfu/ml , t.i.d. to achieve 200 ml daily NA Product Name Gefilus Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 , n/a , ?5*10^9 cfu/capsule , 2 b.i.d. NA Product Name Gefilus Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; Children 1-6 yrs Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 , n/a , 8-9*10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 q.d. Lactobacillus rhamnosus LC 705 , n/a , 8-9*10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 q.d. Bifidobacterium breve 99 , n/a , 8-9*10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 q.d. Propionibacterium freudenreichii shermanii JS , n/a , 8 9*10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei immunitas DN 114-001 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/ml , b.i.d. Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu/ml , b.i.d. Lactobacillus delbrueckii Bulgaricus , n/a , 10^7 cfu/ml , b.i.d. NA Product Name Actimel ® Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis Age Cotreatment n/a <2yrs Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Hospitalized Patients C-275 Mild RA Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement The drug was accepted well...and there were no reported side effects in this study population. Assessment n/a Result Statement No apparent side effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement No clinical relevant adverse effects were seen. Assessment Reasons for dropout … adverse effects. Result Statement n=1 dropout due to adverse effects in probiotics group, n=0 in placebo group. Assessment n/a Result Statement No reported adverse events related to the study drinks. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Hojsak, 2010 RCT Hojsak, 2010 RCT Hol, 2008 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , n/a , 10^9 cfu/100 ml , 100ml/day NA Product Name LGG Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , n/a , 10^9 cfu/100 ml , 100c ml q.d. NA Product Name LGG (Dukat) Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei CRL431 paracasei , n/a , 10^7 cfu/gr formula , n/a Bifidobacterium animalis lactis Bb-12 , n/a , 10^7 cfu/gr formula , n/a NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics, Corticosteroid use C-276 <2yrs Safety Assessment Results Assessment Patients were checked every day by pediatrician. Result Statement No adverse effects were noted during study and both products were well tolerated. Assessment Every 10 days, investigators contacted parents to find out whether their children had developed any … side effects. Result Statement No side effects of adverse effects were noted during the study. Assessment Structure interviews… adverse events…were performed. Result Statement The study formula with or without the probiotic supplementation was well tolerated. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Hoyos, 1999 CT Htwe, 2008 RCT Hun, 2009 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Live , 10^9 cfu/capsule , 1/4 capsule q.d. Bifidobacterium infantis n/a , Live , 10^9 cfu/capsule , 1/4 capsule q.d. NA Product Name Infloran Berna 7 Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; Immune compromised / critically ill Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , Active , n/a , 250 mg b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; 2-10 yrs Genus, Species, Strain Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 , n/a , 8*10^8 cfu/dose , 1 dose q.d. NA Product Name GanedenBC Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a >65 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No complications attributed to the use of the probiotic preparation were observed. Assessment n/a Result Statement No severe side effects were observed during the trial. Assessment Add adverse events were reported … event duration, severity and causal relationship to the study drug were recorded. Result Statement There were 4 adverse events reported in the placebo groups and 2 in the study group, all of which were unrelated to the treatments. No treatment related adverse events or serious adverse events were reported during the 8-week study period. C-277 Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Hun, 2009 RCT Indrio, 2009 RCT Indrio, 2008 RCT Jasinski, 2002 RCT Kalliomaki, 2003 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Bacillus coagulans GB1-30 6086 , n/a , n/a , q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus reuteri n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu/dose , 1 dose q.d. NA Product Name n/a Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a High-Risk Population IBS <2yrs Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 , n/a , 10^8 cfu , q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; Preterm Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 , Viable , 1*10^9 cfu , Varies NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 , n/a , 10^10 cfu , q.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs C-278 Safety Assessment Results Assessment All adverse events were reported regardless of whether they were related to the study drug. Event duration, severity, and causal relationship to the study drug were recorded. Result Statement No treatment related or serious adverse events were reported. Assessment Adverse events were recorded throughout they study as they occurred. Result Statement No adverse events were reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events were reported related to the trial. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well tolerated. Pregnant women Assessment n/a Result Statement Was promising and safe. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Kalman, 2009 RCT Kaplas, 2007 RCT Katelaris, 1995 RCT Kato, 2004 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Bacillus coagulans GBI-30,6086 , n/a , 2*10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule, q.d. NA Product Name GanedenBC Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) , n/a , 10^9 cfu/dose , 1 dose q.d. Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 , n/a , 10^9 cfu/dose , 1 dose q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus fermentum KLD , n/a , 10^11 cfu/capsule , 2 capsules q.d. Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , 10^11 cfu/capsule , 2 capsules q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus Yakult , Live , 10^10 cfu/100 ml , 100 ml q.d. Bifidobacterium breve Yakult , Live , 10^10 cfu/100 ml , 100ml q.d. Bifidobacterium bifidum Yakult , Live , 10^10 cfu/100 ml , 100ml q.d. NA Product Name Yakult BFM Direct Comparison Genera Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Diet therapies n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Ulcerative Colitis C-279 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement The Bacillus coagulans based probiotic product was effective and safe for abating symptoms of GSRS abdominal pain and distention pain in the post prandial period. Assessment n/a Result Statement The pregnancies were uncomplicated and all infants were delivered at term. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects were reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well tolerated; …no subjects reported adverse events that might have been related to BFM. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Kawase, 2009 RCT Kim, 2010 RCT Kim, 2005 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG(ATCC53103) , n/a , >2*10^10 cfu/2g , 2g q.d. Lactobacillus gasseri TMC0356 , n/a , >1*10^9 cfu/2g , 2 g/day NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4 , n/a , 1.6*10^9 cfu/dose , 1 dose q.d. Bifidobacterium lactis AD011 , n/a , 1.6*10^9 cfu/dose , 1/day Lactobacillus acidophilus AD031 , n/a , 1.6*10^9 cfu , 1 /day NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics <2yrs Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized , 4.5*10^11 cfu mixture/sachet , 1 sachet b.i.d. Bifidobacterium infantis n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , Bifidobacterium breve n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , Bifidobacterium longum n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , Lactobacillus casei n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , Lactobacillus delbrueckii Bulgaricus , Lyophilized , n/a , Lactobacillus plantarum n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , Streptococcus salivarius thermophilus , Lyophilized , n/a , NA Product Name VSL#3 Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a C-280 IBS Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement None of the 35 subjects showed any disorder related to the ingestion of LGG and TMC 0356 during the trial period. Assessment The parents were asked to report any adverse effects whenever they happen. Result Statement No serious adverse effects developed and although non-specific mild symptoms developed, these were unlikely to have been related to the administration of probiotics. Assessment n/a Result Statement There were no adverse effects attributable to treatment with either VSL#3 or placebo. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Kim, 2003 RCT Kim, 2006 RCT Klarin, 2008 CT Koebnick, 2003 CT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized , 2.25*10^11 cfu mixture/packet , 1 packet b.i.d. Lactobacillus casei n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , Lactobacillus delbrueckii Bulgaricus , Lyophilized , n/a , Lactobacillus plantarum n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , Bifidobacterium longum n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , Bifidobacterium infantis n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , Bifidobacterium breve n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , Streptococcus (VSL#3) salivarius thermophilus , Lyophilized , n/a , NA Product Name VSL#3 Genus, Species, Strain Bacillus subtilis n/a , n/a , n/a , 1*10^9 cfu Streptococcus faecium n/a , n/a , n/a , 9*10^9 cfu NA Product Name Medilac DS Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Imtable Bowel Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a IBS Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus plantarum LP 299V , n/a , 8*10^8 cfu/ml , 100 ml b.i.d., then 50 ml b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics, Corticosteroid use, Diet therapies Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Immune compromised / critically ill Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei Shirota , n/a , 10^8 cfu/ml , 65 ml q.d. NA Product Name n/a Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events noted. 18-70 yrs; Chronic Constipation Assessment n/a Result Statement Medilac DS was well tolerated without adverse events... a safe and useful probiotic agent. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse impact of the given probiotic preparations; well tolerated. Assessment Patients were asked weekly for product tolerability during the intervention phase. Result Statement No side effects were reported. C-281 Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Kollaritsch, 1993 RCT Kollaritsch, 1989 RCT Koning, 2010 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 250mg q.d. Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 1000mg q.d. NA Product Name Perenterol Direct Comparison Dose Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , 2*10^8 - 2*10^9 cfu b.i.d. , 2 per day, duration varies NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Prophylaxis of traveller's diarrhea Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium bifidum NIZO 3804 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Bifidobacterium lactis NIZO 3680 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d. Enterococcus faecium NIZO 3886 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Lactobacillus rhamnosus NIZO 3689 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Lactobacillus paracasei NIZO 3672 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Lactobacillus plantarum NIZO 3684 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Lactobacillus acidophilus NIZO 3678 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Lactobacillus acidophilus NIZO 3887 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Lactobacillus salivarius NIZO 3675 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d NA Product Name Ecologic AAD Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics C-282 n/a Safety Assessment Results Assessment A questionnaire… recorded undesirable side effects. Result Statement Serious side effects or complaints were not reported. Assessment Side effect due to prophylaxis had to be listed and commented. Result Statement n/a Assessment n/a Result Statement There were no reported adverse events related to the study product. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Kontiokari, 2001 RCT Kotowska, 2005 RCT Kowalska, 2002 RCT Kowalska Duplaga, 2005 RCT Kuisma, 2003 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei GG , n/a , 4*10^10 cfu/100 ml , 50 ml b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 250 mg b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics <2yrs; antibiotic associated diarrhea Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Diet therapies Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Ulcerative Colitis patients; who underwent protocolectomy Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium ruminatium n/a , n/a , 10^9 cfu b.i.d. , twice daily for 5 days NA Product Name Lactobif Genus, Species, Strain lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Active , n/a , 1.6*10^9 cfu b.i.d. Lactbacillus bulgaricus n/a , Active , n/a , 1.6*10^9 cfu b.i.d. Bifidobacterium bifidum n/a , Active , n/a , 1.6*10^9 cfu b.i.d. NA Product Name Trilac Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , n/a , 0.5-1*10^10 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule q.i.d. NA Product Name n/a C-283 Acute diarrhea Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events were reported except occasional complaints about the bitter taste of the cranberry juice. Assessment The secondary outcomes were…and adverse events. Result Statement Well tolerated and no adverse events associated with this therapy were reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse reactions were reported. Assessment Investigation of … and safety. Result Statement No adverse effects of the treatment were noted. Assessment n/a Result Statement well tolerated and none of the patients was withdrawn because of side effects. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Laake, 1999 RCT Lara, 2007 CT Larustovskaia, 2008 CT Lewis, 1998 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* acidophilus La-5 , Live , >10^8 cfu/ml , 500 ml q.d. Bifidobacterium* lactis Bb-12 , Live , >10^8cfu/ml , 500 ml q.d. Lactobacillus# acidophilus La-5 , Heat-treated , Bifidobacterium# lactis Bb-12 , Heat-treated , NA Product Name *Cultura, #heat-treated Cultura Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus bulgaricus Delbrueckii , n/a , 2*10^7 cfu/ml , 200 ml q.d. Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , n/a , 5*10^5 cfu/ml , 200 ml q.d. Streptococcus# thermophilus n/a , n/a , 5*10^5 cfu/ml , 80 ml q.d. Lactobacillus# coryniformis CECT 5711 , n/a , 1.8*10^7 cfu/gm , 80 ml q.d. Lactobacillus# gasseri CECT 5714 , n/a , 0.2*10^7 cfu/g , 80 ml q.d. NA Product Name Puleva Max defensas Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Bifidobacterium longum n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Bifidobacterium bifidum n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 113 mg b.i.d. NA Product Name Ultra-Levure Analysis Direct Comparison Forms Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a High-Risk Population Ulcerative colitis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a chronic non-specific Salpingo-oophoritis and colon disbacteriosis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics >65 C-284 Safety Assessment Results Assessment … and adverse events were recorded by the patients during the study on a daily basis in a diary card. Result Statement No adverse effects were recorded. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well tolerated; No adverse effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement Good tolerability by all treatment group patients. Assessment Subjects were seen daily…to monitor for side effects. Result Statement No side effects attributable to S. boulardii were observed. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Leyer, 2009 RCT Ligny, 1976 RCT Lionetti, 2006 RCT Luyer, 2010 RCT Marcone, 2008 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (ATCC 700396) , n/a , 5*10^9 cfu/g , 1g, b.i.d. Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM , n/a , 5*10^9 cfu/g , 0.5g, b.i.d. Bifidobacterium animalis lactis Bi-07 (ATCC PTA-4802) , n/a , 5*10^9 cfu/g , 0.5g, b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces hansen CBS 5926 , n/a , n/a , 3-4 capsules q.d. NA Product Name Perenterol Direct Comparison Genera mix Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics side-effect of antibiotics Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55 730 , Lyophilized , 10^8 cfu/pill , 1 pill q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , 26 mg/100ml , 200+/-50 mg/day NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Diet therapies n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus n/a , Lyophilized , 4*10^4 cfu/tablet , 1 tablet once a wk NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Bacterial Vaginosis C-285 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No notable adverse events were attributed to study probiotic strains. <2yrs Assessment n/a Result Statement In both studies the safety...was complete. Its tolerance was very good and we found no contraindication. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events were reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement No undesirable occurrence was experienced. Assessment n/a Result Statement ...safe. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Marschan, 2008 RCT Mastromarino, 2008 RCT Maupas, 1983 RCT Mihatsch, 2004 RCT Miniello, 2010 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 , n/a , 5*10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule b.i.d. to mothers, q.d. to infants Bifidobacterium breve Bb99 , n/a , 2*10^8 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule b.i.d. to mothers, q.d. to infants Lactobacillus rhamnosus LC 705 , n/a , 5*10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule b.i.d. to mothers, q.d. to infants Propionibacterium freudenreichii shermanii JS , n/a , 2*10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule b.i.d. to mothers, q.d. to infants NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus brevis CD2 , Viable , 10^9 , 1 tablet daily Lactobacillus salivarius salicinius FV2 , n/a , 10^9 cfu mixture /tablet , n/a Lactobacillus plantarum FV9 , n/a , 10^9 , n/a NA Product Name Florisia Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 1 capsule, t.i.d. NA Product Name Ultra-Levure Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Colitis, irritable colon Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium lactis Hansen , n/a , n/a , 6*10^9 cfu/kg/day NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs - premature Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 , Viable , 10^8 cfu/tablet , 1 tablet q.d. NA Product Name Nóos, BioGaia AB <2yrs Result Statement No major side effects were observed. Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a C-286 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Assessment At each follow up visit, patients were requested to report any unexpected symptom. Result Statement The tablets caused no detectable side effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement No sign of intolerance was observed in the course of the study. Assessment n/a Result Statement Appeared to be safe. n/a Assessment n/a Result Statement Active probiotic treatment or placebo was well accepted by the patients. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Mitra, 1990 RCT Mohan, 2006 RCT Montalto, 2010 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Streptococcus faecium SF 68 , Live , 10^8 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d. NA Product Name Bioflorin Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 , n/a , n/a , 5*10^9 cfu NA Product Name Nestle FM 2000A Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized , 9*10^11 bacteria/sachet (4.4g) , 1 sachet q.d. Lactobacillus casei n/a , Lyophilized , 9*10^11 bacteria/sachet (4.4g) , 1 sachet q.d. Lactobacillus plantarum n/a , Lyophilized , 9*10^11 bacteria/sachet (4.4g) , 1 sachet q.d. Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , Lyophilized , 9*10^11 bacteria/sachet (4.4g) , 1 sachet q.d. Bifidobacterium longuum n/a , Lyophilized , 9*10^11 bacteria/sachet (4.4g) , 1 sachet q.d. Bifidobacterium breve n/a , Lyophilized , 9*10^11 bacteria/sachet (4.4g) , 1 sachet q.d. Bifidobacterium infantis n/a , Lyophilized , 9*10^11 bacteria/sachet (4.4g) , 1 sachet q.d. Streptococcus salivarius thermophilus , Lyophilized , 9*10^11 bacteria/sachet (4.4g) , 1 sachet q.d. NA Product Name VSL #3 Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a High-Risk Population Adu<s with acute diarrhea <2 years; Immune compromised / critically ill n/a Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement Well tolerated; no unpleasant effects. Assessment Routine clinical data were collected for all infants and their mothers. Result Statement No adverse effect was observed in any of the infants supplemented with Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12. Assessment A safety assessment was performed on documentation of any adverse events that occurred during the study period. Result Statement No adverse events were reported during dosing with both regimens. C-287 Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Morosova, 1996 CT Myllyluoma, 2007 CT Narayanappa, 2008 RCT Naruszewicz, 2002 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Streptococcus salivarius n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Streptococcus sanguis n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a peridontitis Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , n/a , n/a , 2.5*10^9 cfu q.d. Lactobacillus rhamnosus LC705 , n/a , n/a , 2.5*10^9 cfu q.d. Propionibacterium freudenreichii Shermanii JS , n/a , n/a , 2.5*10^9 cfu q.d. Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 , n/a , n/a , 2.5*10^9 cfu q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Streptococcus faecalis T-110 , Live , 3*10^7 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet t.i.d. Clostridium butyricum TO-A , Live , 2*10^6 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet t.i.d. Bacillus mesentericus TO-A , Live , 10^6 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet t.i.d. Lactobacillus sporogenes 1 sachet t.i.d. up to 14 days , Live , 5*10^7 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet t.i.d. NA Product Name Bifilac Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus plantarum 299v , n/a , 5*10^7 cfu/ml , 400ml q.d. NA Product Name ProViva Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Helicobacter infection Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Diet therapies <2yrs; 3mos-3yrs acute viral diarrhea Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Smokers C-288 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement The developed treatment therapy...has no negative side effects and was positively evaluated by patients. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events were reported during ingestion of the probiotic combination drink. Assessment n/a Result Statement None of the patients had any adverse events. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well accepted; no adverse effects. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Niedzielin, 2001 RCT Noback, 2000 RCT Oksanen, 1990 RCT Olivares, 2007 RCT O'Sullivan, 2000 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus plantarum 299V , n/a , 5*10^7 cfu/ml , 200ml b.i.d. NA Product Name ProViva Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a IBS Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 9843 strain 299v , n/a , 5*10^7 cfu/400ml , 400ml q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a IBS Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei GG , Lyophilized , 10^9 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet b.i.d. NA Product Name LGG Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a 10-80 yrs Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 , n/a , 10^10 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei GG , Lyophilized , 2.5*10^9 cfu/tablet , 2 tablets b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a IBS C-289 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No treatment related side effects were observed. Assessment n/a Result Statement All patients tolerated the products well, and no adverse events were reported during the period of intake. Assessment n/a Result Statement No side effects related to Lactobacillus GG were observed. Assessment n/a Result Statement Capsules were welltolerated…and none reported any adverse effect. Assessment n/a Result Statement No patient developed a serious illness or events. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Ouwhand, 2008 RCT Ozkan, 2007 RCT Pantoflickova, 2003 RCT Pedone, 2000 RCT Peng, 2005 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM , n/a , 2*10^9 cfu /gm, 5 5.5gm/sachet , 1 sachet b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a >65 Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 250 mg, b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus johnsonii Lj 1 , Live , 10^6-10^7 cfu/gm , 125 gm b.i.d. then q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Helicobacter pylori. Gastritis Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus*# bulgaricus n/a , n/a , >10^7 cfu/ml , twice daily for 5 days a week Streptococcus*# thermophilus n/a , n/a , >10^7 cfu/ml , n/a Lactobacillus# casei DN-114 001 , n/a , 3.2*10^8 cfu/ml , b.i.d. 5 days a week NA Product Name *n/a, #Actimel Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus paracasei LP33 , Live , 5*10^9cfu/capsule , b.i.d. Lactobacillus paracasei LP33 , Heat-killed , 5*10^9 cfu/capsule , b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison Delivery vehicles Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs Direct Comparison Forms Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a C-290 Safety Assessment Results Assessment Subjects recorded in a study dairy… health status. Result Statement No significant differences in side effects were observed between the two groups. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse reaction related to S. boulardii therapy was observed during the study. Assessment Adverse events… were recorded during the whole study. Result Statement No serious adverse events were reported. Assessment Nursing assistants recorded daily … product tolerance. Result Statement The acceptability of the products was found to be good. Assessment n/a Result Statement No participants left the trial prematurely due to adverse effects. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Pereg, 2004 RCT Piano, 2010 RCT Pirotta, 2004 RCT Pitkala, 2007 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/ml , 100 ml q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus (group A) plantarum LP01 (LMG P-21021) , Viable , 5*10^9 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet q.d. Bifidobacterium(group A) breve BR03 (DSM 16604) , Viable , 5*10^9 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet q.d. Lactobacillus (group B) plantarum LP01 , Viable , 1*10^9 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet q.d. Bifidobacterium (group B) breve BR03 , Viable , 1*10^9 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* rhamnosus n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Bifidobacterium* longum n/a , n/a , n/a , Lactobacillus# rhamnosus n/a , n/a , n/a , Lactobacillus# delbrueckii n/a , n/a , n/a , Lactobacillus# acidophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , Streptococcus# thermophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , NA Product Name *Lactobac (oral), #Femilac (vaginal) Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium* longum 46 and 2C , Viable , 10^9 cfu , q.d. Bifidobacterium# lactis Bb12 , Viable , 10^9 cfu , q.d. NA Product Name *n/a, #Yosa Analysis High-Risk Population Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison Delivery vehicles, Dose Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Direct Comparison Delivery vehicles Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Non pregnant women 18-50 yrs Direct Comparison Species Subgroup Analysis Disease or immunologic status Cotreatment n/a >65 C-291 n/a Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects were reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events were reported. Assessment Reasons for withdrawal… Result Statement One participant in the oral Lactobacillus and vaginal placebo group withdrew due to side effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well accepted. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Rafter, 2007 RCT Rao, 2009 RCT Rautava, 2002 RCT Reid, 2001 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 , Lyophilized , >10^10 cfu/g , n/a Lactobacillus delbrueckii rhamnosus GG , >10^10 cfu/g , n/a 7 days , NA Product Name n/a Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a High-Risk Population Colon cancer and polypectomized patients Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei Shirota , n/a , 8*10^9 cfu/sachet , 1 sachet t.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Adu<s 18-65 yrs with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium rhamnosus GG(ATCC 53103) , n/a , 2*10^10 cfu , q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis Disease or immunologic status Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; m breastfeeding infants <3 mos Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 , Lyophilized , n/a , 8*10^8 cfu q.d., 6*10^9 cfu q.d., 8*10^8 cfu b.i.d. Lactobacillus freudenreichii RC-14 , Lyophilized , n/a , 8*10^8 cfu q.d., 6*10^9 cfu q.d., 8*10^8 cfu b.i.d. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , n/a , 8*10^8 cfu , q.d. (Arm 4) NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison Dose, Species, Strains Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a C-292 n/a Safety Assessment Results Assessment The subjects were interviewed at time 2 and time 3 … and any adverse events that had occurred in each 6-wk period were recorded. Result Statement No adverse effects of the intervention were reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well-tolerated; no significant adverse events. Assessment The infants' clinical … status were assessed at scheduled visits at the ages of 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Result Statement No adverse reactions or clinical side effects were observed during probiotic supplementation or clinical followup. Assessment n/a Result Statement None of the patients reported adverse side effects during the 6 week test period. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Reid, 2003 RCT Riccia, 2007 CT Ritchie, 2009 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 , Lyophilized , >10^9 cfu /capsule , 1 capsule q.d. Lactobacillus fermentum RC-14 , Lyophilized , >10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule q.d. NA Product Name n/a Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a High-Risk Population n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus brevis n/a , Lyophilized , 2*10^7 cfu/lozenge , 4 lozenges q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei GG , n/a , >5*10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d NA Product Name Gelfilus Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics <2yrs Safety Assessment Results Assessment The research nurse, supervised by a physician, followed every patient throughout the study. This entailed … and monitor any perceived adverse events. Upon completion of the study, each subject filled out a questionnaire to determine whether any adverse events ... occurred. Result Statement Patients did not report any side effects associated with probiotic therapy. Assessment n/a Result Statement The tolerability was considered as very good by all patients. Assessment Adverse events related to the study product and/or protocol investigations were reported to the ethics committee approving the study. Result Statement No adverse effect attributable to LGG in the present study protocol. C-293 Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Roessler, 2007 RCT Roggero, 1990 RCT Romano, 2010 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium animalis Lactis DGCC 420 , Active , 5.9*10^4 cfu/g , 100ml b.i.d. Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37 , Active , 3.9*10^8 cfu/g , 100ml b.i.d. Lactobacillus acidophilus 74-2 , Active , 2.9*10^4 cfu/g , 100ml b.i.d. Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , Active , n/a , 100ml b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Streptococcus lactis n/a , Active , 8*10^9 cfu/capsule , b.i.d. or q.i.d. Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , Active , 1*10^9 cfu , b.i.d. or q.i.d. Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Active , 1*10^9 cfu , b.i.d. or q.i.d. NA Product Name Lactipan Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis Disease or immunologic status Cotreatment Corticosteroid use n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; chronic diarrhea Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 , Lyophilized , 10^8 cfu/5 drops , 5 drops, b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a C-294 High-Risk Population Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects of the regular intake of the probiotic drink were reported. n/a Assessment Particular attention was paid to the detection of any undesirable effect in the course of the treatment. Result Statement During the treatment period no side effect was observed for both groups. Assessment The patients used a diary to record… any other symptoms. Result Statement L. reuteri supplementation was well tolerated and no adverse effects or other unexpected symptoms were reported in either study. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Romeo, 2009 RCT Roos, 1993 CT Roos, 1993 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/5 drops , 5 drops, q.d. Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 53103 , n/a , 6*10^9 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule, q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison Delivery vehicles, Species Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Genus, Species, Strain Streptococcus sanguis 3 strains unspecified , n/a , 10^7 cfu each strain /treatment , b.i.d. Streptococcus mitis n/a , n/a , 10^7 cfu /treatment , b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Streptococcus sanguis 3 strains unspecified , Lyophilized , 10^6 cfu /puff , 3 puffs b.i.d. Streptococcus mitis n/a , Lyophilized , 10^6 cfu /puff , 3 puffs b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Recurrent streptococcal tonsillitis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics History of strep infection (tonsillitis) C-295 <2yrs Safety Assessment Results Assessment Nutrition administrated through oral access… was progressively increased if tolerated. Result Statement Both used probiotics had good safety and did not show any adverse reactions or side effects in preterm infants. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects have been noted. Assessment n/a Result Statement No side effects … were reported and all patients were able to complete the 2 treatment regimens. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Ruszczy?ski, 2008 RCT Saavedra, 1994 RCT Salazar-Lindo, 2004 RCT Sazawal, 2010 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus Pen 2593 , n/a , 2*10^9 cfu , b.i.d. Lactobacillus rhamnosus E/N 2594 , n/a , 2*10^9 cfu , b.i.d. Lactobacillus rhamnosus Oxy 2595 , n/a , 2*10^9 cfu , b.i.d. NA Product Name Lakcid Forte Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium bifidum n/a , n/a , 1.9*10^8 cfu/g powdered formula, 3.6*10^8 cfu/100kcal , n/a Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , n/a , 1.4*10^7 cfu/g or 2.7*10^8 cfu/100kcal , n/a NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei GG , n/a , 10^9 cfu/ml , 150 ml/kg/d up to 1L (10^12 cfu) q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 , n/a , 6.3*10^6 cfu/dose , 1 dose, t.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis Disease or immunologic status Cotreatment n/a C-296 <2yrs; 2-14 yrs <2yrs Safety Assessment Results Assessment The secondary outcome measures were… and adverse events. Result Statement Lactobacillus rhamnosus was welltolerated, and no adverse event associated with this therapy (or with the use of placebo) was reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects judged to be associated with the feeding of the supplemented formula. Assessment Early withdrawals defined as patient who develops a complicating illnesses Result Statement No adverse effects due to the study formula. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects were reported or observed. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Schaafsma, 1998 RCT Senay, 2009 RCT Shanahan, 2010 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , 10^7-10^8 cfu/gm , 125 ml t.i.d. NA Product Name Actimel Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , Lyophilized, live , 5*10^6 microorganisms/250 mg , 250 mg, q.d. NA Product Name Reflor Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus salivarius salivarius UCC118 , Live , 10^9 cfu/dose , 1 dose, q.d. Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 , Live , 10^9 cfu/dose , 1 dose, q.d. NA Product Name n/a Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Corticosteroid use C-297 High-Risk Population n/a n/a n/a Safety Assessment Results Assessment Questionnaire on well-being Result Statement n/a Assessment Daily record of… the side effects of the treatment. All data were recorded on a study record sheet during the 10 days of treatment by patients and patients were reevaluated after 10 days. Result Statement S. boulardii wall tolerated by all children and no side effect was recorded during the active treatment period. Assessment n/a Result Statement Adverse events were uncommon, unrelated to the treatment, and similar across the groups. Prolonged feeding with live probiotics is safe in patients with ulcerative colitis. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Sharma, 2008 RCT Sheu, 2006 RCT Shimauchi, 2008 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus n/a n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d. Clostridium butyricum n/a , n/a , 4*10^6 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d. Bacillus mesentericus n/a , n/a , 2*10^6 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d. Streptococcus faecalis n/a , n/a , 6*10^7 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule t.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus La 5 , n/a , ?10^9 bacteria/ml , 200ml b.i.d. Bifidobacterium lactis Bb 12 , n/a , ?10^9 bacteria/ml , 200 ml b.i.d. Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , n/a , ?10^9 bacteria/ml , 200ml b.i.d. Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , n/a , ?10^9 bacteria/ml , 200 ml b.i.d. NA Product Name AB-yogurt Direct Comparison Prebiotic mix Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a minimal hepatic encephalopathy Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Helicobacter pylori infection Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus salivarius WB21 , Lyophilized , 6.7*10^8 cfu/tablet , 1 tablet t.i.d. NA Product Name Wakamate D Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a C-298 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement Probiotics treatment also had no side effect. Assessment n/a Result Statement Only 4 patients in the yogurt-plus-quadruple therapy group did not complete the study design. However, only 1 of the 4 patients had poor tolerance of the 4-wk ingestion of AB-yogurt. This indicates that the pretreatment with Abyogurt can be well tolerated in milktolerant patients who have residual H. pylori after failed triple therapy. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events were reported. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Shimizu, 2009 CT Shornikova, 1997 RCT Simren, 2007 RCT Sinn, 2008 RCT Skovbjerg, 2009 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium breve Yakult , Live , 10^8 cfu/gm , 3g mixture q.d. Lactobacillus casei Shirota , Live , 10^8 cfu/gm , 3g mixture q.d. NA Product Name Yakult BL Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus reuteri n/a , Lyophilized, viable , 10^10-10^11 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule q.d. Lactobacillus reuteri n/a , Lyophilized, viable , 10^7 cfu/capsule , 1capsule q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus paracasei paracasei , Active , ?5*10^7 cfu/ml yogurt , 400 ml q.d. Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Active , ?5*10^7 cfu/ml yogurt , 400 ml /day Bifidobacterium lactis n/a , Active , ?5*10^7 cfu/ml , 400 ml /day NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus SDC 2012 , Lyophilized , 2*10^9 cfu/ml , 1 capsule b.i.d. Lactobacillus acidophilus SDC 2013 , Lyophilized , 2*10^9 cfu/ml , 1 capsule b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Diet therapies Immune compromised / critically ill Direct Comparison Dose Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a IBS Direct Comparison Genera Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a 1-8 yrs; Otitis media with effusion Genus, Species, Strain Streptococcus sanguis 89a NCIMB 40104 , Lyophilized , 5*10^9 cfu/ml , 0.2 ml b.i.d. Lactobacillus rhamnosus LB21, NCIMB 40564 , Lyophilized , 5*10^9 cfu/ml , 0.2 ml /day NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a C-299 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events in any patients. Assessment n/a Result Statement Safe. Assessment n/a Result Statement well tolerated and no serious adverse events occurred. <2yrs Otitis Media With Effusion Assessment Any adverse events that occurred during the treatment period was also recorded. Result Statement There were no adverse events reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events were reported. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Stansbridge, 1993 RCT Steeksen-Blicks, 2009 RCT Sugawara, 2006 RCT Sugita, 1994 CT Sur, 2010 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei GG , Lyophilized , 10^8 cfu/dose , b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Analysis High-Risk Population Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; Premature newborns Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* casei Shirota , Live , 4*10^10 cfu/bottle , 1 bottle q.d. Bifidobacterium# breve Yakult , Live , 1*10^10 cfu/bottle , 1 bottle q.d. Lactobacillus** casei Shirota , Live , 10^8 cfu/g , 3g q.d. Bifidobacterium** breve Yakult , Live , 10^8 cfu/g , 3g q.d. NA Product Name *Yakult 400; #Bifiel; **Yakult BL Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei n/a , n/a , 10^9-10^10 cfu , 1g NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison Timing Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Immune compromised / critically ill Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei Shirota , n/a , 6.5*10^9 cfu/bottle , 1 bottle, q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus LB21 , n/a , 10^7 cfu/ml , 150 ml q.d. NA Product Name n/a C-300 <2yrs; day care centers Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement Clinically, there were no adverse effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement No harmful side effects were reported by any of the participants in the study. Assessment n/a Result Statement No patients had problems related to synbiotic treatment. Assessment n/a Result Statement In two years, no adverse effects were found. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events was observed in children of either probiotic or nutrients groups. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Surawicz, 2000 RCT Surawicz, 1989 RCT Szajewska, 2001 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 500 mg b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics High-Risk Population Clostridium Difficile Disease Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , 250 mg b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis Disease or immunologic status Cotreatment n/a Hospitalized patients Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei GG , n/a , n/a , 6*10^9 cfu b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs C-301 Safety Assessment Results Assessment The patients kept a standardized diary of… adverse reactions. Result Statement No significant differences in the number of adverse reactions reported by patients taking S. boulardii compared with those taking placebo. No specific type of adverse reaction was more common in patients taking S. boulardii than in those receiving placebo, … no significant adverse reactions during the 4-week followup. Assessment n/a Result Statement There were no side effects of either Saccharomyces boulardii or placebo. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well tolerated and no adverse effects of the treatment were noted. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Szajewska, 2007 RCT Szymanski, 2006 RCT Szyma?ski, 2008 RCT Tlaskal, 2007 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , n/a , n/a , 3*10^9 cfu b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus 573L/1 , Lyophilized , n/a , 1.2*10^10cfu b.i.d. Lactobacillus rhamnosus 573L/2 , Lyophilized , n/a , 1.2*10^10cfu b.i.d. Lactobacillus rhamnosus 573L/3 , Lyophilized , n/a , 1.2*10^10cfu b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus plantarum PL02 , n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu mixture b.i.d. Lactobacillus rhamnosus KL53a , n/a , 10^8 cfu b.i.d. , 10^8 cfu mixture b.i.d. Bifidobacterium longum PL03 , n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu mixture b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* acidophilus Rossell-52 , n/a , n/a , 1.45*10^8 cfu q.d. Lactobacillus rhamnosus Rossell-11 , n/a , n/a , 2.755*10^9 cfu q.d. Streptococcus# faecalis n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Lactobacillus# acidophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Lactobacillus# helveticus n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name *Lacidofil; #Hylak Analysis High-Risk Population Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; rectal bleeding Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics <2yrs; 2-15 yrs Direct Comparison Prebiotic mix Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; Acute diarrhea C-302 <2yrs Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement Well tolerated and no adverse effects. Assessment Secondary outcomes were… presence of adverse events. Result Statement No adverse events were noted. Assessment Secondary outcomes were…and adverse events. Result Statement Mixture of probiotics was well tolerated, and no adverse events associated with this therapy were reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement None of the participants failed to complete the 10 day course of therapy resulting from untoward effects. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Tubelius, 2005 RCT Tursi, 2007 CT Twetman, 2009 RCT Vandenplas, 2007 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus reuteri protectus (ATCC 55730) , n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , 4.5*10^8 cfu/day Lactobacillus plantarum n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , 4.5*10^8 cfu/day Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , 4.5*10^8 cfu /day Lactobacillus plantarum n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , 4.5*10^8 cfu /day Bifidobacterium longum n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , 4.5*10^8 cfu /day Bifidobacterium infantis n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , 4.5*10^8 cfu /day Bifidobacterium breve n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , 4.5*10^8 cfu /day Streptococcus salivarius thermophilus n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , 4.5*10^8 cfu /day NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/stick of gum , 1 stick b.i.d. Lactobacillus reuteri ATPTA 5289 , n/a , 10^8 cfu/stick , 1 stick b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 500 mg, q.d. NA Product Name n/a Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics High-Risk Population n/a n/a Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events reported. Assessment All patients … were evaluated for the presence of possible side effects. Result Statement No side effects were recorded throughout the follow up in both groups. Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics <2yrs C-303 Assessment n/a Result Statement No harmful side effects or adverse events. Assessment n/a Result Statement Side effects were not reported. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Vanderhoof, 1999 RCT Venturi, 1999 CT Whorwell, 2006 RCT Winkler, 2005 RCT Woodord, 2009 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus GG , Live , 10^10 cfu/capsule , 1 capsule q.d. or b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics 2 yrs-10 yrs Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized , 5*10^11 cfu/g mixture , 3g mixture b.i.d. Lactobacillus casei casei n/a , Lyophilized , , Lactobacillus delbrueckii Bulgaricus , Lyophilized , , Lactobacillus plantarum n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , Bifidobacterium longum n/a , Lyophilized , , Bifidobacterium infantis n/a , Lyophilized , , Bifidobacterium breve n/a , Lyophilized , , Streptococcus salivarius thermophilus , Lyophilized , n/a , NA Product Name VSL#3 Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 , Live , 1*10^6/ml , q.d. Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 , Live , 1*10^8/ml , q.d. Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 , Live , 1*10^10/ml , q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus gasseri PA 16/8 , Spray-dried , 4*10^8 cfu/tablet , 1 tablet q.d. Bifidobacterium longum SP 07/3 , Spray-dried , 5*10^7 cfu/tablet , 1 tablet q.d. Bifidobacterium bifidum MF 20/5 , Spray-dried , 5*10^7 cfu/tablet , 1 tablet q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus n/a n/a , Live , 2.4*10^9 cells/pill , 1 pill, q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Ulcerative Colitis In Remission Direct Comparison Dose Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a IBS (women) Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Diet therapies n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a C-304 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement There were no failures resulting from untoward effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement The preparation was also safe and well tolerated by patients. Assessment n/a Result Statement Only 17( Assessment n/a Result Statement No report of adverse events. Assessment n/a Result Statement There were no probiotic-related complications. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Wullt, 2003 RCT Wunderlich, 1989 RCT Xiao, 2006 RCT Ya, 2010 RCT Yamamura, 2009 RCT Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus plantarum 299 V , n/a , n/a , 5*10^10 cfu q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Enterococcus n/a SF 68 , Lyophilized , 75*10^6 cfu/capsule , 2 capsules q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium longum BB 536 , Lyophilized , n/a , 5*10^10 cfu b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus n/a , Lyophilized, live , 6.8x10^9 cfu , daily Lartobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized , 4x10^8 cfu , daily Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , Lyophilized , 8x10^8 cfu , daily NA Product Name Probaclac Vaginal Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus helveticus CM4 , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name n/a Analysis High-Risk Population Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a >18 yrs Hospitalized Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a >65 C-305 Diarrhoea n/a Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No apparent side effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement No side effects were reported. Assessment n/a Result Statement No participants left the trial prematurely due to adverse effects. Assessment Follow-up evaluations included… a report of adverse events Result Statement …no adverse events were reported in either group. Assessment n/a Result Statement None of the subjects in either group developed any side effects. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Zeng, 2008 RCT Amati, 2010 CS Baron, 2009 CS Bennet, 1992 CS Bennett, 1996 CS Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , Active , 10^8 cfu/ml , 200 ml mixture b.i.d. Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , Active , 10^9 cfu/ml , 200 ml mixture b.i.d. Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Active , 10^7 cfu/ml , 200 ml mixture b.i.d. Bifidobacterium longum n/a , Active , 10^7 cfu/ml , 200 ml mixture b.i.d. NA Product Name AB100 Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , n/a , 10^7 bacteria/90g , 90g b.i.d. NA Product Name YOMO ABC PLUS Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a >65 Genus, Species, Strain Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 , n/a , 2*10^9 cfu , 1 capsule /day NA Product Name Sustenex Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium longum BB-536 , Lyophilized , 3*10^9 cfu , t.i.d 5 days Bifidobacterium breve BB-576 , Lyophilized , 3*10^9 cfu , t.i.d Lactobacillus acidophilus LAC-343 , Lyophilized , 3*10^9 cfu , t.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , Lyophilized , 10^9 cfu/capsule , q.d., b.i.d. or q.i.d. NA Product Name LGG Direct Comparison Genera mix Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics <2yrs Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a >65 C-306 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement There were no reported adverse events related to the study drinks. Assessment n/a Result Statement No side effects were recorded in the individuals who terminated that trial. Assessment n/a Result Statement No serious adverse events were reported throughout the study. Assessment n/a Result Statement No side effects were noted. Assessment n/a Result Statement No side effects were associated with LGG. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Biller, 1995 CS Bruce, 1992 CS Ciprandi, 2004 CS Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG , Lyophilized , 5*10^9cfu/g , 125 mg b.i.d. NA Product Name LGG Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; 5-70 mons Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei GR-1 , Lyophilized , >1.6*10^9 organisms/0.5g , 1 suppository/wk Lactobacillus fermentum B-54 , Lyophilized , >1.6*10^9 organisms/0.5g , 1 suppository/wk NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis Ethnicity Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Bacillus clausii n/a , n/a , 2*10^9 spores /vial , 2 vials q.d. NA Product Name Enterogermina Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a allergic children with recurrent respiratory infections C-307 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No side effects were noted during the course of treatment. Assessment n/a Result Statement The suppositories caused no detectable side effects. Two patients were not compliant. The reasons appropriate treatment were suffering from other types of ailments not related to UTI. Assessment n/a Result Statement All children assumed the prescribed treatment with B. clausii spores without any side-effect. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Drago, 2007 CS Erzsébet, 1988 CS Fan, 2006 CS Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized , 10^9 cfu/ml , 1 douche (100 ml)/day NA Product Name n/a Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a High-Risk Population n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus n/a n/a , n/a , n/a , 0.14gm tablet NA Product Name Lactobact Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Vaginal infection Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium n/a n/a , Live , 5*10^7cfu/gm , 420 mg mixture t.i.d. Lactobacillus n/a n/a , Live , 5*10^7cfu/gm , 420 mg mixture t.i.d. Enterococcus n/a n/a , Live , 5*10^7cfu/gm , 420 mg mixture t.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a IBS patients C-308 Safety Assessment Results Assessment The treatment kit included a questionnaire to determine whether any adverse events occurred during the treatment and in the following period. Result Statement The treatment kit included a questionnaire to determine whether any adverse events occurred during the treatment and in the following period. Assessment n/a Result Statement Using the vaginal tablet did not cause subject complaints, side effect. Assessment Side effects were recorded at the same time as symptoms Result Statement All tolerated the products well; no adverse events were reported. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Federico, 2009 CS Ferraz, 2009 CS Friedlander, 1986 CS Fujimori, 2007 CS Fukushima, 1998 CS Gee, 2010 CS Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus paracasei B 21060 , Lyophilized , 5*10^9 cfu/bag , 1 bag b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei Shirota , Lyophilized , 2*10^7-10^9 cfu/50 mg , 50mg, t.i.d. Bifidobacterium breve n/a , Lyophilized , 5*10^7-10^9 cfu , 50mg, t.i.d. NA Product Name Yakult SA Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , 10^8-10^9/100 ml , 100 ml, b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* casei n/a , n/a , n/a , 3*10^10 q.d. Bifidobacterium* breve n/a , n/a , n/a , 3*10^10 q.d. Bifidobacterium# longum n/a , n/a , 1.5*10^10 q.d. , NA Product Name *Yakult BL; #ISAGOL 5 billion Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12 , Viable , n/a , 10^9cfu q.d. NA Product Name Nan BF Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Corticosteroid use, Diet therapies Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus paracasei NFBC 338 , Stored at 22 degree centigrade , 1*10^9 cfu/dose , 1 single dose NA Product Name n/a C-309 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement The preparation was well-tolerated and well accepted, no adverse events were observed. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects were observed while on the use of LAB. Crohn's Disease <2yrs; 15-31 mos Assessment n/a Result Statement In no case were side effects observed. Assessment n/a Result Statement Synbiotic therapy can safely reduce Crohn's disease activity. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well Accepted <2yrs Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects were observed with probiotic administration. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Giacarri, 1993 CS Gill, 2001 CS; Pre-Post Gracheva, 1996 CS Guandalini, 2002 CS Gupta, 2000 CS Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus n/a n/a , n/a , n/a , 2 capsules q.d. NA Product Name n/a Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics High-Risk Population n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN 001 (DR 20) , n/a , 1.25*10^8 cfu/ml , 5*10^10 cfu q.d. NA Product Name DR 20 ™ Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a >65 Genus, Species, Strain Bacillus subtilis n/a , Live , n/a , 2*10^9 cfu Bacillus licheniformis n/a , Live , , 2*10^6 cfu Lactobacillus n/a n/a , n/a , n/a , NA Product Name Biosporin Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus n/a GG , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison Dose Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics, Corticosteroid use, Immune suppressants Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics, Corticosteroid use, Immune suppressants Pediatric Crohn's Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei GG , n/a , n/a , 10^10 cfu b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a C-310 Safety Assessment Results Assessment Throughout the period of observation the appearance of any undesired effect was monitored. Result Statement Tolerability of the treatment was excellent; no side effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement No reports of adverse effects on health and no general health problems. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well tolerated; no adverse reactions observed. Assessment n/a Result Statement No patient reported any adverse effects. Crohn's Disease Assessment n/a Result Statement No patient reported any adverse effects. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Guslandi, 2003 CS Kanamori, 2010 CS Kerk, 2002 CS Kocian, 1994 CS Laake, 2003 CS; Pre-Post Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis Genus, Species, Strain Saccharomyces boulardii n/a , n/a , n/a , 250 mg t.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics Adu<s 19-47 yrs Ulcerative Colitis Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium breve Yakult , n/a , 10^9 - 10^10 cfu/g , 0.03g, q.i.d.-1g, t.i.d. Lactobacillus casei Shirota , n/a , 10^9 - 10^10 cfu/g , 0.03g, q.i.d.-1g, t.i.d. NA Product Name BiolActis, Yakult Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name Acidosalus Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a severe congenital anormality Result Statement No side effects induced by the probiotic agent. Assessment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis Age Cotreatment n/a Colpitis Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Live , 10^9 cfu/capsule , n/a NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Dyspepsia Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 , Live , 10^8 cfu/ml , 500ml q.d. Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12 , Live , 10^8 cfu/ml , 500 ml q.d. NA Product Name Cultura Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Pouchitis C-311 High-Risk Population Result Statement Tolerated feeding very well Assessment n/a Result Statement Proved especially tolerable since not one…experienced side effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement No side effects were observed, the preparation was very well tolerated. Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects were recorded. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Laake, 2004 CS Levy, 1997 CS Lieske, 2005 CS Lozhardzkaya(?), 1984 CS Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 , Live , 10^8 cfu/ml , 500 ml q.d. Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12 , Live , 10^8 cfu/ ml , 500 ml q.d. NA Product Name Cultura Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus plantarum 299v , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , 2*10^11 cfu/gm , 0.4g to 1.2g q.d. Lactobacillus brevis n/a , n/a , 2*10^11cfu/gm , 0.4g to 1.2g q.d. Streptococcus thermophilus n/a , n/a , 2*10^11cfu/g , 1.6g to 4.8g q.d. Bifidobacterium infantis n/a , n/a , 2*10^11cfu/g , 1.6g to 4.8g q.d. NA Product Name Oxadrop Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilis n/a , Live, Lyophilized , n/a , pills (powder) 2-3/day and injection 2-3 every time NA Product Name Acilact Analysis High-Risk Population Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a “IPAA"(Colectomy/ileost omy) Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; Clostridium difficile infection Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis Disease or immunologic status Cotreatment n/a n/a C-312 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse effects were recorded. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well tolerated. >65, IBD Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events were noted. Assessment n/a Result Statement Product is well tolerated by the patients and induces no side effects, there are no contraindications against its administration. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Matsuzaki, 2005 CS Monden, 2002 CS Morita, 2006 CS Nasirova, 2007 CS Nobuta, 2009 CS Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei Shirota , Live , 4*10^10 cfu , b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Analysis High-Risk Population Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Corticosteroid use HTLV-1 associated myelopathy Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus* n/a n/a , n/a , 0.5gm/vaginal suppository , n/a Lactobacillus# crispatus GAI 98322 , n/a , 10^8 cfu , n/a, NA Product Name *LacB, #n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus gasseri TMC0356 , n/a , 4.3*10^8 cfu/ml , 200ml, q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus n/a n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Bifidobacterium forte n/a , n/a , n/a , NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison Genera Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics <2yrs Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus brevis KB290 , n/a , 2x10^9 cfu / tablets , per day NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a C-313 Safety Assessment Results Assessment Assessments were performed on … and adverse effects. Result Statement No adverse effect and laboratory findings were observed. Assessment n/a Result Statement …no adverse effects in clinical examination. Assessment n/a Result Statement No clinical problems have been observed in the medical examination during the intervention of the tested fermented milk. Assessment n/a Result Statement The application of probiotics did not influence on an organism negatively. Assessment Daily questionnaire and health status. Result Statement No relevant adverse events were reported. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Okombo, 2010 CS Rossi, 2010 CS Sanges, 2009 CS Simenhoff, 1996 CS Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis High-Risk Population Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , Lyophilized, live , 8*10^11 bacteria /sachet , 1 sachet, q.d. Lactobacillus casei n/a , Lyophilized, live , 8*10^11 bacteria /sachet , 1 sachet, q.d. Lactobacillus bulgaricus n/a , Lyophilized, live , 8*10^11 bacteria /sachet , 1 sachet, q.d. Lactobacillus plantarum n/a , Lyophilized, live , 8*10^11 bacteria /sachet , 1 sachet, q.d. Bifidobacterium longum n/a , Lyophilized, live , 8*10^11 bacteria /sachet , 1 sachet, q.d. Bifidobacterium infantis n/a , Lyophilized, live , 8*10^11 bacteria /sachet , 1 sachet, q.d. Bifidobacterium breve n/a , Lyophilized, live , 8*10^11 bacteria /sachet , 1 sachet, q.d. Streptococcus salivarius thermophilus n/a , Lyophilized, live , 8*10^11 bacteria /sachet , 1 sachet, q.d. NA Product Name VSL#3 Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus n/a , Lyophilized , >=10^6 cfu/tablet , 1 tablet, b.i.d., then reduced NA Product Name Normogin Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus n/a , n/a , 10^9 bacteria/dose , 1 dose, b.i.d. Lactobacillus salivarius n/a , n/a , 10^9 bacteria/dose , 1 dose, b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM , Lyophilized , 10^9 cfu/ml , 1 capsule b.i.d. Lactobacillus acidophilus BG2F04 , Lyophilized , 10^9 cfu/ml , 1 capsule b.i.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Immune compromised / critically ill C-314 Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No subject reported experiencing any noticeable effects from the use of this probiotic. Assessment n/a Result Statement Tolerability of the local therapy was good. Assessment n/a Result Statement During the study no one of the patients had a relapse of UC or relevant adverse effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement No one experienced any side effects from the LBA. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Sprunt, 1980 CS Tandan, 2009 CS Thompson, 1982 CS Uehara, 2006 CS Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Analysis Genus, Species, Strain Alpha Streptococcus n/a n/a , Active , n/a , 2*10^5-5*10^6 cfu/kg body weight NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs; newborns in neonatal ICU Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus n/a n/a (4 strains) , Lyophilized, viable , 9*10^11 cfu/sachet , 2 sachets, b.i.d. Bifidobacterium n/a n/a (3 strains) , Lyophilized, viable , 9*10^11 cfu/sachet , 2 sachets, b.i.d Streptococcus salivarius thermophilus n/a , Lyophilized, viable , 9*10^11 , 2 sachets b.i.d. NA Product Name VSL#3 Genus, Species, Strain Streptococcus* cremoris n/a , n/a , n/a , 1L q.d. Streptococcus* lactis n/a , n/a , n/a , 1L q.d. Lactobacillus# bulgaricus n/a , n/a , n/a , 1L q.d. Streptococcus# thermophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , 1L q.d. Lactobacillus** acidophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , 1L q.d. NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Immune compromised / critically ill Result Statement There has been no evidence of disease or other adverse reaction caused by the implant strain. Assessment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus crispatus GAI 98332 , Lyophilized , 1*10^8 cfu/suppository , 1 suppository on alternating days NA Product Name n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a C-315 High-Risk Population Result Statement No adverse events were noted. recurrent urinary tract infection Assessment To test their tolerance, individuals were also asked to take a day's supplementation of the milk product. Result Statement In general, the supplements were well tolerated. Assessment n/a Result Statement Patients did not report any side effects associated with the study treatment. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Wang, 1984 CS Wendakoon, 2002 CS Korvyakova, 2000 Coh Marieke, 2010 Coh Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Bacillus cereus DM423 , n/a , n/a , 0.5g t.i.d. ( NA Product Name n/a Analysis High-Risk Population Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment n/a <2yrs Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium n/a n/a , Lyophilized , n/a , n/a NA Product Name Bifidumbacterin forte Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Diet therapies n/a Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium bifidum n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d. Bifidobacterium lactis 2 strains , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Enterococcus faecium n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Lactobacillus acidophilus 2 strains , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g each , 5g b.i.d Lactobacillus paracasei n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Lactobacillus plantarum n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Lactobacillus rhamnosus n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d Lactobacillus salivarius n/a , n/a , 10^8 cfu/g , 5g b.i.d NA Product Name Ecologic AAD Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus casei 03 , n/a , 1.6*10^9 cfu/g , t.i.d. Lactobacillus acidophilus 2412 , n/a , 1.6*10^9 cfu/g , t.i.d. Lactobacillus acidophilus ACDI , n/a , 1.6*10^9 cfu/g , t.i.d. Lactobacillus* bulgaricus n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Streptococcus* thermophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Lactobacillus* acidophilus n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name n/a, *Commercial starter mix C-316 n/a Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement No adverse events of side effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement Well tolerated… no adverse effects or any other complications. Assessment n/a Result Statement Was well tolerated, no adverse drug reaction. Assessment n/a Result Statement There was no evidence that probiotic use, given orally in addition to a normal diet, was unsafe in our population of patients who were not critically ill. Evidence Table C6. Nonspecific safety statements (continued) Author, Year Design Nagasaki, 2010 Case Yangco, 2009 Case Intervention, Form, Potency, Dose Genus, Species, Strain Bifidobacterium n/a n/a , n/a , n/a , 6 mg, q.d. NA Product Name n/a Genus, Species, Strain Lactobacillus n/a n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a Saccharomyces n/a n/a , n/a , n/a , n/a NA Product Name n/a Analysis Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics, Corticosteroid use Direct Comparison n/a Subgroup Analysis n/a Cotreatment Concomitant antibiotics *Abbreviations b.i.d.=two times per day Case=Case Studies cfu: colony forming unit Coh=Cohort CS=Case Series CT=Controlled Trial g=grams mg=milligram ml=milliliter q.d.=one time per day q.i.d.=four times per day t.i.d.=three times per day yrs=years RCT=Randomized Controlled Trial C-317 High-Risk Population >65 Immune compromised / critically ill Safety Assessment Results Assessment n/a Result Statement Bifidobacterium was used safely without any side effects. Assessment n/a Result Statement Overall the regimen was well tolerated. Appendix D. Excluded Studies and Background Papers Excluded Studies Exclude-NoAE (does not address safety); Exclude-Design (lacks primary data or uncontrolled studies that are not linked to adverse events); Exclude-Duplicate (duplicates a study already reviewed); Exclude-Genus (does not address specific genera); Exclude-Intervention (does not address specific interventions); Exclude-Participants (does not address humans). Please note Rec means the reviewers had different decisions and had to reconcile. D-1 “1997 USPHS/IDSA guidelines for the prevention of opportunistic infections in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus: disease-specific recommendations. USPHS/IDSA Prevention of Opportunistic Infections Working Group. U.S. Public Health Services/Infectious Diseases Society of America.” Clin Infect Dis 1997;25 Suppl 3: S313-335. Exclude-Intervention Aaltonen, J., T. Ojala, et al. (2008). "Evidence of infant blood pressure programming by maternal nutrition during pregnancy: a prospective randomized controlled intervention study." J Pediatr 152(1): 79-84, 84 e71-72. Exclude-NoAE Aas, J., C. E. Gessert, et al. (2003). "Recurrent Clostridium difficile colitis: case series involving 18 patients treated with donor stool administered via a nasogastric tube." Clin Infect Dis 36(5): 580-585. Exclude-Intervention Abbas, Z. and W. Jafri (1992). "Yoghurt (dahi): a probiotic and therapeutic view." J Pak Med Assoc 42(9): 221-224. Exclude-Design Abd El-Atti, S., K. Wasicek, et al. (2009). "Use of probiotics in the management of chemotherapy-induced diarrhea: a case study." JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 33(5): 569-570. Exclude-Genus Abgrall, S., V. Joly, et al. (1997). "Lactobacillus casei infection in an AIDS patient." Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 16(2): 180-182. Exclude-Intervention Abrams, S. A., I. J. Griffin, et al. (2007). "Effect of prebiotic supplementation and calcium intake on body mass index." J Pediatr 151(3): 293-298. Exclude-Intervention Adam, J., A. Barret, et al. (1977). "Essais cliniques controles en double insu de l'ultra-levure lyphilisee: etude multicentrique par 25 medicins de 388 cas." Gaz Med Fr 84: 2072-2078. Exclude-NoAE (French) Adam, J., C. Barret, et al. (1977). "Controlled doubleblind clinical trials of Ultra-Levure: Multicentre study by 25 physicians in 388 cases. ." Gaz Med Fr 84: 2072–2078. Exclude NoAE(French) Adams, M. R. and P. Marteau (1995). "On the safety of lactic acid bacteria from food." Int J Food Microbiol 27(2-3): 263-264. Exclude-Rec NoAE Adawi, D., S. Ahrne, et al. (2001). "Effects of different probiotic strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium on bacterial translocation and liver injury in an acute liver injury model." Int J Food Microbiol 70(3): 213-220. Exclude-Participants Adler, S. N. (2006). "The probiotic agent Escherichia coli M-17 has a healing effect in patients with IBS with proximal inflammation of the small bowel." Dig Liver Dis 38(9): 713. ExcludeGenus Agadjanyan, M., V. Vasilevko, et al. (2003). "Nutritional Supplement (NT Factor(TM)) Restores Mitochondrial Function and Reduces Moderately Severe Fatigue in Aged Subjects." Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 11(3): 23-36. Exclude-Intervention Agarwal, R., N. Sharma, et al. (2003). "Effects of oral Lactobacillus GG on enteric microflora in low-birth-weight neonates." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 36(3): 397-402. Exclude-Intervention D-2 Agerholm-Larsen, L., M. L. Bell, et al. (2000). "The effect of a probiotic milk product on plasma cholesterol: a meta-analysis of short-term intervention studies." Eur J Clin Nutr 54(11): 856-860. Exclude-NoAE Agerholm-Larsen, L., A. Raben, et al. (2000). "Effect of 8 week intake of probiotic milk products on risk factors for cardiovascular diseases." Eur J Clin Nutr 54(4): 288-297. ExcludeNoAE Aggett, P. J., J. M. Antoine, et al. (2005). "PASSCLAIM: consensus on criteria." Eur J Nutr 44 Suppl 1: i5-30. Exclude-Design Agrawal, A., L. A. Houghton, et al. (2008). "Clinical trial: the effects of a fermented milk product containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173-010 on abdominal distension and gastrointestinal transit in irritable bowel syndrome with constipation." Aliment Pharmacol Ther. Exclude-NoAE Agrawal, A., L. A. Houghton, et al. (2009). "Clinical trial: The effects of a fermented milk product containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 on abdominal distension and gastrointestinal transit in irritable bowel syndrome with constipation." Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics 29(1): 104-114. Exclude-Duplicates 4724 Aguirre, M. and M. Collins (1993). "Lactic acid bacteria and human clinical infection." J Appl Bacteriol 75(2): 95-107. Exclude-Rec Intervention Ahmed, M., J. Prasad, et al. (2007). "Impact of consumption of different levels of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 on the intestinal microflora of elderly human subjects." J Nutr Health Aging 11(1): 26-31. Exclude-NoAE Ahola, A. J., H. Yli-Knuuttila, et al. (2002). "Short-term consumption of probiotic-containing cheese and its effect on dental caries risk factors." Arch Oral Biol 47(11): 799-804. ExcludeNoAE Al Samaraee, A., I. J. McCallum, et al. (2010). "Nutritional strategies in severe acute pancreatitis: a systematic review of the evidence." Surgeon 8(2): 105-110. Exclude-Participants Alander, M. and T. Mattila-Sandholm (1996). "Selection and Safety Criteria of Probiotics. Workshop Demonstration of the Nutritional Functionality of Probiotic Foods (1st).". ExcludeRec NoAE Alander, M., R. Satokari, et al. (1999). "Persistence of colonization of human colonic mucosa by a probiotic strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, after oral consumption." Appl Environ Microbiol 65(1): 351-354. Exclude-Participants Aldinucci, C., L. Bellussi, et al. (2002). "Effects of dietary yoghurt on immunological and clinical parameters of rhinopathic patients." Eur J Clin Nutr 56(12): 1155-1161. Exclude-NoAE Alenfall, J., M. Astrom, et al. (2004). "Early Enteral supply of Lactobacillus plantarum 299 reduce the incidence of infections in severely ill patients: a meta analysis of three randomized controlled trials." Clin Nutr 23: S1474. Exclude-Design AlFaleh Khalid, M. and D. Bassler (2008). "Probiotics for prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews(1). Exclude-Duplicates 4728 D-3 Allen, S. J., B. Okoko, et al. (2004). "Probiotics for treating infectious diarrhoea." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(2): CD003048. Exclude-Duplicate 6083 Alliet, P., P. Scholtens, et al. (2007). "Effect of prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharide, long-chain fructo-oligosaccharide infant formula on serum cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels." Nutrition 23(10): 719-723. Exclude-NoAE Alm, L. (1982). "Effect of fermentation on lactose, glucose, and galactose content in milk and suitability of fermented milk products for lactose intolerant individuals." J Dairy Sci 65(3): 346 352. Exclude-Intervention Amenta, M., M. T. Cascio, et al. (2006). "Diet and chronic constipation. Benefits of oral supplementation with symbiotic zir fos (Bifidobacterium longum W11 + FOS Actilight)." Acta Biomed 77(3): 157-162. Exclude-NoAE Anaissie, E., G. P. Bodey, et al. (1989). "New spectrum of fungal infections in patients with cancer." Rev Infect Dis 11(3): 369-378. Exclude-Intervention Anderson, J. W. and S. E. Gilliland (1999). "Effect of fermented milk (yogurt) containing Lactobacillus acidophilus L1 on serum cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic humans." J Am Coll Nutr 18(1): 43-50. Exclude-NoAE Andreeva, P. M. and H. A. Omar (2002). "Effectiveness of current therapy of bacterial vaginosis." Int J Adolesc Med Health 14(2): 145-148. Exclude-Intervention Anikhovskaia, I. A., I. Vyshegurov, et al. (2004). "[Bifidobacteria as a means of prevention or treatment of endotoxin aggression in patients with chronic diseases during remission or exacerbation]." Fiziol Cheloveka 30(6): 125-127. Exclude-NoAE Antonio, M. A. and S. L. Hillier (2003). "DNA fingerprinting of Lactobacillus crispatus strain CTV-05 by repetitive element sequence-based PCR analysis in a pilot study of vaginal colonization." J Clin Microbiol 41(5): 1881-1887. Exclude-Participants Antony, S. J., C. W. Stratton, et al. (1996). "Lactobacillus bacteremia: description of the clinical course in adult patients without endocarditis." Clin Infect Dis 23(4): 773-778. ExcludeIntervention Anukam, K. C., K. Hayes, et al. (2009). "Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 may help downregulate TNF-Alpha, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12 (p70) in the neurogenic bladder of spinal cord injured patient with urinary tract infections: a twocase study." Adv Urol: 680363. Exclude-NoAE Anukam, K. C., E. Osazuwa, et al. (2006). "Clinical study comparing probiotic Lactobacillus GR-1 and RC-14 with metronidazole vaginal gel to treat symptomatic bacterial vaginosis." Microbes Infect 8(12-13): 2772-2776. Exclude-NoAE Aponte, G. B., M. C. A. B., et al. (2008). "Probiotics for treating persistent diarrhoea in children." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 4. Exclude-NoAE Apostolou, E., P. V. Kirjavainen, et al. (2001). "Good adhesion properties of probiotics: a potential risk for bacteremia?" FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 31(1): 35-39. ExcludeParticipants D-4 Arciero, J. C., G. B. Ermentrout, et al. (2010). "Using a mathematical model to analyze the role of probiotics and inflammation in necrotizing enterocolitis." PLoS One 5(4): e10066. ExcludeNoAE "Are probiotics safe?" Contemporary OB/GYN 2007;52(4): 20. Exclude-Design Armuzzi, A., F. Cremonini, et al. (2001). "The effect of oral administration of Lactobacillus GG on antibiotic-associated gastrointestinal side-effects during Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 15(2): 163-169. Exclude-NoAE Armuzzi, A., F. Cremonini, et al. (2001). "Effect of Lactobacillus GG supplementation on antibiotic-associated gastrointestinal side effects during Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy: a pilot study." Digestion 63(1): 1-7. Exclude-NoAE Aronsson, B., P. Barany, et al. (1987). "Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea in uremic patients." Eur J Clin Microbiol 6(3): 352-356. Exclude-NoAE Arpi, M., M. Vancanneyt, et al. (2003). "Six cases of Lactobacillus bacteraemia: identification of organisms and antibiotic susceptibility and therapy." Scand J Infect Dis 35(6-7): 404-408. Exclude-Intervention Arroyo, R., V. Martin, et al. (2010). "Treatment of infectious mastitis during lactation: antibiotics versus oral administration of Lactobacilli isolated from breast milk." Clin Infect Dis 50(12): 1551-1558. Exclude-NoAE Arshad, S., K. V. Gopalakrishna, et al. (2010). "Lactobacillus-cause of death." Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice 18(3): 219-220. Exclude-Intervention Arslanoglu, S., G. E. Moro, et al. (2007). "Early supplementation of prebiotic oligosaccharides protects formula-fed infants against infections during the first 6 months of life." J Nutr 137(11): 2420-2424. Exclude-Intervention Arslanoglu, S., G. E. Moro, et al. (2008). "Early dietary intervention with a mixture of prebiotic oligosaccharides reduces the incidence of allergic manifestations and infections during the first two years of life." J Nutr 138(6): 1091-1095. Exclude-Intervention Arzumanian, V. G., A. Y. Sergeev, et al. (2009). "Antagonistic activity of Malassezia Spp. towards other clinically signifi cant yeast genera." Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine 148(3): 410-415. Exclude-Participants Asahara, T., M. Takahashi, et al. (2003). "Assessment of safety of lactobacillus strains based on resistance to host innate defense mechanisms." Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 10(1): 169-173. Exclude-Participants Ascioglu, S., J. H. Rex, et al. (2002). "Defining opportunistic invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplants: an international consensus." Clin Infect Dis 34(1): 7-14. Exclude-Intervention Ataie-Jafari, A., S. Hosseini, et al. (2007). "Effects of milk replacement with regular yogurt and probiotic yogurt on blood lipid profiles of hypercholesterolemic and normocholesterolemic individuals." Iranian Journal of Diabetes and Lipid Disorders 7(2): 239-244+E224. ExcludeNoAE (Foreign Language) D-5 Aucott, J. N., J. Fayen, et al. (1990). "Invasive infection with Saccharomyces cerevisiae: report of three cases and review." Rev Infect Dis 12(3): 406-411. Exclude-Intervention Aureli, P., A. Fiore, et al. (2010). "National survey outcomes on commercial probiotic food supplements in Italy." Int J Food Microbiol 137(2-3): 265-273. Exclude-Participants Avlami, A., T. Kordossis, et al. (2001). "Lactobacillus rhamnosus endocarditis complicating colonoscopy." J Infect 42(4): 283-285. Exclude-Rec Genus Awasthi, S. (2000). "Lactobacillus GG reduced diarrhoea incidence in children treated with antibiotics." Evid Based Med(5): 113. Exclude-NoAE Axelrod, J., G. T. Keusch, et al. (1973). "Endocarditis caused by Lactobacillus plantarum." Ann Intern Med 78(1): 33-37. Exclude-Intervention Bahar, R. J., B. S. Collins, et al. (2008). "Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of amitriptyline for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome in adolescents." J Pediatr 152(5): 685-689. Exclude-Intervention Bakker-Zierikzee, A. M., E. A. Tol, et al. (2006). "Faecal SIgA secretion in infants fed on pre- or probiotic infant formula." Pediatr Allergy Immunol 17(2): 134-140. Exclude-NoAE Baldassarre, M. E., N. Laforgia, et al. (2010). "Lactobacillus GG improves recovery in infants with blood in the stools and presumptive allergic colitis compared with extensively hydrolyzed formula alone." J Pediatr 156(3): 397-401. Exclude-NoAE Balli, F., P. Bertolani, et al. (1992). "[High-dose oral bacteria-therapy for chronic non-specific diarrhea of infancy]." Pediatr Med Chir 14(1): 13-15. Exclude-NoAE (Italian) Barbara, G. and R. Corinaldesi (2000). "Probiotics: could they turn out to be ineffective in irritable bowel syndrome?" Dig Liver Dis 32(4): 302-304. Exclude-Design Barbes, C. and S. Boris (1999). "Potential role of lactobacilli as prophylactic agents against genital pathogens." AIDS Patient Care STDS 13(12): 747-751. Exclude-NoAE Barbi, M., M. Bardare, et al. (1992). "Antibody response to inactivated polio vaccine (E-IPV) in children born to HIV positive mothers." Eur J Epidemiol 8(2): 211-216. Exclude-Intervention Barker, P., C. McNaught, et al. (2003). "Synbiotic in irritable bowel syndrome: a double blind prospective randomised controlled trial." Gut 52: A11. Exclude-NoAE Barreto, R., Y. Naito, et al. (2000). "Gut flora manipulation mitigates ethanol-induced liver damage and endotoxinemia: experimental comparison between a novel probiotic and metronidazole." Intern Med J 7: 121-128. Exclude-Participants Barrett, J. F. (2006). "Potential risk of probiotic usage." Expert Opin Drug Saf 5(1): 3-4. Exclude-Intervention Bartlett, J. G. (2006). "Narrative review: the new epidemic of Clostridium difficile-associated enteric disease." Ann Intern Med 145(10): 758-764. Exclude-Rec NoAE Basu, S., D. K. Paul, et al. (2009). "Efficacy of high-dose Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in controlling acute watery diarrhea in Indian children: a randomized controlled trial." J Clin Gastroenterol 43(3): 208-213. Exclude-Duplicate 4762 D-6 Batac MaCR, G. M., Caparas-de Castro C, Gutierrez-Santos K, Tondoc A (2005). "Effects of a probiotic formula on measles, mumps and rubella IgG production and on anthropometric measurements of infants aged 11-15 months in a tertiary hospital." Santo Tomas Journal of Medicine 52(4): 124-130. Exclude-NoAE Baughan, C. A., P. A. Canney, et al. (1993). "A randomized trial to assess the efficacy of 5 aminosalicylic acid for the prevention of radiation enteritis." Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 5(1): 19-24. Exclude-Intervention Bayer, A. S., A. W. Chow, et al. (1978). "Lactobacillemia--report of nine cases. Important clinical and therapeutic considerations." Am J Med 64(5): 808-813. Exclude-Intervention Bayona-Gonzalez, A., V. Lopez-Camara, et al. (1990). "Final results of a dental caries clinical trial using heat killed lactic bacteria (Streptococci and Lactobacilli) orally." Pract Odontol 11(6): 41-47. Exclude-Rec Genus Bazzarre, T., S. Liu-Wu, et al. (1983). "Total and HDL-cholesterol concentrations: yogurt and calcium supplementation " Nutr Rep Int 28: 17-24. Exclude-NoAE Bazzocchi, G., P. Gionchetti, et al. (2002). "Intestinal microflora and oral bacteriotherapy in irritable bowel syndrome." Dig Liver Dis 34 Suppl 2: S48-53. Exclude-NoAE Beerepoot, M. A., G. ter Riet, et al. (2006). "[Non-antibiotic prophylaxis for recurrent urinarytract infections]." Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 150(10): 541-544. Exclude-Rec NoAE (Dutch) Bell, M. J. (1985). "Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract and peritonitis in the neonate." Surg Gynecol Obstet 160(1): 20-26. Exclude-Intervention Bellete, B. (2006). "Molecular confirmation of an absidiomycosis following treatment with a probiotic supplement in a child with leukemia." Exclude-Rec Genus Bellizzi, A., V. Barucca, et al. (2010). "Early years of biological agents therapy in Crohn's disease and risk of the human polyomavirus JC reactivation." Journal of Cellular Physiology 224(2): 316-326. Exclude-NoAE Bengmark, S. (1998). "Ecological control of the gastrointestinal tract. The role of probiotic flora." Gut 42(1): 2-7. Exclude-Design Bennett, R., S. L. Gorbach, et al. (1993). "Treatment of relasping Clostridium difficile diarrhea with Lactobacillus GG." Nutr Today 31: 35S-42S. Exclude-Duplicate 12844 Benno, P., I. Ernberg, et al. (2010). "[Probiotics--friends or enemies of the intestine?]." Lakartidningen 107(13-14): 907-909. Exclude-Design Benno, Y. and T. Mitsuoka (1992). "Impact of Bifidobacterium longum on human fecal microflora." Microbiol Immunol 36(7): 683-694. Exclude-NoAE Benton, D., C. Williams, et al. (2007). "Impact of consuming a milk drink containing a probiotic on mood and cognition." Eur J Clin Nutr 61(3): 355-361. Exclude-NoAE Berg, R. D. (1992). "Translocation of enteric bacteria in health and disease." Curr Stud Hematol Blood Transfus(59): 44-65. Exclude-Intervention Bergogne-Berezin, E. (2000). "Treatment and prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhea." Int J Antimicrob Agents 16(4): 521-526. Exclude-NoAE D-7 Berrada, N., J. F. Lemeland, et al. (1991). "Bifidobacterium from fermented milks: survival during gastric transit." J Dairy Sci 74(2): 409-413. Exclude-NoAE Besirbellioglu, B. A., A. Ulcay, et al. (2006). "Saccharomyces boulardii and infection due to Giardia lamblia." Scand J Infect Dis 38(6-7): 479-481. Exclude-NoAE Besselink, M. G., H. M. Timmerman, et al. (2004). "Probiotic prophylaxis in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis (PROPATRIA): design and rationale of a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised multicenter trial [ISRCTN38327949]." BMC Surg 4: 12. Exclude-NoAE Besselink, M. G., H. C. van Santvoort, et al. (2009). "Timing and impact of infections in acute pancreatitis." Br J Surg 96(3): 267-273. Exclude-Intervention Besselink, M. G., H. C. van Santvoort, et al. (2008). "[Probiotic prophylaxis in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial]." Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 152(12): 685-696. Exclude-Duplicate 4767(Dutch) Besselink, M. G., H. C. van Santvoort, et al. (2009). "Intestinal barrier dysfunction in a randomized trial of a specific probiotic composition in acute pancreatitis." Ann Surg 250(5): 712-719. Exclude-NoAE Bessis, D., A. Le Quellec, et al. (1995). "Lactobacillus acidophilus endocarditis after an appendectomy." Clin Infect Dis 20(3): 724-725. Exclude-Design Betsi, G. I., E. Papadavid, et al. (2008). "Probiotics for the treatment or prevention of atopic dermatitis: a review of the evidence from randomized controlled trials." Am J Clin Dermatol 9(2): 93-103. Exclude-Rec NoAE Bettler, J. and A. Euler (2004). "An evaluation of the growth of term infants fed formula supplemented with fructo-oligosaccharide." Exclude-Rec Intervention Bhutta, Z. A., A. M. Molla, et al. (1994). "Nutrient absorption and weight gain in persistent diarrhea: comparison of a traditional rice-lentil/yogurt/milk diet with soy formula." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 18(1): 45-52. Exclude-Intervention Billot-Klein, D., L. Gutmann, et al. (1994). "Modification of peptidoglycan precursors is a common feature of the low-level vancomycin-resistant VANB-type Enterococcus D366 and of the naturally glycopeptide-resistant species Lactobacillus casei, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and Enterococcus gallinarum." J Bacteriol 176(8): 2398-2405. Exclude-Participants Binns, C. W., A. H. Lee, et al. (2007). "The CUPDAY Study: prebiotic-probiotic milk product in 1-3-year-old children attending childcare centres." Acta Paediatr 96(11): 1646-1650. ExcludeRec NoAE Birch, E. E., S. Garfield, et al. (2007). "Visual acuity and cognitive outcomes at 4 years of age in a double-blind, randomized trial of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid-supplemented infant formula." Early Hum Dev 83(5): 279-284. Exclude-Intervention Bisson, J. F., S. Hidalgo, et al. (2010). "Preventive effects of different probiotic formulations on travelers' diarrhea model in wistar rats : preventive effects of probiotics on TD." Dig Dis Sci 55(4): 911-919. Exclude-Participants D-8 Bittner, A., B. Caicedo, et al. (2007). "Probiotic-prebiotic Prescript-Assist(TM) treatment for bacterial diarrhea." Prensa Medica Argentina 94(3): 195-202. Exclude-NoAE (Spanish) Blaire, E. and B. Tull (1968). "Multiple infections among newborns resulting from colonization with Staphylococcus aureus 502a." Am J Clin Pathol 52: 42. Exclude-Genus Bodmann, K. F. and F. Vogel (2001). "Antimikrobielle Therapie der Sepsis.": 43-55. ExcludeIntervention (German) Boehm, G., M. Lidestri, et al. (2002). "Supplementation of a bovine milk formula with an oligosaccharide mixture increases counts of faecal bifidobacteria in preterm infants." Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 86(3): F178-181. Exclude-Intervention Bongaerts, G. (2007). "Lactobacillus Fermentum Bacteremia In A Seriously Ill Premature Short Small Bowel Patient During Probiotic Lactobacillus Casei Therapy." International Journal of probiotics 1(2): 145-158. Exclude-Rec Design Bongaerts, G., R. Severijnen, et al. (2005). "Yeast mediates lactic acidosis suppression after antibiotic cocktail treatment in short small bowel?" Scand J Gastroenterol 40(10): 1246-1250. Exclude-Intervention Bongaerts, G., R. Severijnen, et al. (2005). "Effect of antibiotics, prebiotics and probiotics in treatment for hepatic encephalopathy." Med Hypotheses 64(1): 64-68. Exclude-NoAE Bongaerts, G. P., J. J. Tolboom, et al. (1997). "Role of bacteria in the pathogenesis of short bowel syndrome-associated D-lactic acidemia." Microb Pathog 22(5): 285-293. ExcludeIntervention Bongers, M. E., F. de Lorijn, et al. (2007). "The clinical effect of a new infant formula in term infants with constipation: a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial." Nutr J 6: 8. ExcludeIntervention Bonnay, S., J. Darchis, et al. (1991). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae septicaemia in a cancer patient " Med Malad Infect 21: 73. Exclude-Intervention (French) Bonorden, M. J., K. A. Greany, et al. (2004). "Consumption of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum do not alter urinary equol excretion and plasma reproductive hormones in premenopausal women." Eur J Clin Nutr 58(12): 1635-1642. Exclude-Rec NoAE Boonyaritichaikij, S., K. Kuwabara, et al. (2009). "Long-term administration of probiotics to asymptomatic pre-school children for either the eradication or the prevention of Helicobacter pylori infection." Helicobacter 14(3): 202-207. Exclude-NoAE Borruel, N., M. Carol, et al. (2002). "Increased mucosal tumour necrosis factor alpha production in Crohn's disease can be downregulated ex vivo by probiotic bacteria." Gut 51(5): 659-664. Exclude-Participants Bosques-Padilla, F. J. and A. R. Flores-Rendon (2005). "[Treatment of hepatic encephalopathy with probiotics and prebiotics]." Rev Gastroenterol Mex 70(3): 372-374. Exclude-NoAE Boudraa, G., M. Touhami, et al. (1990). "Effect of feeding yogurt versus milk in children with persistent diarrhea." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 11(4): 509-512. Exclude-NoAE D-9 Bouhnik, Y., A. Attar, et al. (2004). "Lactulose ingestion increases faecal bifidobacterial counts: a randomised double-blind study in healthy humans." Eur J Clin Nutr 58(3): 462-466. ExcludeRec Intervention Bouhnik, Y., P. Marteau, et al. (1993). "[The use of probiotics in humans]." Ann Gastroenterol Hepatol (Paris) 29(5): 241-249. Exclude-Rec NoAE Bouhnik, Y., C. Neut, et al. (2004). "Prospective, randomized, parallel-group trial to evaluate the effects of lactulose and polyethylene glycol-4000 on colonic flora in chronic idiopathic constipation." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 19(8): 889-899. Exclude-Genus Bouilly-Gauthier, D., C. Jeannes, et al. (2010). "Clinical evidence of benefits of a dietary supplement containing probiotic and carotenoids on ultraviolet-induced skin damage." Br J Dermatol. Exclude-NoAE Boulloche, J., O. Mouterde, et al. (1994). "Management of acute diarrhoea in infants and young children. Controlled study of the antidiarrhoeal efficacy of killed L/ acidophilus (LB strain) versus a placebo and a reference drug (Loperamide)." Ann Pediatr 41: 1-7. Exclude-Rec Genus (Foreign Language) Bourne, K. A., J. L. Beebe, et al. (1978). "Bacteremia due to Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium or Lactobacillus; twenty-one cases and review of the literature." Yale J Biol Med 51(5): 505-512. Exclude-Intervention Bowden, T. A., Jr., A. R. Mansberger, Jr., et al. (1981). "Pseudomembraneous enterocolitis: mechanism for restoring floral homeostasis." Am Surg 47(4): 178-183. Exclude-Intervention Boyce, J. M., S. M. Opal, et al. (1994). "Outbreak of multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecium with transferable vanB class vancomycin resistance." J Clin Microbiol 32(5): 1148-1153. Exclude-Intervention Boyle, R. J., L. Mah, et al. (2009). "In vivo, in vitro and transplacental immune effects of a probiotic bacterium lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in humans." Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 123(2): S200. Exclude-NoAE Brady, L. J., D. D. Gallaher, et al. (2000). "The role of probiotic cultures in the prevention of colon cancer." J Nutr 130(2S Suppl): 410S-414S. Exclude-NoAE Braegger, C. (2002). "Probiotics in the prevention and treatment of acute infectious diarrhea in children." (150): 824-828. Exclude-Rec Design (German) Brand, S. and H. Reinecker (2002). "An enhanced barrier is a better defense: effects of probiotics on intestinal barrier function." Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 8: 67-69. Exclude-Participants Briand, V., P. Buffet, et al. (2006). "Absence of efficacy of nonviable Lactobacillus acidophilus for the prevention of traveler's diarrhea: a randomized, double-blind, controlled study." Clin Infect Dis 43(9): 1170-1175. Exclude-Genus Brigidi, P., B. Vitali, et al. (2001). "Effects of probiotic administration upon the composition and enzymatic activity of human fecal microbiota in patients with irritable bowel syndrome or functional diarrhea." Res Microbiol 152(8): 735-741. Exclude-NoAE D-10 Brinkhaus, B., K. Stockert, et al. (2007). "The effect of acupuncture and probiotics in children with asthma." Focus on Alternative & Complementary Therapies 12(3): 194-196. ExcludeDesign Brook, I. (1996). "Isolation of non-sporing anaerobic rods from infections in children." J Med Microbiol 45(1): 21-26. Exclude-Intervention Broughton, R., W. Gruber, et al. (1983). "Neonatal meningitis due to Lactobacillus." Pediatr Infect Dis 2: 382--384. Exclude-Duplicate 12439 Broughton, R. A., W. C. Gruber, et al. (1983). "Neonatal meningitis due to Lactobacillus." Pediatr Infect Dis 2(5): 382-384. Exclude-Intervention Brouwer, M. L., S. A. Wolt-Plompen, et al. (2006). "No effects of probiotics on atopic dermatitis in infancy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial." Clin Exp Allergy 36(7): 899-906. ExcludeNoAE Bruck, W. M., M. Redgrave, et al. (2006). "Effects of bovine alpha-lactalbumin and casein glycomacropeptide-enriched infant formulae on faecal microbiota in healthy term infants." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 43(5): 673-679. Exclude-Intervention Bruhn, C. (2003). "Prevention of atopic disease with lactobacillus." Deutsche Apotheker Zeitung 143(35): 44. Exclude-Design Brunser, O., M. Araya, et al. (1989). "Effect of an acidified milk on diarrhoea and the carrier state in infants of low socio-economic stratum." Acta Paediatr Scand 78(2): 259-264. ExcludeNoAE Brunser, O., G. Figueroa, et al. (2006). "Effects of probiotic or prebiotic supplemented milk formulas on fecal microbiota composition of infants." Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 15(3): 368-376. Exclude-Rec NoAE Brunser, O., M. Gotteland, et al. (2006). "Effect of a milk formula with prebiotics on the intestinal microbiota of infants after an antibiotic treatment." Pediatr Res 59(3): 451-456. Exclude-Intervention Bruzzese, E., V. Raia, et al. (2004). "Intestinal inflammation is a frequent feature of cystic fibrosis and is reduced by probiotic administration." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 20(7): 813-819. Exclude-NoAE Bruzzese, E., M. Volpicelli, et al. (2009). "A formula containing galacto- and fructo oligosaccharides prevents intestinal and extra-intestinal infections: an observational study." Clin Nutr 28(2): 156-161. Exclude-Intervention Buchner, A. M. and A. Sonnenberg (2002). "Epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection in a large population of hospitalized US military veterans." Dig Dis Sci 47(1): 201-207. ExcludeIntervention Burton, J. P., P. A. Cadieux, et al. (2003). "Improved understanding of the bacterial vaginal microbiota of women before and after probiotic instillation." Appl Environ Microbiol 69(1): 97 101. Exclude-Participants D-11 Burton, J. P., C. N. Chilcott, et al. (2006). "A preliminary study of the effect of probiotic Streptococcus salivarius K12 on oral malodour parameters." J Appl Microbiol 100(4): 754-764. Exclude-NoAE Burton, J. P., P. A. Wescombe, et al. (2006). "Safety assessment of the oral cavity probiotic Streptococcus salivarius K12." Appl Environ Microbiol 72(4): 3050-3053. Exclude-Design Buts, J. P., G. Corthier, et al. (1993). "Saccharomyces boulardii for Clostridium difficile associated enteropathies in infants." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 16(4): 419-425. Exclude-NoAE Byun, R., M. A. Nadkarni, et al. (2004). "Quantitative analysis of diverse Lactobacillus species present in advanced dental caries." J Clin Microbiol 42(7): 3128-3136. Exclude-Participants Cabana, M. D., M. McKean, et al. (2007). "Examining the hygiene hypothesis: the Trial of Infant Probiotic Supplementation." Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 21 Suppl 3: 23-28. Exclude-Design Cafaro, D., L. Onofrio, et al. (2007). "Combination therapy with symbiotics and local anti inflammatories for red anusitis." Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol 53(2): 117-123. Exclude-NoAE Caglar, E., B. Kargul, et al. (2005). "Bacteriotherapy and probiotics' role on oral health." Oral Dis 11(3): 131-137. Exclude-Design Caglar, E., O. O. Kuscu, et al. (2008). "A probiotic lozenge administered medical device and its effect on salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli." Int J Paediatr Dent 18(1): 35-39. Exclude-NoAE Cairoli, R., P. Marenco, et al. (1995). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia with granulomas in the bone marrow in a patient undergoing BMT." Bone Marrow Transplant 15(5): 785-786. Exclude-Intervention Camilleri, M., A. R. Northcutt, et al. (2000). "Efficacy and safety of alosetron in women with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial." Lancet 355(9209): 1035-1040. Exclude-Genus Campbell, J. M., G. C. Fahey, Jr., et al. (1997). "Metabolic characteristics of healthy adult males as affected by ingestion of a liquid nutritional formula containing fish oil, oligosaccharides, gum arabic and antioxidant vitamins." Food Chem Toxicol 35(12): 1165-1176. Exclude-Intervention Campeotto, F. (2003). "Effects of administration of Bifidobacteria on fecal microflora and clinical symptoms in infants with atopic dermatitis." Coh Nutr Diet 38(6): 371-375. ExcludeNoAE (French) Campeotto, F. (2003). "Probiotics during pregnancy: A protection against atopic disease in the infant?" Medicine and Nutrition. Exclude-Rec Design Campieri, C., M. Campieri, et al. (2001). "Reduction of oxaluria after an oral course of lactic acid bacteria at high concentration." Kidney Int 60(3): 1097-1105. Exclude-NoAE Campieri, M., F. Rizzello, et al. (2000). "Combination of antibiotic and probiotic treatment is efficacious in prophylaxis of post-operative recurrence of Crohn's disease: a randomized controlled study vs mesalamine." Gastroenterology 118: A781. Exclude-NoAE Canani, R., F. Albano, et al. (2001). "Probiotics for acute diarrhea: a comparative study." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 32: 347. Exclude-NoAE D-12 Candelli, M., E. C. Nista, et al. (2003). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae-associated diarrhea in an immunocompetent patient with ulcerative colitis." J Clin Gastroenterol 36(1): 39-40. ExcludeIntervention Canducci, F., A. Armuzzi, et al. (2000). "A lyophilized and inactivated culture of Lactobacillus acidophilus increases Helicobacter pylori eradication rates." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 14(12): 1625-1629. Exclude-Genus Candy, D. C., L. Densham, et al. (2001). "Effect of administration of Lactobacillus casei shirota on sodium balance in an infant with short bowel syndrome." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 32(4): 506-508. Exclude-NoAE Cao, Y. J., C. M. Qu, et al. (2005). "Control of intestinal flora alteration induced by eradication therapy of Helicobacter pylori infection in the elders." Chin J Gastroenterol Hepatol 14: 195-199. Exclude-NoAE Caplan, M., M. Lickerman, et al. (1995). "Bifidobacteria supplementation reduces the incidence and severity of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in newborn rats." Pediatr Res(37): A198. Exclude-Participants "Capsule & comment Lactobacilli for allergy: calling Dr Metchnikoff KalliomÃ¤ki M et al Probiotics in primary prevention of atopic disease: A randomised placebo-controlled trial Lancet 357:1076, 2001." Hospital Practice 2001;36(6): 24. Exclude-NoAE Capurso, G., M. Marignani, et al. (2008). "Probiotics and severe acute pancreatitis." J Clin Gastroenterol 42 Suppl 3 Pt 1: S148-151. Exclude-NoAE Capurso, L., G. Delle Fave, et al. (2008). "Probiotics, prebiotics, and new foods." J Clin Gastroenterol 42 Suppl 3 Pt 2: S155. Exclude-NoAE Carmona-Sanchez, R. (2010). "[Clinical trial: the effects of a fermented milk containing three probiotic bacteria in patients with irritable bowel syndrome - a randomized, doubleblind, controlled study.]." Rev Gastroenterol Mex 75(1): 123. Exclude-Design Caropreso, E. (1998). "I microorganismi probiotici: effetti sul trattamento e sulla prevenzione delle diarree acute." Aggiorn Pediatr 1: 81-85. Exclude-Design (Italian) Caropreso, E. (1998). "Probiotics micro-organisms: Effects on the treatment and prevention of acute diarrhea." Aggiornamento Pediatrico 1(3-4): 81-85. Exclude-Design Carroll, D., A. Corfield, et al. (2003). "Faecal calprotectin concentrations and diagnosis of necrotising enterocolitis." Lancet 361(9354): 310-311. Exclude-Intervention Cartwright-Shamoon, J., G. R. Dickson, et al. (1996). "Uptake of yeast (Saccharomyces boulardii) in normal and rotavirus treated intestine." Gut 39(2): 204-209. Exclude-Participants Casey, P. H., L. Whiteside-Mansell, et al. (2006). "Impact of prenatal and/or postnatal growth problems in low birth weight preterm infants on school-age outcomes: an 8-year longitudinal evaluation." Pediatrics 118(3): 1078-1086. Exclude-Intervention Castex, F., G. Corthier, et al. (1990). "Prevention of Clostridium difficile-induced experimental pseudomembranous colitis by Saccharomyces boulardii: a scanning electron microscopic and microbiological study." J Gen Microbiol 136(6): 1085-1089. Exclude-Participants D-13 Cats, A., E. J. Kuipers, et al. (2003). "Effect of frequent consumption of a Lactobacillus casei containing milk drink in Helicobacter pylori-colonized subjects." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 17(3): 429-435. Exclude-Rec Participants Cerny, A. (1996). "[Side effects and consequences of frequently used antibiotics in clinical practice]." Schweiz Med Wochenschr 126(13): 528-534. Exclude-Intervention Chaiken, B. H. (1994). "Yogurt and autoimmune liver disease." Am J Gastroenterol 89(10): 1916-1917. Exclude-Rec Genus Chandra, R. (2002). "Effect of Lactobacillus on the incidence and severity of acute rotavirus diarrhoea in infants. A prospective placebo-controlled double-blind study." Nutr Res 22: 65-69. Exclude-NoAE Charteris, W. P., P. M. Kelly, et al. (1997). "Selective detection, enumeration and identification of potentially probiotic Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species in mixed bacterial populations." Int J Food Microbiol 35(1): 1-27. Exclude-Participants Charteris, W. P., P. M. Kelly, et al. (1998). "Antibiotic susceptibility of potentially probiotic Lactobacillus species." J Food Prot 61(12): 1636-1643. Exclude-Participants Cheng, J., D. Chen, et al. (2008). "Dietary probiotic supplementation for allergic rhinitis." Cochrance Database of Systematic Reviews. Exclude-Design Chermesh, I., A. Tamir, et al. (2007). "Failure of Synbiotic 2000 to prevent postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease." Dig Dis Sci 52(2): 385-389. Exclude-NoAE Chernyshov, P. V. (2009). "Randomized, placebo-controlled trial on clinical and immunologic effects of probiotic containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 and L. helveticus R0052 in infants with atopic dermatitis." Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 21(3-4): 228-232. Exclude-NoAE Chiang, B. L., Y. H. Sheih, et al. (2000). "Enhancing immunity by dietary consumption of a probiotic lactic acid bacterium (Bifidobacterium lactis HN019): optimization and definition of cellular immune responses." Eur J Clin Nutr 54(11): 849-855. Exclude-NoAE Choi, S. S., B. Y. Kang, et al. (2005). "Safety assessment of potential lactic acid bacteria Bifidobacterium longum SPM1205 isolated from healthy Koreans." J Microbiol 43(6): 493-498. Exclude-Participants Chomarat, M. and D. Espinouse (1991). "Lactobacillus rhamnosus septicemia in patients with prolonged aplasia receiving ceftazidime-vancomycin." Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 10(1): 44. Exclude-Intervention Chouragqui, J., L. Van Egroo, et al. (1998). "Prevention of diarrhea by feeding infants with an acidified milk formula containing Bifidobacterium bifidum (Bb)." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 26([Abstract 13]): 539. Exclude-Rec NoAE Christensen, H. R., C. N. Larsen, et al. (2006). "Immunomodulating potential of supplementation with probiotics: a dose-response study in healthy young adults." FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 47(3): 380-390. Exclude-NoAE Christmann, W. (1967). "Gleichzeitige Gabe eines Breitbandantibiotikums und Hefepraparates." Arztliche Praxis 19(13): 451-452. Exclude-NoAE (Foreign Language) D-14 Chuang, L. C., C. S. Huang, et al. (2010). "Probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei effect on cariogenic bacterial flora." Clin Oral Investig. Exclude-NoAE Chui, D. (1992). "The efficacy of bifidobacteria on interstinal obstruction and blood endotoxin." Chinese Journal of Microecology 4(3): 7. Exclude-Participants (Chinese) Cianci, A., R. Giordano, et al. (2008). "[Efficacy of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GR-1 and of Lactobacillus Reuteri RC-14 in the treatment and prevention of vaginoses and bacterial vaginitis relapses]." Minerva Ginecol 60(5): 369-376. Exclude-NoAE Cimolai, N., M. J. Gill, et al. (1987). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia: case report and review of the literature." Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 8(2): 113-117. Exclude-Intervention Clancy, R. L., M. Gleeson, et al. (2006). "Reversal in fatigued athletes of a defect in interferon gamma secretion after administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus." Br J Sports Med 40(4): 351 354. Exclude-NoAE Clements, M. L., M. M. Levine, et al. (1983). "Exogenous lactobacilli fed to man - their fate and ability to prevent diarrheal disease." Prog Food Nutr Sci 7(3-4): 29-37. Exclude-Rec NoAE Cobo Sanz, J. M., J. A. Mateos, et al. (2006). "[Effect of Lactobacillus casei on the incidence of infectious conditions in children]." Nutr Hosp 21(4): 547-551. Exclude-NoAE Coconnier, M. H., V. Lievin, et al. (1998). "Antagonistic activity against Helicobacter infection in vitro and in vivo by the human Lactobacillus acidophilus strain LB." Appl Environ Microbiol 64(11): 4573-4580. Exclude-Participants Colbere-Garapin, F., S. Martin-Latil, et al. (2007). "Prevention and treatment of enteric viral infections: possible benefits of probiotic bacteria." Microbes Infect 9(14-15): 1623-1631. Exclude-NoAE Collado, M. C., E. Isolauri, et al. (2009). "The impact of probiotic on gut health." Curr Drug Metab 10(1): 68-78. Exclude-NoAE Collins JK, D. C., Murphy L, Morrissey D, O'Mahony L, O'Sullivan E, Fitzgerald G, Kiely B, O'Sullivan GC, Daly C, Marteau P, Shanahan F (2002). "A randomised controlled trial of a probiotic Lactobacillus strain in healthy adults: Assessment of its delivery, transit and influence on microbial flora and enteric immunity." Microbial Ecology in Health & Disease 14(2): 81-89. Exclude-NoAE Colodner, R., H. Edelstein, et al. (2003). "Vaginal colonization by orally administered Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG." Isr Med Assoc J 5(11): 767-769. Exclude-NoAE Colombel, J. F., A. Cortot, et al. (1987). "Yoghurt with Bifidobacterium longum reduces erythromycin-induced gastrointestinal effects." Lancet 2(8549): 43. Exclude-NoAE Contardi, I. (1991). "[Oral bacterial therapy in prevention of antibiotic-induced diarrhea in childhood]." Clin Ter 136(6): 409-413. Exclude-Rec NoAE (Foreign Language) Conway, S., A. Hart, et al. (2007). "Does eating yogurt prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhoea? A placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial in general practice." Br J Gen Pract 57(545): 953-959. Exclude-Rec Genus Cooper, C. D., A. Vincent, et al. (1998). "Lactobacillus bacteremia in febrile neutropenic patients in a cancer hospital." Clin Infect Dis 26(5): 1247-1248. Exclude-Intervention D-15 Coronado, B. E., S. M. Opal, et al. (1995). "Antibiotic-induced D-lactic acidosis." Ann Intern Med 122(11): 839-842. Exclude-Intervention Costalos, C., A. Kapiki, et al. (2008). "The effect of a prebiotic supplemented formula on growth and stool microbiology of term infants." Early Hum Dev 84(1): 45-49. Exclude-Intervention Costa-Ribeiro, H., T. C. Ribeiro, et al. (2003). "Limitations of probiotic therapy in acute, severe dehydrating diarrhea." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 36(1): 112-115. Exclude-NoAE Cote, G. L. and S. M. Holt (2006.). "Probiotics in food : health and nutritional properties and guidelines for evaluation. Corp Author(s): Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ; World Health Organization Prebiotic oligosaccharides via alternansucrase acceptor reactions." FAO food and nutrition paper, 85; 2007(no.): 10. Exclude-Participants Cotton, D. J., V. J. Gill, et al. (1987). "Clinical features and therapeutic interventions in 17 cases of Bacillus bacteremia in an immunosuppressed patient population." J Clin Microbiol 25(4): 672 674. Exclude-Intervention Cox, A. J., D. B. Pyne, et al. (2008). "Oral administration of the probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum VRI-003 and mucosal immunity in endurance athletes." Br J Sports Med. ExcludeNoAE Cox, A. J., D. B. Pyne, et al. (2010). "Oral administration of the probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum VRI-003 and mucosal immunity in endurance athletes." Br J Sports Med 44(4): 222 226. Exclude-Duplicate 4867 Cox, M. J., Y. J. Huang, et al. (2010). "Lactobacillus casei abundance is associated with profound shifts in the infant gut microbiome." PLoS One 5(1): e8745. Exclude-NoAE Cremonini, F., S. Di Caro, et al. (2001). "The impact of probiotics in antibiotic-associated diarrhea: A meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials." Gastroenterology(120): A215. ExcludeNoAE Cremonini, F., S. Di Caro, et al. (2002). "Meta-analysis: the effect of probiotic administration on antibiotic-associated diarrhoea." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 16(8): 1461-1467. Exclude-NoAE Crosby, Z. and I. Williamson (2009). "Probiotics for the prevention of acute otitis media in children [Protocol." Exclude-Design Cross, M. L. and H. S. Gill (2001). "Can immunoregulatory lactic acid bacteria be used as dietary supplements to limit allergies?" Int Arch Allergy Immunol 125(2): 112-119. Exclude-Rec NoAE Cross, M. L., L. M. Stevenson, et al. (2001). "Anti-allergy properties of fermented foods: an important immunoregulatory mechanism of lactic acid bacteria?" Int Immunopharmacol 1(5): 891-901. Exclude-NoAE Cruchet, S., M. C. Obregon, et al. (2003). "Effect of the ingestion of a dietary product containing Lactobacillus johnsonii La1 on Helicobacter pylori colonization in children." Nutrition 19(9): 716-721. Exclude-NoAE Cui, H. H., C. L. Chen, et al. (2004). "Effects of probiotic on intestinal mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis." World J Gastroenterol 10(10): 1521-1525. Exclude-NoAE D-16 Cukrowska, B., A. Ceregra, et al. (2008). "The influence of probiotic Lactobacillus casei and paracasei strains on clinical status of atopic eczema in children with food allergy on cow's milk proteins." Pediatria Wspolczesna 10(2): 67-70. Exclude-NoAE (Polish) Cukrowska, B., I. Rosiak, et al. (2010). "Impact of heat-inactivated Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus paracasei strains on cytokine responses in whole blood cell cultures of children with atopic dermatitis." Folia Microbiol (Praha) 55(3): 277-280. Exclude-Participants Cummings, J. H. and G. T. Macfarlane (2002). "Gastrointestinal effects of prebiotics." Br J Nutr 87 Suppl 2: S145-151. Exclude-Intervention Cummings, J. H., G. T. Macfarlane, et al. (2001). "Prebiotic digestion and fermentation." Am J Clin Nutr 73(2 Suppl): 415S-420S. Exclude-Intervention Cummins, J. and M. Ho (2005). "Genetically modified probiotics should be banned." Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 17(2): 66-68. Exclude-Design Curragh, H. and M. Collins (1992). "High levels of spontaneous drug resistance in Lactobacillus " Journal of Applied Bacteriology 73: 31-36. Exclude-Participants Czajkowska-Kozik, J. and A. Szymanski (2009). "[The influence of probiotic supplementation on girls' red blood cell characteristics]." Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig 60(4): 367-370. Exclude-NoAE (Polish) Czerucka, D. and P. Rampal (2002). "Experimental effects of Saccharomyces boulardii on diarrheal pathogens." Microbes Infect 4(7): 733-739. Exclude-Participants Czerwionka-Szaflarska, M., R. Kuczynska, et al. (2006). "Effect of probiotic bacteria supplementation on the tolerance of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in children and youth." Pediatria Polska 81(5): 334-341. Exclude-NoAE (Polish) Czerwionka-Szaflarska, M. and S. Murawska (2006). "Probiotics importance in tolerance of eradication therapy of Helicobacter pylori in children." Przeglad Peditryczny 36(4): 287-290. Exclude-Design Czerwionka-Szaflarska, M., S. Murawska, et al. (2009). "Evaluation of influence of oral treatment with probiotic and/or oral rehydration solution on course of acute diarrhoea in children." Przeglad Gastroenterologiczny 4(3): 166-172. Exclude-NoAE Dani, C., R. Biadaioli, et al. (2002). "Probiotics feeding in prevention of urinary tract infection, bacterial sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants. A prospective double-blind study." Biol Neonate 82(2): 103-108. Exclude-NoAE de Boer, A. S. and B. Diderichsen (1991). "On the safety of Bacillus subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens: a review." Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 36(1): 1-4. Exclude-Intervention De Boisiambert, P. (1966). "Accidents et incidents digestifs de l'antibiotherapie. Leur prevention par des levures ultra-hautes " Semaine des Hopitaux (Therapeutique) 1: 36-40. Exclude-NoAE (Foreign Language) de Bortoli, N., G. Leonardi, et al. (2007). "Helicobacter pylori eradication: a randomized prospective study of triple therapy versus triple therapy plus lactoferrin and probiotics." Am J Gastroenterol 102(5): 951-956. Exclude-Rec NoAE D-17 de dios Pozo-Olano, J., J. H. Warram, Jr., et al. (1978). "Effect of a lactobacilli preparation on traveler's diarrhea. A randomized, double blind clinical trial." Gastroenterology 74(5 Pt 1): 829 830. Exclude-NoAE de Felippe Junior, J., M. da Rocha e Silva Junior, et al. (1993). "Infection prevention in patients with severe multiple trauma with the immunomodulator beta 1-3 polyglucose (glucan)." Surg Gynecol Obstet 177(4): 383-388. Exclude-Intervention de Llanos, R., M. T. Fernandez-Espinar, et al. (2006). "A comparison of clinical and food Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates on the basis of potential virulence factors." Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 90(3): 221-231. Exclude-Participants de Llanos, R., A. Querol, et al. (2006). "Food and probiotic strains from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae species as a possible origin of human systemic infections." Int J Food Microbiol 110(3): 286-290. Exclude-Rec Intervention De Luis, D., A. Santamaria, et al. (2005). "Study of influence of dietary yogurt in an allergic population." Anales de Medicina Interna 22(2): 55-58. Exclude-Duplicate 2816 de Luis, D. A., A. R. Santamaria, et al. (2005). "[Study of the influence of dietary yogurt in an allergic population]." An Med Interna 22(2): 55-58. Exclude-NoAE De Preter, V., K. Geboes, et al. (2004). "The in vivo use of the stable isotope-labelled biomarkers lactose-[15N]ureide and [2H4]tyrosine to assess the effects of pro- and prebiotics on the intestinal flora of healthy human volunteers." Br J Nutr 92(3): 439-446. Exclude-NoAE De Preter, V., H. Raemen, et al. (2008). "Effect of dietary intervention with different pre- and probiotics on intestinal bacterial enzyme activities." Eur J Clin Nutr 62(2): 225-231. ExcludeNoAE De Preter, V., T. Vanhoutte, et al. (2007). "Effects of Lactobacillus casei Shirota, Bifidobacterium breve, and oligofructose-enriched inulin on colonic nitrogen-protein metabolism in healthy humans." Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 292(1): G358-368. Exclude-NoAE De Santis, A., G. Famularo, et al. (2000). "Probiotics for the hemodynamic alterations of patients with liver cirrhosis." Am J Gastroenterol 95(1): 323-324. Exclude-Rec NoAE de Vrese, M., P. Rautenberg, et al. (2005). "Probiotic bacteria stimulate virus-specific neutralizing antibodies following a booster polio vaccination." Eur J Nutr 44(7): 406-413. Exclude-NoAE de Vrese, M., P. Winkler, et al. (2006). "Probiotic bacteria reduced duration and severity but not the incidence of common cold episodes in a double blind, randomized, controlled trial." Vaccine 24(44-46): 6670-6674. Exclude-NoAE de Waard, R., E. Claassen, et al. (2003). "Enhanced immunological memory responses to Listeria monocytogenes in rodents, as measured by delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), adoptive transfer of DTH, and protective immunity, following Lactobacillus casei Shirota ingestion." Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 10(1): 59-65. Exclude-Participants Deal, D., S. Borriello, et al. (1987). "Treatment of relapsing Clostridium difficile diarrhoea by administration of a non-toxigenic strain." Eur J Microbiol(6): 51-53. Exclude-Genus D-18 Dehkordi, N., D. R. Rao, et al. (1995). "Lactose malabsorption as influenced by chocolate milk, skim milk, sucrose, whole milk, and lactic cultures." J Am Diet Assoc 95(4): 484-486. ExcludeNoAE Dekker, J., M. Collett, et al. (2007). "Functionality of probiotics - potential for product development." Forum Nutr 60: 196-208. Exclude-Rec Participants Del Piano, M., M. Ballare, et al. (2004). "Clinical experience with probiotics in the elderly on total enteral nutrition." J Clin Gastroenterol 38(6 Suppl): S111-114. Exclude-NoAE Delcenserie, V., D. Martel, et al. (2008). "Immunomodulatory effects of probiotics in the intestinal tract." Curr Issues Mol Biol 10(1-2): 37-54. Exclude-Design Delgado, S., A. B. Florez, et al. (2005). "Antibiotic susceptibility of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species from the human gastrointestinal tract." Curr Microbiol 50(4): 202-207. Exclude-Participants Depeint, F., G. Tzortzis, et al. (2008). "Prebiotic evaluation of a novel galactooligosaccharide mixture produced by the enzymatic activity of Bifidobacterium bifidum NCIMB 41171, in healthy humans: a randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled intervention study." Am J Clin Nutr 87(3): 785-791. Exclude-Rec Intervention Dewan, P., I. R. Kaur, et al. (2009). "Cytokine response to dietary rehabilitation with curd (Indian dahi) & leaf protein concentrate in malnourished children." Indian J Med Res 130(1): 31 36. Exclude-NoAE Dewit, O., G. Boudraa, et al. (1987). "Breath hydrogen test and stools characteristics after ingestion of milk and yogurt in malnourished children with chronic diarrhoea and lactase deficiency." J Trop Pediatr 33(4): 177-180. Exclude-NoAE Dhodapkar, K. M. and N. K. Henry (1996). "Leuconostoc bacteremia in an infant with short-gut syndrome: case report and literature review." Mayo Clin Proc 71(12): 1171-1174. ExcludeGenus Di Benedetto, L., V. Raia, et al. (1998, May 27-30). "Lactobacillus casei strain GG as adjunctive treatment to children with cystic fibrosis, Abstract #P164." 5th Joint Meeting of ESPGHAN and NADPGN, Toulouse, France. Exclude-NoAE Dicks, L. M., T. Fraser, et al. (2009). "Lactic acid bacteria population in children diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus." J Paediatr Child Health 45(10): 567-572. Exclude-Intervention Diepenhorst, G. M., O. van Ruler, et al. (2010). "INFLUENCE OF PROPHYLACTIC PROBIOTICS AND SELECTIVE DECONTAMINATION ON BACTERIAL TRANSLOCATION IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING PANCREATIC SURGERY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL." Shock. Exclude-NoAE Dikkenberg, G. M. (2008). "[Probiotic prophylaxis in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and informed consent procedure]." Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 152(28): 1592; author reply 1592-1594. Exclude-Rec Design (Dutch) D-19 Dinleyici, E. C., M. Eren, et al. (2009). "Clinical efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii and metronidazole compared to metronidazole alone in children with acute bloody diarrhea caused by amebiasis: a prospective, randomized, open label study." Am J Trop Med Hyg 80(6): 953 955. Exclude-NoAE Dlugovitzky, D., R. Notario, et al. (2010). "Immunotherapy with oral, heat-killed, Mycobacterium vaccae in patients with moderate to advanced pulmonary tuberculosis." Immunotherapy 2(2): 159-169. Exclude-Genus Do, V. T., B. G. Baird, et al. (2010). "Probiotics for maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis in adults." Ann Pharmacother 44(3): 565-571. Exclude-Design Dobson, S. R. and C. J. Baker (1990). "Enterococcal sepsis in neonates: features by age at onset and occurrence of focal infection." Pediatrics 85(2): 165-171. Exclude-Intervention Donat, F. (1970). "[Prevention of intestinal side-effects of antibiotics with Perenterol]." Munch Med Wochenschr 112(2): 74-77. Exclude-NoAE Dong, Y., H. Yu, et al. (2008). "[Development of isolation and identification of Lactobacillus]." Wei Sheng Yan Jiu 37(4): 508-510. Exclude-Design Donohue, D., M. Deighton, et al. (1993). "Toxicity of lactic acid bacteria." 307-313. ExcludeParticipants Donohue, D. and S. Salminen (1996). "Safety assessment of probiotic bacteria." Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 5: 25-28. Exclude-NoAE Donohue, D. and S. Salminen (1996). "Safety of Lactobacillus GG." Nutr 31: 12s-15s. ExcludeNoAE Dotterud, C., T. Oien, et al. (2009). "Probiotic supplementation given to mothers in primary prevention of allergic diseases in early childhood - a randomized controlled trial in an unselected population." Allergy 64 ( Supple 90): 64. Exclude-NoAE Doyle, M. G., L. K. Pickering, et al. (1990). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae infection in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome." Pediatr Infect Dis J 9(11): 850-851. ExcludeIntervention Doyuk, E., O. J. Ormerod, et al. (2002). "Native valve endocarditis due to Streptococcus vestibularis and Streptococcus oralis." J Infect 45(1): 39-41. Exclude-Intervention Drisko, J., B. Bischoff, et al. (2006). "Treating irritable bowel syndrome with a food elimination diet followed by food challenge and probiotics." J Am Coll Nutr 25(6): 514-522. Exclude-NoAE Drouault-Holowacz, S., S. Bieuvelet, et al. (2008). "A double blind randomized controlled trial of a probiotic combination in 100 patients with irritable bowel syndrome." Gastroenterol Clin Biol 32(2): 147-152. Exclude-NoAE "DTB cautious on probiotics." Pharmaceutical Journal 2004;273(7324): 672. Exclude-NoAE Duc le, H. and S. M. Cutting (2003). "Bacterial spores as heat stable vaccine vehicles." Expert Opin Biol Ther 3(8): 1263-1270. Exclude-Design D-20 Ducluzeau, R. and M. Bensaada (1982). "[Comparative effect of a single or continuous administration of "Saccharomyces boulardii" on the establishment of various strains of "candida" in the digestive tract of gnotobiotic mice]." Ann Microbiol (Paris) 133(3): 491-501. ExcludeParticipants Dughera, L., A. M. Serra, et al. (2004). "Acute recurrent diverticulitis is prevented by oral administration of a polybacterial lysate suspension." Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol 50(2): 149 153. Exclude-Genus Dupont, B. and C. Lapresle (1977). "[Subacute bacterial endocarditis due to lactobacillus (author's transl)]." Nouv Presse Med 6(39): 3627-3628. Exclude-Rec Intervention DuPont, H. L. and C. D. Ericsson (1993). "Prevention and treatment of traveler's diarrhea." N Engl J Med 328(25): 1821-1827. Exclude-NoAE Edmond, M. B., J. F. Ober, et al. (1995). "Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium bacteremia: risk factors for infection." Clin Infect Dis 20(5): 1126-1133. Exclude-Intervention Egashira, K., T. Kitahara, et al. (2006). "[Investigation for proper use of probiotics in Nagasaki University Hospital of Medicine and Dentistry]." Yakugaku Zasshi 126(11): 1155-1161. Exclude-NoAE (Japanese) Egervarn, M., H. Lindmark, et al. (2010). "Transferability of a tetracycline resistance gene from probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri to bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of humans." Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 97(2): 189-200. Exclude-NoAE Eguchi, S., M. Takatsuki, et al. (2010). "Perioperative synbiotic treatment to prevent infectious complications in patients after elective living donor liver transplantation. A prospective randomized study." Am J Surg. Exclude-NoAE Ekerk, H., I. Jurk, et al. (1980). "Prophylactic co-trimoxazoleand lactobacilli preparation in neutropenic patients." Med Pediatr Oncol 8: 47-51. Exclude-Rec NoAE Ekert, H., I. H. Jurk, et al. (1980). "Prophylactic co-trimoxazole and lactobacilli preparation in neutropenic patients." Med Pediatr Oncol 8(1): 47-51. Exclude-Rec Design Elahi, B., S. Nikfar, et al. (2008). "On the benefit of probiotics in the management of pouchitis in patients underwent ileal pouch anal anastomosis: a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials." Dig Dis Sci 53(5): 1278-1284. Exclude-NoAE Elahi, S., G. Pang, et al. (2005). "Enhanced clearance of Candida albicans from the oral cavities of mice following oral administration of Lactobacillus acidophilus." Clin Exp Immunol 141(1): 29-36. Exclude-Participants Elmadfa, I., P. Klein, et al. (2010). "Immune-stimulating effects of lactic acid bacteria in vivo and in vitro." Proc Nutr Soc 69(3): 416-420. Exclude-NoAE Elmer, G. W. and L. V. McFarland (1998). "Comment on 'The lack of therapeutic effect of Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibiotic-related diarrhoea in elderly patients'." J Infect 37(3): 307-308. Exclude-NoAE Elmer, G. W., L. V. McFarland, et al. (1999). "Behaviour of Saccharomyces boulardii in recurrent Clostridium difficile disease patients." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 13(12): 1663-1668. Exclude-NoAE D-21 El-Nezami, H. S., N. N. Polychronaki, et al. (2006). "Probiotic supplementation reduces a biomarker for increased risk of liver cancer in young men from Southern China." Am J Clin Nutr 83(5): 1199-1203. Exclude-NoAE Enck, P., K. Zimmermann, et al. (2009). "Randomized controlled treatment trial of irritable bowel syndrome with a probiotic E.-coli preparation (DSM17252) compared to placebo." Z Gastroenterol 47(2): 209-214. Exclude-Rec Genus Enck, P., K. Zimmermann, et al. (2008). "A mixture of Escherichia coli (DSM 17252) and Enterococcus faecalis (DSM 16440) for treatment of the irritable bowel syndrome--a randomized controlled trial with primary care physicians." Neurogastroenterol Motil 20(10): 1103-1109. Exclude-Genus Endres, J. R., A. Clewell, et al. (2009). "Safety assessment of a proprietary preparation of a novel Probiotic, Bacillus coagulans, as a food ingredient." Food Chem Toxicol. Exclude-Participants Eng, R. H., R. Drehmel, et al. (1984). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae infections in man." Sabouraudia 22(5): 403-407. Exclude-Intervention Erdem, H., M. Cetin, et al. (2003). "Identification of yeasts in public hospital primary care patients with or without clinical vaginitis." Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol 43(4): 312-316. Exclude-Intervention Erdeve, O., Tiras U, Dallar Y (2004). "The probiotic effect of Saccharomyce boulardii in a pediatric age group." Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 50(4): 234-236. Exclude-Duplicate 2334 Erdeve, O., U. Tiras, et al. (2004). "The probiotic effect of Saccharomyces boulardii in a pediatric age group." J Trop Pediatr 50(4): 234-236. Exclude-NoAE Erdeve, O., U. Tiras, et al. (2005). "Saccharomyces boulardii and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 21(12): 1508-1509; author reply 1509. Exclude-NoAE Eren, M., E. C. Dinleyici, et al. (2010). "Clinical efficacy comparison of Saccharomyces boulardii and yogurt fluid in acute non-bloody diarrhea in children: a randomized, controlled, open label study." Am J Trop Med Hyg 82(3): 488-491. Exclude-NoAE Erickson, K. L. and N. E. Hubbard (2000). "Probiotic immunomodulation in health and disease." J Nutr 130(2S Suppl): 403S-409S. Exclude-Design Eschete, M. L. and B. C. West (1980). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae septicemia." Arch Intern Med 140(11): 1539. Exclude-Intervention Euler, A. R., D. K. Mitchell, et al. (2005). "Prebiotic effect of fructo-oligosaccharide supplemented term infant formula at two concentrations compared with unsupplemented formula and human milk." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 40(2): 157-164. Exclude-Genus "Expression of concern--Probiotic prophylaxis in predicted severe acute pancreatitis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Lancet 2010;375(9718): 875-876. ExcludeDesign Ewaschuk, J. B., Q. Z. Tejpar, et al. (2006). "The role of antibiotic and probiotic therapies in current and future management of inflammatory bowel disease." Curr Gastroenterol Rep 8(6): 486-498. Exclude-NoAE D-22 Faber, S., S. Rigden, et al. (2005). "The use of probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: two case reports." Altern Ther Health Med 11(4): 60-62. Exclude-NoAE Fabian, E. and I. Elmadfa (2006). "Influence of daily consumption of probiotic and conventional yoghurt on the plasma lipid profile in young healthy women." Ann Nutr Metab 50(4): 387-393. Exclude-NoAE Fabian, E. and I. Elmadfa (2007). "The effect of daily consumption of probiotic and conventional yoghurt on oxidant and anti-oxidant parameters in plasma of young healthy women." Int J Vitam Nutr Res 77(2): 79-88. Exclude-NoAE Fabian, E., D. Majchrzak, et al. (2008). "Influence of probiotic and conventional yoghurt on the status of vitamins B1, B2 and B6 in young healthy women." Ann Nutr Metab 52(1): 29-36. Exclude-NoAE Fagbemi, A. O., T. A. G., et al. (2008). "Probiotics for maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 4. Exclude-NoAE Falagas, M. E., G. I. Betsi, et al. (2006). "Probiotics for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: a review of the evidence from microbiological and clinical studies." Drugs 66(9): 1253-1261. Exclude-Rec Design Falcao de Arruda, I. S. and J. E. de Aguilar-Nascimento (2004). "Benefits of early enteral nutrition with glutamine and probiotics in brain injury patients." Clin Sci (Lond) 106(3): 287 292. Exclude-NoAE Fan, N., Z. B. Tian, et al. (2009). "Bifico improves intestinal macromolecular permeability in patients with liver cirrhosis." World Chinese Journal of Digestology 17(36): 3745-3748. Exclude-NoAE Fang, H., T. Elina, et al. (2000). "Modulation of humoral immune response through probiotic intake." FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 29(1): 47-52. Exclude-NoAE Fang, S. B., H. C. Lee, et al. (2009). "Dose-dependent effect of Lactobacillus GG on quantitative reduction of faecal rotavirus shedding in children." J Trop Pediatr. Exclude-NoAE Fang, S. B., H. C. Lee, et al. (2009). "Dose-dependent effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus on quantitative reduction of faecal rotavirus shedding in children." J Trop Pediatr 55(5): 297-301. Exclude-Duplicates 5666 FAO/WHO (2001). "Evaluation of Health and Nutritional Properties of Probiotics in Food including Powder Milk with Live Lactic Acid Bacteria." Exclude-Rec Design Farina, C., M. Arosio, et al. (2001). "Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus sepsis in a patient with ulcerative colitis." J Clin Gastroenterol 33(3): 251-252. Exclude-Intervention Farrar, W. E., Jr. (1963). "Serious infections due to "non-pathogenic" organisms of the genus Bacillus. Review of their status as pathogens." Am J Med 34: 134-141. Exclude-Intervention Farthing, M. J. (1991). "Review article: prevention and treatment of travellers' diarrhoea." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 5(1): 15-30. Exclude-Design Fastinger, N. D., L. K. Karr-Lilienthal, et al. (2008). "A novel resistant maltodextrin alters gastrointestinal tolerance factors, fecal characteristics, and fecal microbiota in healthy adult humans." J Am Coll Nutr 27(2): 356-366. Exclude-Rec Intervention D-23 Felten, A., C. Barreau, et al. (1999). "Lactobacillus species identification, H2O2 production, and antibiotic resistance and correlation with human clinical status." J Clin Microbiol 37(3): 729 733. Exclude-Intervention Fenton, A. (2005). "Nutrition: probiotics: how friendly are they?" World of Irish Nursing & Midwifery 13(4): 42-43. Exclude-NoAE Ferencik, M., L. Ebringer, et al. (1999). "[Successful modification of human intestinal microflora with oral administration of lactic acid bacteria]." Bratisl Lek Listy 100(5): 238-245. ExcludeNoAE (Slovakian) Fernandez, M. F., S. Boris, et al. (2005). "Safety evaluation of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis UO 004, a probiotic bacterium." Res Microbiol 156(2): 154-160. Exclude-Participants Ferrero, L., B. Cameron, et al. (1994). "Cloning and primary structure of Staphylococcus aureus DNA topoisomerase IV: a primary target of fluoroquinolones." Mol Microbiol 13(4): 641-653. Exclude-Participants Figler, M., G. Mozsik, et al. (2006). "Effect of special Hungarian probiotic kefir on faecal microflora." World J Gastroenterol 12(7): 1129-1132. Exclude-NoAE Fiore, N. F., J. H. Conway, et al. (1998). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae infections in children." Pediatr Infect Dis J 17(12): 1177-1179. Exclude-Intervention Floch, M. H. (2003). "Probiotics, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease." Curr Treat Options Gastroenterol 6(4): 283-288. Exclude-NoAE Floch, M. H. (2005). "Use of diet and probiotic therapy in the irritable bowel syndrome: analysis of the literature." J Clin Gastroenterol 39(5 Suppl 3): S243-246. Exclude-NoAE Floch, M. H., K. K. Madsen, et al. (2006). "Recommendations for probiotic use." J Clin Gastroenterol 40(3): 275-278. Exclude-NoAE Floch, M. H. and D. C. Montrose (2005). "Use of probiotics in humans: an analysis of the literature." Gastroenterol Clin North Am 34(3): 547-570, x. Exclude-NoAE Ford, A. C., N. J. Talley, et al. (2009). "Efficacy of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials." Dis Colon Rectum 52(10): 1805; author reply 1806. Exclude-Design Forsgren, E. (1954). "[Antibiotic and probiotic therapy of tuberculosis.]." Sven Lakartidn 51(43): 2711-2719. Exclude-Rec Design Foulquie Moreno, M. R., P. Sarantinopoulos, et al. (2006). "The role and application of enterococci in food and health." Int J Food Microbiol 106(1): 1-24. Exclude-NoAE Franks, I. (2010). "Pediatrics: Probiotics reduce the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis." Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 7(7): 358. Exclude-Design Fredricsson, B., K. Englund, et al. (1989). "Bacterial vaginosis is not a simple ecological disorder." Gynecol Obstet Invest 28(3): 156-160. Exclude-NoAE Fric, P. and M. Zavoral (2003). "The effect of non-pathogenic Escherichia coli in symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 15(3): 313-315. Exclude-Genus D-24 Fruchart, C., A. Salah, et al. (1997). "Lactobacillus species as emerging pathogens in neutropenic patients." Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 16(9): 681-684. Exclude-Intervention Fujiwara, D., S. Inoue, et al. (2004). "The anti-allergic effects of lactic acid bacteria are strain dependent and mediated by effects on both Th1/Th2 cytokine expression and balance." Int Arch Allergy Immunol 135(3): 205-215. Exclude-Participants Fujiwara, S., Y. Seto, et al. (2001). "Establishment of orally-administered Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055SR in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and its influence on intestinal microflora and metabolism." J Appl Microbiol 90(3): 343-352. Exclude-NoAE Fuller, R. (1989). "Probiotics in man and animals." J Appl Bacteriol 66(5): 365-378. ExcludeDesign Fung, K. S., O. Scheel, et al. (1996). "Self-inflicted bacteraemia and fungaemia in Vietnamese migrants." Scand J Infect Dis 28(1): 83-85. Exclude-Intervention Fusch, C., H. Skopnik, et al. (2001). "Double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the nutritional efficacy of Omneo 1. Final study results." Pediatrika 21(10): 397-402. Exclude-Intervention Gaby, A. R. (2006). "The use of probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome." Altern Ther Health Med 12(1): 17; author reply 17. Exclude-NoAE Gallemore, G. H., R. T. Mohon, et al. (1995). "Lactobacillus fermentum endocarditis involving a native mitral valve." J Tenn Med Assoc 88(8): 306-308. Exclude-Intervention Gaon, D., Y. Doweck, et al. (1995). "[Lactose digestion by milk fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei of human origin]." Medicina (B Aires) 55(3): 237-242. Exclude-Rec NoAE Gardiner, G., C. Heinemann, et al. (2002). "Oral administration of the probiotic combination Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and L fermentum RC-14 for human intestinal applications." Int Dairy J 12: 191-196. Exclude-Rec NoAE Gardiner, P. (2005). "Dietary supplement use in children: Concerns of efficacy and safety." American Family Physician 71(6): 1068-1071. Exclude-Design Gasbarrini, A., V. Ojetti, et al. (2000). "Efficacy of a multistep strategy for Helicobacter pylori eradication." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 14(1): 79-83. Exclude-Intervention Gasser, F. (1994). "Safety of lactic acid bacteria and their occurrence in human clinical infections." Buil Inst Pasteur 92: 45-67. Exclude-Intervention Gatt, M., B. S. Reddy, et al. (2007). "Review article: bacterial translocation in the critically ill- evidence and methods of prevention." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 25(7): 741-757. Exclude-NoAE Gaynes, R. P., J. R. Edwards, et al. (1996). "Nosocomial infections among neonates in high-risk nurseries in the United States. National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System." Pediatrics 98(3 Pt 1): 357-361. Exclude-Intervention Gebhardt, D. O. (2008). "[Probiotic prophylaxis in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and informed consent procedure]." Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 152(28): 1594. Exclude-Rec NoAE D-25 Gedek, B. R. (1991). "[Regulation of the intestinal flora by food]." Zentralbl Hyg Umweltmed 191(2-3): 277-301. Exclude-Design Gertenrich, R. L. and R. W. Hart (1970). "Treatment of oral ulcerations with Bacid (Lactobacillus acidophilus)." Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 30(2): 196-200. Exclude-NoAE Gianotti, L., L. Morelli, et al. (2010). "A randomized double-blind trial on perioperative administration of probiotics in colorectal cancer patients." World J Gastroenterol 16(2): 167-175. Exclude-NoAE Gibson, G. R. (1999). "Dietary modulation of the human gut microflora using the prebiotics oligofructose and inulin." J Nutr 129(7 Suppl): 1438S-1441S. Exclude-NoAE Gibson, G. R. and M. B. Roberfroid (1995). "Dietary modulation of the human colonic microbiota: introducing the concept of prebiotics." J Nutr 125(6): 1401-1412. Exclude-NoAE Gilboa, Y., I. Bar-Hava, et al. (2005). "Does intravaginal probiotic supplementation increase the pregnancy rate in IVF-embryo transfer cycles?" Reprod Biomed Online 11(1): 71-75. ExcludeNoAE Gill, H. S. and K. J. Rutherfurd (2001). "Immune enhancement conferred by oral delivery of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 in different milk-based substrates." J Dairy Res 68(4): 611-616. Exclude-Participants Gill, H. S., K. J. Rutherfurd, et al. (2001). "Dietary probiotic supplementation enhances natural killer cell activity in the elderly: an investigation of age-related immunological changes." J Clin Immunol 21(4): 264-271. Exclude-NoAE Gilliland, S. E. and H. S. Kim (1984). "Effect of viable starter culture bacteria in yogurt on lactose utilization in humans." J Dairy Sci 67(1): 1-6. Exclude-NoAE Giochetti, P., F. Rizzelo, et al. (1999). "In vivo effect of a highly concentrated probiotic on IL-10 pelvic pouch tissue levels (abstract)." Gastroenterology 116: A723. Exclude-NoAE Gionchetti, P., F. Rizzello, et al. (2003). "Standard treatment of ulcerative colitis." Dig Dis 21(2): 157-167. Exclude-Design Giovannini, M., C. Agostoni, et al. (2007). "A randomized prospective double blind controlled trial on effects of long-term consumption of fermented milk containing Lactobacillus casei in pre-school children with allergic asthma and/or rhinitis." Pediatr Res 62(2): 215-220. ExcludeNoAE Giovannone, M., F. Barberani, et al. (2007). "Lactobacillus casei Dg effectiveness on Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment side effects; A placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized pilot study." Gastroenterology 132(4 Suppl 2): A614. Exclude-NoAE Giraffa, G., D. Carminati, et al. (1997). "Enterococci isolated from dairy products: A review of risks and potential technological use." Journal of Food Protection 60(6): 732-738. Exclude-Rec Intervention Gluck, U. and J. O. Gebbers (2003). "Ingested probiotics reduce nasal colonization with pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and beta-hemolytic streptococci)." Am J Clin Nutr 77(2): 517-520. Exclude-NoAE D-26 Goerg, K. J. and E. Schlorer (1998). "[Probiotic therapy of pseudomembranous colitis. Combination of intestinal lavage and oral administration of Escherichia coli]." Dtsch Med Wochenschr 123(43): 1274-1278. Exclude-Rec Genus Goetze, O., H. Fruehauf, et al. (2008). "Effect of a prebiotic mixture on intestinal comfort and general wellbeing in health." Br J Nutr 100(5): 1077-1085. Exclude-Intervention Gold, H. S. and R. C. Moellering, Jr. (1996). "Antimicrobial-drug resistance." N Engl J Med 335(19): 1445-1453. Exclude-Intervention Goldin, B., L. Gualteri, et al. (1992 August). "The effect of Lactobacillus species (strain GG) on DMH-induced rat intestinal tumours and on human immunological function." XVII International Congress on Microbial Ecology and Disease, Helsinki, Finland. Exclude-NoAE Goldin, B. R. and S. L. Gorbach (1984). "The effect of milk and lactobacillus feeding on human intestinal bacterial enzyme activity." Am J Clin Nutr 39(5): 756-761. Exclude-NoAE Goldin, B. R. and S. L. Gorbach (2008). "Clinical indications for probiotics: an overview." Clin Infect Dis 46 Suppl 2: S96-100; discussion S144-151. Exclude-NoAE Goldin, B. R., L. Swenson, et al. (1980). "Effect of diet and Lactobacillus acidophilus supplements on human fecal bacterial enzymes." J Natl Cancer Inst 64(2): 255-261. ExcludeNoAE Goldman, C. G., D. A. Barrado, et al. (2006). "Effect of a probiotic food as an adjuvant to triple therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection in children." Nutrition 22(10): 984-988. Exclude-NoAE Golledge, C. L. and T. V. Riley (1996). ""Natural" therapy for infectious diseases." Med J Aust 164(2): 94-95. Exclude-NoAE Gonchar, N. V., L. V. Berezina, et al. (2009). "[Choice of probiotic for rational therapy of infection caused by Klebsiella in children]." Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol(2): 85-89. Exclude-Intervention Gonzalez, S., G. Albarracin, et al. (1990). "Prevention of infantile diarrhea by fermented milk." Microbiologie Aliments Nutrit 8: 349-354. Exclude-NoAE Gonzalez, S., R. Cardoza, et al. (1995). "Biotherapeutic role of fermented milk." Biotherapy 8: 129-134. Exclude-NoAE Gopal, P., J. Dekker, et al. (2005). "Development adn commercialisation of Fonterra's probiotic strains." Australian Journal of Dairy Technology 60: 174-183. Exclude-NoAE Gorbach, S. L., T. W. Chang, et al. (1987). "Successful treatment of relapsing Clostridium difficile colitis with Lactobacillus GG." Lancet 2(8574): 1519. Exclude-NoAE Gorbach, S. L. and B. R. Goldin (1990). "The intestinal microflora and the colon cancer connection." Rev Infect Dis 12 Suppl 2: S252-261. Exclude-Intervention Gotoh, M., T. Sashihara, et al. (2009). "Efficacy of oral administration of a heat-killed Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 on patients of japanese cedar pollinosis with high japanese-cedar pollen-specific IgE." Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry 73(9): 1971-1977. ExcludeGenus D-27 Gotteland, M., M. Andrews, et al. (2008). "Modulation of Helicobacter pylori colonization with cranberry juice and Lactobacillus johnsonii La1 in children." Nutrition 24(5): 421-426. ExcludeNoAE Gotteland, M., O. Brunser, et al. (2006). "Systematic review: are probiotics useful in controlling gastric colonization by Helicobacter pylori?" Aliment Pharmacol Ther 23(8): 1077-1086. Exclude-NoAE Gotteland, M., L. Poliak, et al. (2005). "Effect of regular ingestion of Saccharomyces boulardii plus inulin or Lactobacillus acidophilus LB in children colonized by Helicobacter pylori." Acta Paediatr 94(12): 1747-1751. Exclude-NoAE Gotz, V., J. A. Romankiewicz, et al. (1979). "Prophylaxis against ampicillin-associated diarrhea with a lactobacillus preparation." Am J Hosp Pharm 36(6): 754-757. Exclude-NoAE Graf, C. and G. Gavazzi (2007). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia in an immunocompromised patient not treated with Saccharomyces boulardii preparation." J Infect 54(3): 310-311. Exclude-Intervention Grathwohl, D. (2008). "Early supplementation of prebiotic oligosaccharides protects formula-fed infants against infections during the first six months of life." J Nutr 138(8): 1520; author reply 1521. Exclude-Intervention Graul, T., A. M. Cain, et al. (2009). "Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria combinations: A strategy to reduce hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile diarrhea incidence and mortality." Med Hypotheses. Exclude-NoAE Greany, K. A., M. J. Bonorden, et al. (2008). "Probiotic capsules do not lower plasma lipids in young women and men." Eur J Clin Nutr 62(2): 232-237. Exclude-Rec NoAE Greany, K. A., J. A. Nettleton, et al. (2004). "Probiotic consumption does not enhance the cholesterol-lowering effect of soy in postmenopausal women." J Nutr 134(12): 3277-3283. Exclude-Rec NoAE Green, S. L. (1978). "Case report: fatal anaerobic pulmonary infection due to Bifidobacterium eriksonii." Postgrad Med 63(3): 187-188, 190, 192. Exclude-Intervention Greer, A. and H. Gemoets (1943). "The coexistence of pathogenic fungi in certain chronic pulmonary diseases: with especial reference to pulmonary tuberculosis." Dis Chest 9: 212-224. Exclude-Intervention Griffiths, J. K., J. S. Daly, et al. (1992). "Two cases of endocarditis due to Lactobacillus species: antimicrobial susceptibility, review, and discussion of therapy." Clin Infect Dis 15(2): 250-255. Exclude-Rec Intervention Gronlund, M. M., O. P. Lehtonen, et al. (1997). "Lactobacillus GG supplementation does not reduce faecal colonization of Klebsiella oxytoca in preterm infants." Acta Paediatr 86(7): 785 786. Exclude-NoAE "Growth, weight gain composition and mineral accretion in term infants fed a new experimental formula containing hydrolysed protein, beta-palmitate and prebiotics." Ciencia Pediatrika 2001;21(10): 387-396. Exclude-Intervention D-28 Guandalini, S. (1998). "Probiotics in the treatment of diarrheal diseases in children." Gastroenterol Int(11): 87-90. Exclude-Intervention Guarino, A., R. B. Canani, et al. (1997). "Oral bacterial therapy reduces the duration of symptoms and of viral excretion in children with mild diarrhea." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 25(5): 516-519. Exclude-NoAE Guarner, F. and J. R. Malagelada (2003). "Gut flora in health and disease." Lancet 361(9356): 512-519. Exclude-NoAE Guarner, F., G. Perdigon, et al. (2005). "Should yoghurt cultures be considered probiotic?" Br J Nutr 93(6): 783-786. Exclude-NoAE Gueimonde, M., S. Sakata, et al. (2006). "Effect of maternal consumption of lactobacillus GG on transfer and establishment of fecal bifidobacterial microbiota in neonates." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 42(2): 166-170. Exclude-NoAE Gueniche, A., P. Bastien, et al. (2010). "Bifidobacterium longum lysate, a new ingredient for reactive skin." Exp Dermatol 19(8): e1-8. Exclude-NoAE Guenther, K., E. Straube, et al. (2010). "Sever sepsis after probiotic treatment with Escherichia coli NISSLE 1917." Pediatr Infect Dis J 29(2): 188-189. Exclude-Genus Guerin-Danan, C., C. Chabanet, et al. (1997). "Milk fermented with yogurt cultures and Lactobacillus casei compared with yogurt and gelled milk: influence on intestinal microflora in healthy infants." Am J Clin Nutr 67: 111-117. Exclude-NoAE Guo, J. B., P. F. Yang, et al. (2004). "The application of clostridium to the eradication of Helicobacter pylori." Chin J Celiopathy 4: 163-165. Exclude-Genus Guslandi, M. (2006). "Are probiotics effective for treating Clostridium difficile disease and antibiotic-associated diarrhea?" Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol 3(11): 606-607. ExcludeDesign Ha, G. Y., C. H. Yang, et al. (1999). "Case of sepsis caused by Bifidobacterium longum." J Clin Microbiol 37(4): 1227-1228. Exclude-Intervention Habermann, W. and K. Zimmerman (2002). "Reduction of acute relapses in patients with chronic recurrent hypertrophic sinusitis during treatment with a bacterial immunostimulant (Enterococcus faecalis bacteriae of human origin - A medical probiotic)." 52(8): 622-627. Exclude-Duplicate 1540 (German) Hafer, A., S. Kramer, et al. (2007). "Effect of oral lactulose on clinical and immunohistochemical parameters in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a pilot study." BMC Gastroenterol 7: 36. Exclude-Intervention Hallen, A., C. Jarstrand, et al. (1992). "Treatment of bacterial vaginosis with lactobacilli." Sex Transm Dis 19(3): 146-148. Exclude-NoAE Haller, J. and H. Kraeubig (1960). "[On the modification of the radiation reaction of the intestines by a combination of living acidophilus, bifidus and coli bacteria.]." Strahlentherapie 113: 272-280. Exclude-NoAE (German) D-29 Halpern, G. M., T. Prindiville, et al. (1996). "Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with Lacteol Fort: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial." Am J Gastroenterol 91(8): 1579-1585. Exclude-NoAE Halpern, G. M., K. Vruwink, et al. (1991). "Influence of long-term yoghurt consumption in young adults." Int J Immunother 7: 205-210. Exclude-Rec Genus Hamilton-Miller, J. (2001). "Probiotics in the management of irritable bowel syndrome: a review of clinical trials." Microb Ecol Health Dis 13: 212-216. Exclude-Rec NoAE Hamilton-Miller, J. M. (2004). "Probiotics and prebiotics in the elderly." Postgrad Med J 80(946): 447-451. Exclude-NoAE Hamilton-Miller, J. M. T. and S. Shah (1998). "Benefits and risks of Enterococcus faecium as a probiotic.": 20-24. Exclude-Design Handwerger, S., H. Horowitz, et al. (1990). "Infection due to Leuconostoc species: six cases and review." Rev Infect Dis 12(4): 602-610. Exclude-Genus Harding, K. L., R. D. Judah, et al. (2003). "Outcome-based comparison of Ritalin versus foodsupplement treated children with AD/HD." Altern Med Rev 8(3): 319-330. Exclude-NoAE Harms, H. K., R. M. Bertele-Harms, et al. (1987). "Enzyme-substitution therapy with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency." N Engl J Med 316(21): 1306-1309. Exclude-NoAE Harty, D. W., H. J. Oakey, et al. (1994). "Pathogenic potential of lactobacilli." Int J Food Microbiol 24(1-2): 179-189. Exclude-Participants Harty, D. W., M. Patrikakis, et al. (1993). "Identification of lactobacillus strains isolated from patients with infective endocarditis and comparison of their surface-associated properties with those of other strains of the same species." Microb Ecol Hlth Dis 6: 191-201. ExcludeIntervention Hata, D., A. Yoshida, et al. (1988). "Meningitis caused by Bifidobacterium in an infant." Pediatr Infect Dis J 7(9): 669-671. Exclude-Intervention Hatakka, K., A. J. Ahola, et al. (2007). "Probiotics reduce the prevalence of oral candida in the elderly--a randomized controlled trial." J Dent Res 86(2): 125-130. Exclude-NoAE Hattori, K., A. Yamamoto, et al. (2003). "[Effects of administration of bifidobacteria on fecal microflora and clinical symptoms in infants with atopic dermatitis]." Arerugi 52(1): 20-30. Exclude-NoAE (Foreign Language) Hawrelak, J. (2002). "Prebiotics: what are they and how safe?" Journal of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society 8(4): 151-155. Exclude-Intervention Hawrelak, J. A., D. L. Whitten, et al. (2005). "Is Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG effective in preventing the onset of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea: a systematic review." Digestion 72(1): 51-56. Exclude-NoAE Hayatsu, H. and T. Hayatsu (1993). "Suppressing effect of Lactobacillus casei administration on the urinary mutagenicity arising from ingestion of fried ground beef in the human." Cancer Lett 73(2-3): 173-179. Exclude-NoAE D-30 He, Y. (1990). "The efficacy of Bifidobacterium on adult diarrhea." Chinese Journal of Microecology 2(3): 10. Exclude-NoAE (Chinese) Heath, C. H., A. Jaksic, et al. (2000). "Disseminated Saccharomyces cerevisiae infection following polymicrobial hepatobiliary sepsis." Aust N Z J Med 30(4): 521-522. Exclude-Design Heilpern, D. and A. Szilagyi (2008). "Manipulation of intestinal microbial flora for therapeutic benefit in inflammatory bowel diseases: review of clinical trials of probiotics, pre-biotics and synbiotics." Rev Recent Clin Trials 3(3): 167-184. Exclude-NoAE Heimbach, J. (2004). "European Food Safety Authority Scientific Colluquium on Micro organisms in Food and Feed Qualified Presumption of Safety - QPS." Exclude-Participants Helin, T., S. Haahtela, et al. (2002). "No effect of oral treatment with an intestinal bacterial strain, Lactobacillus rhamnosus (ATCC 53103), on birch-pollen allergy: a placebo-controlled double-blind study." Allergy 57(3): 243-246. Exclude-Rec NoAE Henker, J., B. Blokhin, et al. (2008). "Acute diarrhoea in infants and small children. Successful adjuvant therapy with the probiotic Mutaflor." Padiatrische Praxis 71(4): 605-610. Exclude-Rec Genus (Foreign Language) Henker, J., M. Laass, et al. (2007). "The probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) stops acute diarrhoea in infants and toddlers." Eur J Pediatr 166(4): 311-318. Exclude-Genus Henker, J., M. W. Laass, et al. (2008). "Probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 versus placebo for treating diarrhea of greater than 4 days duration in infants and toddlers." Pediatr Infect Dis J 27(6): 494-499. Exclude-Genus Henker, J., S. Muller, et al. (2008). "Probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) for successful remission maintenance of ulcerative colitis in children and adolescents: an open-label pilot study." Z Gastroenterol 46(9): 874-875. Exclude-Genus Henker, J., F. Schuster, et al. (2001). "Successful treatment of gut-caused halitosis with a suspension of living non-pathogenic Escherichia coli bacteria--a case report." Eur J Pediatr 160(10): 592-594. Exclude-NoAE Hennequin, C., A. Thierry, et al. (2001). "Microsatellite typing as a new tool for identification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains." J Clin Microbiol 39(2): 551-559. Exclude-Participants Henriksson, R., L. Franzen, et al. (1991). "Prevention of irradiation-induced bowel discomfort by sucralfate: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study when treating localized pelvic cancer." Am J Med 91(2A): 151S-157S. Exclude-Intervention Henriksson, R., L. Franzen, et al. (1995). "Effects of active addition of bacterial cultures in fermented milk to patients with chronic bowel discomfort following irradiation." Support Care Cancer 3(1): 81-83. Exclude-NoAE Hepner, G., R. Fried, et al. (1979). "Hypocholesterolemic effect of yogurt and milk." Am J Clin Nutr 32(1): 19-24. Exclude-NoAE Herek, O., I. G. Kara, et al. (2004). "Effects of antibiotics and Saccharomyces boulardii on bacterial translocation in burn injury." Surg Today 34(3): 256-260. Exclude-Participants D-31 Hernando-Harder, A. C., R. von Bunau, et al. (2008). "Influence of E. coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) on intestinal gas dynamics and abdominal sensation." Dig Dis Sci 53(2): 443-450. Exclude-Genus Hertzler, S. R. and S. M. Clancy (2003). "Kefir improves lactose digestion and tolerance in adults with lactose maldigestion." J Am Diet Assoc 103(5): 582-587. Exclude-Genus Heydarian, F., H. R. Kianifar, et al. (2010). "A comparison between traditional yogurt and probiotic yogurt in non-inflammatory acute gastroenteritis." Saudi Med J 31(3): 280-283. Exclude-NoAE Hiatt, N. and N. E. Warner (1967). "Influence of intestinal content on radiation lesions of the small intestine." Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 124(3): 937-939. Exclude-Participants Hickson, M., N. Muthu, et al. (2008). "Use of probiotic lactobacillus preparation to prevent antibiotic induced diarrhoea." Journal of Orthopaedic Nursing 12(3-4): 133-134. ExcludeDuplicate 4246 Hill, L. R., V. B. D. Skerman, et al. (1984). "Corrignenda to the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names." Int J. Syst. Bacteriol. 34: 508-511. Exclude-NoAE Hillier, S., H. Wiesenfeld, et al. (2002). "A trial of intravaginal Lactobacillus crispatus as an adjunct to metronidazole therapy form treatment of bacterial vaginosis." Infectious Disease Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology Annual Meeting and Research Symposium. Exclude-Rec NoAE Hilton, E., H. D. Isenberg, et al. (1992). "Ingestion of yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus as prophylaxis for candidal vaginitis." Ann Intern Med 116(5): 353-357. ExcludeNoAE Hilton, E., P. Rindos, et al. (1995). "Lactobacillus GG vaginal suppositories and vaginitis." J Clin Microbiol 33(5): 1433. Exclude-NoAE Hinze, J. and T. Mahan (2000). "Probiotics and their effect on leaky gut syndrome and associated diseases." International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding 4(5): 349-350. Exclude-NoAE Hlivak, P., J. Odraska, et al. (2005). "One-year application of probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium M-74 decreases serum cholesterol levels." Bratisl Lek Listy 106(2): 67-72. ExcludeNoAE Hochter, W. (1989). "Ein wirksames Mittel gegen die akute Erwachsenendiarrho." Expertenrunde Darmerkrankungen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen1.-5.3.89, Munch Med Wschr (Beilage 81) 131: 2-3. Exclude-Duplicate 12996 Hong, H. A., J. M. Huang, et al. (2008). "The safety of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus indicus as food probiotics." J Appl Microbiol 105(2): 510-520. Exclude-Participants Horeau, J., G. Nicolas, et al. (1969). "[Apropos of a case of endocarditis due to a lactobacillus]." Ann Med Interne (Paris) 120(2): 125-129. Exclude-Intervention (French) Horvath, B., F. Hadarits, et al. (2004). "Probiotic vaginal treatment efficacy study." Magyar Noorvosok Lapja 67(2): 85-91. Exclude-Rec NoAE (Hungarian) Horwitch, C. A., H. A. Furseth, et al. (1995). "Lactobacillemia in three patients with AIDS." Clin Infect Dis 21(6): 1460-1462. Exclude-Intervention D-32 Hosoda, M., H. Hashimoto, et al. (1996). "Effect of administration of milk fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-2 on fecal mutagenicity and microflora in the human intestine." J Dairy Sci 79(5): 745-749. Exclude-NoAE Hotta, M., Y. Sato, et al. (1987). "Clinical effects of Bifidobacterium preparations on pediatric intractable diarrhea." Keio J Med 36(3): 298-314. Exclude-NoAE Hotten P, M. F., Naito Y, Minelli E, Helmy A, Lighthouse J, Fuji H, Fesce E (2003). "Effects of probiotics, lactitol and rifaximin on intestinal flora and fecal excretion of organic acids in cirrhotic patients." Chinese Journal of Digestive Diseases 4(1): 13-18. Exclude-NoAE Houck, P. W., J. D. Nelson, et al. (1972). "Fatal septicemia due to Staphylococcus aureus 502A. Report of a case and review of the infectious complications of bacterial interference programs." Am J Dis Child 123(1): 45-48. Exclude-Genus Hove, H., I. Nordgaard-Andersen, et al. (1994). "Effect of lactic acid bacteria on the intestinal production of lactate and short-chain fatty acids, and the absorption of lactose." Am J Clin Nutr 59(1): 74-79. Exclude-NoAE Hoveyda, N., C. Heneghan, et al. (2009). "A systematic review and meta-analysis: probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (Structured abstract)." BMC gastroenterology(15). Exclude-Duplicate 5694 Howard, J. C., G. Reid, et al. (2004). "Probiotics in surgical wound infections: current status." Clin Invest Med 27(5): 274-281. Exclude-Participants Hoyme, U. B. and E. Saling (2004). "Efficient prematurity prevention is possible by pH-self measurement and immediate therapy of threatening ascending infection." Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 115(2): 148-153. Exclude-Intervention Huang, J. S., A. Bousvaros, et al. (2002). "Efficacy of probiotic use in acute diarrhea in children: a meta-analysis." Dig Dis Sci 47(11): 2625-2634. Exclude-NoAE Huertas-Ceballos, A., S. Logan, et al. (2008). "Dietary interventions for recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in childhood." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(1): CD003019. Exclude-NoAE Hughes, V. L. and S. L. Hillier (1990). "Microbiologic characteristics of Lactobacillus products used for colonization of the vagina." Obstet Gynecol 75(2): 244-248. Exclude-Participants Huntley, A. L. (2003). "Four-year follow-up shows continued benefit of perinatal Lactobacillus for childhood atopic disease." Focus on Alternative & Complementary Therapies 8(4): 425-426. Exclude-Participants Huntley, A. L. and K. W. Martin (2002). "Probiotics show promise for prevention and treatment of diarrhoea." Focus on Alternative & Complementary Therapies 7(4): 358-359. Exclude-Design Hurduc, V., D. Plesca, et al. (2009). "A randomized, open trial evaluating the effect of Saccharomyces boulardii on the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori infection in children." Acta Paediatr 98(1): 127-131. Exclude-NoAE Husni, R. N., S. M. Gordon, et al. (1997). "Lactobacillus bacteremia and endocarditis: review of 45 cases." Clin Infect Dis 25(5): 1048-1055. Exclude-Intervention D-33 Huurre, A., K. Laitinen, et al. (2008). "Impact of maternal atopy and probiotic supplementation during pregnancy on infant sensitization: a double-blind placebo-controlled study." Clin Exp Allergy 38(8): 1342-1348. Exclude-NoAE Iakushenko, M. N., M. Tkhagapsoeva Zh, et al. (1997). "[The regulation of microecological disorders of the intestines in newborn infants with perinatal pathology using the new probiotic bifidumbacterin-forte]." Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol(6): 18-22. Exclude-NoAE (Russian) Idigoras, P., A. Valiente, et al. (2001). "Meningitis due to Streptococcus salivarius." J Clin Microbiol 39(8): 3017. Exclude-Intervention Ihde, D. C. and D. Armstrong (1973). "Clinical spectrum of infection due to Bacillus species." Am J Med 55(6): 839-845. Exclude-Genus Imase, K., M. Takahashi, et al. (2008). "Efficacy of Clostridium butyricum preparation concomitantly with Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in relation to changes in the intestinal microbiota." Microbiol Immunol 52(3): 156-161. Exclude-Genus Imase, K., A. Tanaka, et al. (2007). "Lactobacillus reuteri tablets suppress Helicobacter pylori infection--a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled cross-over clinical study." Kansenshogaku Zasshi 81(4): 387-393. Exclude-NoAE Indrio, F., G. Ladisa, et al. (2007). "Effect of a fermented formula on thymus size and stool pH in healthy term infants." Pediatr Res 62(1): 98-100. Exclude-NoAE Indrio, F., G. Riezzo, et al. (2009). "Prebiotics improve gastric motility and gastric electrical activity in preterm newborns." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 49(2): 258-261. Exclude-Genus Infante Pina, D., S. Redecillas Ferreiro, et al. (2008). "[Improvement of intestinal function in cystic fibrosis patients using probiotics]." An Pediatr (Barc) 69(6): 501-505. Exclude-NoAE Iovieno, A., A. Lambiase, et al. (2008). "Preliminary evidence of the efficacy of probiotic eyedrop treatment in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis." Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 246(3): 435-441. Exclude-Genus Ipson, M. A. and C. L. Blanco (2001). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae sepsis in a 35-week-old premature infant. A case report." J Perinatol 21(7): 459-460. Exclude-Design Ishida, Y., F. Nakamura, et al. (2005). "Clinical effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain L-92 on perennial allergic rhinitis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study." J Dairy Sci 88(2): 527 533. Exclude-NoAE Ishida, Y., F. Nakamura, et al. (2005). "Effect of milk fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus strain L-92 on symptoms of Japanese cedar pollen allergy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial." Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 69(9): 1652-1660. Exclude-NoAE Isobe, H., T. Fukai, et al. (1990). "Liver abscess complicating intratumoral ethanol injection therapy for HCC." Am J Gastroenterol 85(12): 1646-1648. Exclude-Intervention Isolauri, E. (2001). "Probiotics in human disease." Am J Clin Nutr 73(6): 1142S-1146S. Exclude-NoAE Isolauri, E., T. Arvola, et al. (2000). "Probiotics in the management of atopic eczema." Clin Exp Allergy 30(11): 1604-1610. Exclude-NoAE D-34 Isolauri, E., M. Kaila, et al. (1994). "Oral bacteriotherapy for viral gastroenteritis." Dig Dis Sci 39(12): 2595-2600. Exclude-NoAE Isolauri, E., M. Kalliomaki, et al. (2009). "Obesity - extending the hygiene hypothesis." Nestle Nutr Workshop Ser Pediatr Program 64: 75-85; discussion 85-79, 251-257. Exclude-Design Isolauri, E., H. Majamaa, et al. (1993). "Lactobacillus casei strain GG reverses increased intestinal permeability induced by cow milk in suckling rats." Gastroenterology 105(6): 1643 1650. Exclude-Participants Isolauri, E., Y. Sutas, et al. (2001). "Probiotics: effects on immunity." Am J Clin Nutr 73(2 Suppl): 444S-450S. Exclude-NoAE Ivory, K., S. J. Chambers, et al. (2008). "Oral delivery of Lactobacillus casei Shirota modifies allergen-induced immune responses in allergic rhinitis." Clin Exp Allergy 38(8): 1282-1289. Exclude-NoAE Iwabuchi, N., N. Takahashi, et al. (2009). "Suppressive effects of Bifidobacterium longum on the production of Th2-attracting chemokines induced with T cell-antigen-presenting cell interactions." FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 55(3): 324-334. Exclude-Participants Iwamoto, T., N. Suzuki, et al. (2010). "Effects of probiotic Lactobacillus salivarius WB21 on halitosis and oral health: an open-label pilot trial." Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 110(2): 201-208. Exclude-NoAE Jaafari, A., F. Tahbaz, et al. (2005). "Comparison of the effect of a probiotic yoghurt and ordinary yoghurt on serum cholesterol levels in subjects with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia." Iranian Journal of Diabetes and Lipid Disorders 4(3): E6+E6i-E6vi. Exclude-NoAE (Foreign Language) Jabra-Rizk, M. A., S. M. Ferreira, et al. (2001). "Recovery of Candida dubliniensis and other yeasts from human immunodeficiency virus-associated periodontal lesions." J Clin Microbiol 39(12): 4520-4522. Exclude-Intervention Jaspers, D., L. Massey, et al. (1984). "Effect of consuming yogurts prepared with 3 culture strains on human serum lipoproteins." J Food Sci 49: 1178-1181. Exclude-NoAE Jeun, J., S. Kim, et al. (2010). "Hypocholesterolemic effects of Lactobacillus plantarum KCTC3928 by increased bile acid excretion in C57BL/6 mice." Nutrition 26(3): 321-330. Exclude-Participants Jiang, T., A. Mustapha, et al. (1996). "Improvement of lactose digestion in humans by ingestion of unfermented milk containing Bifidobacterium longum." J Dairy Sci 79(5): 750-757. ExcludeNoAE Jimenez, E., L. Fernandez, et al. (2008). "Oral administration of Lactobacillus strains isolated from breast milk as an alternative for the treatment of infectious mastitis during lactation." Appl Environ Microbiol 74(15): 4650-4655. Exclude-NoAE Johansson, M. L., G. Molin, et al. (1993). "Administration of different Lactobacillus strains in fermented oatmeal soup: in vivo colonization of human intestinal mucosa and effect on the indigenous flora." Appl Environ Microbiol 59(1): 15-20. Exclude-NoAE D-35 Jonkers, D. and R. Stockbrugger (2007). "Review article: Probiotics in gastrointestinal and liver diseases." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 26 Suppl 2: 133-148. Exclude-NoAE Kaila, M., E. Isolauri, et al. (1995). "Viable versus inactivated lactobacillus strain GG in acute rotavirus diarrhoea." Arch Dis Child 72(1): 51-53. Exclude-NoAE Kaila, M., E. Isolauri, et al. (1992). "Enhancement of the circulating antibody secreting cell response in human diarrhea by a human Lactobacillus strain." Pediatr Res 32(2): 141-144. Exclude-NoAE Kajander, K., L. Krogius-Kurikka, et al. (2007). "Effects of multispecies probiotic supplementation on intestinal microbiota in irritable bowel syndrome." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 26(3): 463-473. Exclude-NoAE Kajimoto, O., K. Aihara, et al. (2001). "Hypotensive effects of the tablets containing "lactotripeptides (VPP, IPP)" " J Nutr Food 4: 51-61. Exclude-Intervention Kajimoto, O., K. Aihara, et al. (2001). "Safety evaluation of excessive intake of the tablet containing "lactotripeptides (VPP, IPP) in healthy volunteers." J Nutr Food 4: 37-46. ExcludeIntervention Kalima, P., R. G. Masterton, et al. (1996). "Lactobacillus rhamnosus infection in a child following bone marrow transplant." J Infect 32(2): 165-167. Exclude-Design Kalliomaki, M., P. Kirjavainen, et al. (2001). "Distinct patterns of neonatal gut microflora in infants in whom atopy was and was not developing." J Allergy Clin Immunol 107(1): 129-134. Exclude-Intervention Kalliomaki, M., S. Salminen, et al. (2001). "Prenatal and postnatal administration of Lactobacillus GG reduced the occurence of atopic disease in offspring." Evidence-Based Medicine 6(6): 178. Exclude-Rec NoAE Kalliomaki, M., S. Salminen, et al. (2007). "Probiotics during the first 7 years of life: a cumulative risk reduction of eczema in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial." J Allergy Clin Immunol 119(4): 1019-1021. Exclude-NoAE Kamiya, T., M. Shikano, et al. (2008). "[The efficacy of probiotics in gastrointestinal disease]." Nippon Rinsho 66(7): 1385-1390. Exclude-Rec NoAE (Chinese) Kanamori, U. (2007). "SYNBIOTIC THERAPY: AN IMPORTANT SUPPORTIVE THERAPY FOR PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH SEVERE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS." International journal of probiotics 1(3 ): 161. Exclude-NoAE Kanamori, Y., K. Hashizume, et al. (2001). "Combination therapy with Bifidobacterium breve, Lactobacillus casei, and galactooligosaccharides dramatically improved the intestinal function in a girl with short bowel syndrome: a novel synbiotics therapy for intestinal failure." Dig Dis Sci 46(9): 2010-2016. Exclude-NoAE Kanamori, Y., K. Hashizume, et al. (2002). "A novel synbiotic therapy dramatically improved the intestinal function of a pediatric patient with laryngotracheo-esophageal cleft (LTEC) in the intensive care unit." Clin Nutr 21(6): 527-530. Exclude-NoAE D-36 Kanamori, Y., M. Sugiyama, et al. (2004). "Experience of long-term synbiotic therapy in seven short bowel patients with refractory enterocolitis." J Pediatr Surg 39(11): 1686-1692. ExcludeNoAE Kanauchi, O., K. Mitsuyama, et al. (2003). "Treatment of ulcerative colitis patients by long-term administration of germinated barley foodstuff: multi-center open trial." Int J Mol Med 12(5): 701-704. Exclude-Intervention Kanazawa, H., M. Nagino, et al. (2005). "Synbiotics reduce postoperative infectious complications: a randomized controlled trial in biliary cancer patients undergoing hepatectomy." Langenbecks Arch Surg 390(2): 104-113. Exclude-NoAE Kang, B. (1984). "Report on Probiotics." Journal of Dalian Medical College 6(1): 46. ExcludeParticipants (Chinese) Kang, M. S., B. G. Kim, et al. (2006). "Inhibitory effect of Weissella cibaria isolates on the production of volatile sulphur compounds." J Clin Periodontol 33(3): 226-232. Exclude-NoAE Karakan, T., M. Ergun, et al. (2007). "Comparison of early enteral nutrition in severe acute pancreatitis with prebiotic fiber supplementation versus standard enteral solution: a prospective randomized double-blind study." World J Gastroenterol 13(19): 2733-2737. ExcludeIntervention Karlsson, C., S. Ahrne, et al. (2010). "Probiotic therapy to men with incipient arteriosclerosis initiates increased bacterial diversity in colon: a randomized controlled trial." Atherosclerosis 208(1): 228-233. Exclude-NoAE Kastner, S., V. Perreten, et al. (2006). "Antibiotic susceptibility patterns and resistance genes of starter cultures and probiotic bacteria used in food." Syst Appl Microbiol 29(2): 145-155. Exclude-Participants Katamura, K., N. Shintaku, et al. (1995). "Prostaglandin E2 at priming of naive CD4+ T cells inhibits acquisition of ability to produce IFN-gamma and IL-2, but not IL-4 and IL-5." J Immunol 155(10): 4604-4612. Exclude-Participants Katan, M. B. (2008). "[The probiotic yogurt Activia shortens intestinal transit, but has not been shown to promote defecation]." Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 152(13): 727-730. Exclude-Rec Design (German) Kato, I., T. Yokokura, et al. (1984). "Augmentation of mouse natural killer cell activity by Lactobacillus casei and its surface antigens." Microbiol Immunol 28(2): 209-217. ExcludeParticipants Kaur, S., T. Kullisaar, et al. (2008). "Successful management of mild atopic dermatitis in adults with probiotics and emollients." European Journal of Medicine 3(2): 215-220. Exclude-NoAE Kawase, M., H. Hashimoto, et al. (2000). "Effect of administration of fermented milk containing whey protein concentrate to rats and healthy men on serum lipids and blood pressure." J Dairy Sci 83(2): 255-263. Exclude-NoAE Kawase, M., F. He, et al. (2009). "Effect of fermented milk prepared with two probiotic strains on Japanese cedar pollinosis in a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study." Int J Food Microbiol 128(3): 429-434. Exclude-NoAE D-37 Kecskes, G., T. Belagyi, et al. (2003). "[Early jejunal nutrition with combined pre- and probiotics in acute pancreatitis--prospective, randomized, double-blind investigations]." Magy Seb 56(1): 3-8. Exclude-Rec NoAE (Hungarian) Keegan, B., Y. P. Chan, et al. (2006). "An interdisciplinary approach including probiotic in the reduction of Clostridium difficile infection on an acute geriatric ward British Geriatrics Society: Abstracts of papers presented at the Spring Scientific Meeting, 6-7 April 2006." Age & Ageing 35: Supplement 3: i12. Exclude-NoAE Kekkonen, R. A., N. Lummela, et al. (2008). "Probiotic intervention has strain-specific antiinflammatory effects in healthy adults." World J Gastroenterol 14(13): 2029-2036. ExcludeNoAE Kekkonen, R. A., M. Sysi-Aho, et al. (2008). "Effect of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG intervention on global serum lipidomic profiles in healthy adults." World J Gastroenterol 14(20): 3188-3194. Exclude-NoAE Kekkonen, R. A., T. J. Vasankari, et al. (2007). "The effect of probiotics on respiratory infections and gastrointestinal symptoms during training in marathon runners." Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 17(4): 352-363. Exclude-Rec NoAE Kelly, G. S. (1999). "Nutritional and botanical interventions to assist with the adaptation to stress." Altern Med Rev 4(4): 249-265. Exclude-Intervention Kennedy, R. J., S. J. Kirk, et al. (2002). "Mucosal barrier function and the commensal flora." Gut 50(3): 441-442. Exclude-Rec NoAE Khanna, V., S. Alam, et al. (2005). "Efficacy of tyndalized Lactobacillus acidophilus in acute diarrhea." Indian J Pediatr 72(11): 935-938. Exclude-Rec NoAE Kiessling, G., J. Schneider, et al. (2002). "Long-term consumption of fermented dairy products over 6 months increases HDL cholesterol." Eur J Clin Nutr 56(9): 843-849. Exclude-NoAE Kim, H., K. Kwack, et al. (2005). "Oral probiotic bacterial administration suppressed allergic responses in an ovalbumin-induced allergy mouse model." FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 45(2): 259-267. Exclude-Participants Kim, H., S. Y. Lee, et al. (2005). "Timing of bifidobacterium administration influences the development of allergy to ovalbumin in mice." Biotechnol Lett 27(18): 1361-1367. ExcludeParticipants Kim, H. S. and S. E. Gilliland (1983). "Lactobacillus acidophilus as a dietary adjunct for milk to aid lactose digestion in humans." J Dairy Sci 66(5): 959-966. Exclude-NoAE Kim, S. H., H. Lee da, et al. (2007). "Supplementation of baby formula with native inulin has a prebiotic effect in formula-fed babies." Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 16(1): 172-177. ExcludeIntervention Kim, S. H., S. J. Yang, et al. (2001). "Inhibitory activity of Bifidobacterium longum HY8001 against Vero cytotoxin of Escherichia coli O157:H7." J Food Prot 64(11): 1667-1673. ExcludeParticipants Kimmey, M. B., G. W. Elmer, et al. (1990). "Prevention of further recurrences of Clostridium difficile colitis with Saccharomyces boulardii." Dig Dis Sci 35(7): 897-901. Exclude-NoAE D-38 Kirjavainen, P. V., E. Apostolou, et al. (2001). "Characterizing the composition of intestinal microflora as a prospective treatment target in infant allergic disease." FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 32(1): 1-7. Exclude-Intervention Kirpich, I. A., N. V. Solovieva, et al. (2008). "Probiotics restore bowel flora and improve liver enzymes in human alcohol-induced liver injury: a pilot study." Alcohol 42(8): 675-682. ExcludeNoAE Klein, A., U. Friedrich, et al. (2008). "Lactobacillus acidophilus 74-2 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp lactis DGCC 420 modulate unspecific cellular immune response in healthy adults." Eur J Clin Nutr 62(5): 584-593. Exclude-NoAE Klein, N., P. Schoch, et al. (1991). "Lactobacillus acidophilus liver abscess." Infectious Diseases Newsletter 10: 101-102. Exclude-Intervention Klein, V., C. Bonaparte, et al. (1992). "Lactobazillen als Starterkulturen fur die Milchwirtschaft unter dem Gesichtspunkt der Sicheren Biotechnologie." Milchwissenschaft 47: 632-636. Exclude-Rec Intervention Kliegman, R. and R. Willoughby (2005). "Prevention of Necrotizing Enterocolitis With Probiotics." Pediatrics 115-172: 171. Exclude-Duplicate 2956 Kliegman, R. M. (2005). "Oral probiotics reduce the incidence and severity of necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants." J Pediatr 146(5): 710. Exclude-NoAE Kloster Smerrud, H., C. Ramstak Kleiveland, et al. (2008). "Effect of a probiotic milk product on gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in children attending day-care." Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 20(2): 80-85. Exclude-NoAE Kluytmans, J. (1998). "Reduction of surgical site infections in major surgery by elimination of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus." J Hosp Infect 40 Suppl B: S25-29. ExcludeIntervention Knight, D. J. (2003). "Immunonutrition: increased mortality is associated with immunonutrition in sepsis." BMJ 327(7416): 682-683; author reply 683. Exclude-Design Knight, D. J., D. Gardiner, et al. (2009). "Effect of synbiotic therapy on the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia in critically ill patients: a randomised, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial." Intensive Care Med 35(5): 854-861. Exclude-Duplicates 5110 Kocourkova, I., R. Ladnikova, et al. (2007). "Effect of oral application of a probiotic E. coli strain on the intestinal microflora of children of allergic mothers during the first year of life." Folia Microbiol (Praha) 52(2): 189-193. Exclude-NoAE Kok, R. G., A. de Waal, et al. (1996). "Specific detection and analysis of a probiotic Bifidobacterium strain in infant feces." Appl Environ Microbiol 62(10): 3668-3672. ExcludeNoAE Kolars, J. C., M. D. Levitt, et al. (1984). "Yogurt--an autodigesting source of lactose." N Engl J Med 310(1): 1-3. Exclude-NoAE Koletzko, S. (2004). "Does lactobacillus GG lower the risk of atopic eczema?" Tagliche Praxis 45(3): 661-662. Exclude-NoAE (Foreign Language) D-39 Kollaritsch, H. (1989). "Prophylaxe der Reisediarrhomit Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hansen CBS 5929." Munch Med Wschr, Beilage 81 (Expertenrunde Darmerkrankungen, Garmisch Partenkirchen1.-5.3.89 131: 5-6. Exclude-Duplicate 13031 Koretz, R. L. (2009). "Invited review: Probiotics, critical illness, and methodologic bias." Nutrition in Clinical Practice 24(1): 45-49. Exclude-NoAE Korschunov, V. M., V. V. Smeianov, et al. (1996). "Therapeutic use of an antibiotic-resistant Bifidobacterium preparation in men exposed to high-dose gamma-irradiation." J Med Microbiol 44(1): 70-74. Exclude-NoAE Kotz, C. M., J. K. Furne, et al. (1994). "Factors affecting the ability of a high beta-galactosidase yogurt to enhance lactose absorption." J Dairy Sci 77(12): 3538-3544. Exclude-NoAE Koutelidakis, I. M., E. Bezirtzoglou, et al. (2010). "Impact of synbiotics on the intestinal flora of critically ill patients with multiple injuries." Int J Antimicrob Agents 36(1): 90-91. ExcludeNoAE Kralovicova, K., S. Spanik, et al. (1997). "Fungemia in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy versus surgery: risk factors, etiology and outcome." Scand J Infect Dis 29(3): 301-304. ExcludeIntervention Krause, W., H. Matheis, et al. (1969). "Fungaemia and funguria after oral administration of Candida albicans." Lancet 1(7595): 598-599. Exclude-Genus Krauss-Silva, L., M. E. Moreira, et al. (2010). "Randomized controlled trial of probiotics for the prevention of spontaneous preterm delivery associated with intrauterine infection: study protocol." Reprod Health 7: 14. Exclude-NoAE Krogh, P., P. Holmstrup, et al. (1986). "Yeast organisms associated with human oral leukoplakia." Acta Derm Venereol Suppl (Stockh) 121: 51-55. Exclude-Intervention Kroon, F. P., J. T. van Dissel, et al. (1994). "Antibody response to influenza, tetanus and pneumococcal vaccines in HIV-seropositive individuals in relation to the number of CD4+ lymphocytes." AIDS 8(4): 469-476. Exclude-Intervention Kroon, F. P., J. T. van Dissel, et al. (1995). "Antibody response to diphtheria, tetanus, and poliomyelitis vaccines in relation to the number of CD4+ T lymphocytes in adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus." Clin Infect Dis 21(5): 1197-1203. Exclude-Intervention Kruis, W., P. Fric, et al. (2004). "Maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis with the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 is as effective as with standard mesalazine." Gut 53(11): 1617 1623. Exclude-Genus Kruis, W., E. Schutz, et al. (1997). "Double-blind comparison of an oral Escherichia coli preparation and mesalazine in maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 11(5): 853-858. Exclude-Genus Ksiazyk (2002). "Probiotics and prebiotics in carcinogenesis." 4(1): 61-62. Exclude-Design (Polish) Kubota, A., F. He, et al. (2010). "Diversity of Intestinal Bifidobacteria in Patients with Japanese Cedar Pollinosis and Possible Influence of Probiotic Intervention." Curr Microbiol. ExcludeNoAE D-40 Kubota, A., F. He, et al. (2009). "Lactobacillus strains stabilize intestinal microbiota in Japanese cedar pollinosis patients." Microbiol Immunol 53(4): 198-205. Exclude-NoAE Kubota, A., H. Kawahara, et al. (2007). "The efficacy of synbiotics on chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction syndrome in children." J Parenter Ent Nutr 31: S63-64. Exclude-NoAE Kuhbacher, T., S. J. Ott, et al. (2006). "Bacterial and fungal microbiota in relation to probiotic therapy (VSL#3) in pouchitis." Gut 55(6): 833-841. Exclude-NoAE Kuitunen, M. (2007). "Probiotics And Intestinal Permeability In Infants With Cow’s Milk Allergy And Eczema " International journal of probiotics 2(4): 239-244. Exclude-NoAE Kuitunen, M. (2009). "Probiotics prevent allergic diseases in high-risk children." Expert Rev Clin Immunol 5(3): 221-224. Exclude-NoAE Kuitunen, M., K. Kukkonen, et al. (2009). "Probiotics prevent IgE-associated allergy until age 5 years in cesarean-delivered children but not in the total cohort." J Allergy Clin Immunol 123(2): 335-341. Exclude-Rec NoAE Kukkonen, K., M. Kuitunen, et al. (2010). "High intestinal IgA associates with reduced risk of IgE-associated allergic diseases." Pediatr Allergy Immunol 21(1 Pt 1): 67-73. Exclude-NoAE Kullisaar, T., E. Songisepp, et al. (2003). "Antioxidative probiotic fermented goats' milk decreases oxidative stress-mediated atherogenicity in human subjects." Br J Nutr 90(2): 449-456. Exclude-NoAE Kyne, L., S. Sougioultzis, et al. (2002). "Underlying disease severity as a major risk factor for nosocomial Clostridium difficile diarrhea." Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 23(11): 653-659. Exclude-Intervention Laake, K. O., A. Bjorneklett, et al. (2005). "Outcome of four weeks' intervention with probiotics on symptoms and endoscopic appearance after surgical reconstruction with a J-configurated ileal-pouch-anal-anastomosis in ulcerative colitis." Scand J Gastroenterol 40(1): 43-51. ExcludeNoAE Ladenheim, D., O. Horn, et al. (2008). "Potential health risks of complementary alternative medicines in HIV patients." HIV Medicine 9(8): 653-659. Exclude-Design Lahtinen, S. J., R. J. Boyle, et al. (2009). "Prenatal probiotic administration can influence Bifidobacterium microbiota development in infants at high risk of allergy." J Allergy Clin Immunol 123(2): 499-501. Exclude-NoAE Laitinen, K., T. Poussa, et al. (2009). "Probiotics and dietary counselling contribute to glucose regulation during and after pregnancy: a randomised controlled trial." Br J Nutr 101(11): 1679 1687. Exclude-Duplicate 5127 Lanco, S., M. Guillot, et al. (1997). "[Severe systemic infections with Bacillus cereus: current aspects of the pathogenicity of the genus Bacillus]." Arch Pediatr 4(11): 1144-1145. ExcludeRec Intervention (French) Lara-Villoslada, F., S. Sierra, et al. (2009). "Safety Assessment of Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716, a probiotic strain isolated from human milk." J Dairy Res 76(2): 216-221. ExcludeParticipants D-41 Larkin, T. A., L. B. Astheimer, et al. (2009). "Dietary combination of soy with a probiotic or prebiotic food significantly reduces total and LDL cholesterol in mildly hypercholesterolaemic subjects." Eur J Clin Nutr 63(2): 238-245. Exclude-NoAE Larkin, T. A., W. E. Price, et al. (2007). "Increased probiotic yogurt or resistant starch intake does not affect isoflavone bioavailability in subjects consuming a high soy diet." Nutrition 23(10): 709-718. Exclude-NoAE Larvol, L., A. Monier, et al. (1996). "[Liver abscess caused by Lactobacillus acidophilus]." Gastroenterol Clin Biol 20(2): 193-195. Exclude-Intervention (French) Lata, J., J. Jurankova, et al. (2006). "[Effect of administration of Escherichia coli Nissle (Mutaflor) on intestinal colonisation, endo-toxemia, liver function and minimal hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis]." Vnitr Lek 52(3): 215-219. Exclude-Genus (Czech) Lata, J., I. Novotny, et al. (2007). "The effect of probiotics on gut flora, level of endotoxin and Child-Pugh score in cirrhotic patients: results of a double-blind randomized study." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 19(12): 1111-1113. Exclude-Intervention Lata, J., V. Pribramska, et al. (2006). "Bowel premeability, endotoxin level and bacterial flora changes in patients suffering from liver cirrhosis after Escherichia Coli Nissle (Mutaflor) administration." Ceska a Slovenska, Gasatoenterologie a Hepatologie 60(2): 70-72. ExcludeGenus Lata, J. and O. Stiburek (2010). "[Antibiotics and probiotics in acute pancreatitis]." Vnitr Lek 56(6): 582-584. Exclude-Design Laviano, A., M. Pennacchiotti, et al. (2004). "Reduced need for parenteral nutrition in intensive care unit by enteral nutrition supplemented with probiotic " Clin Nutr 23: S1466. Exclude-NoAE Le, M. G., L. H. Moulton, et al. (1986). "Consumption of dairy produce and alcohol in a casecontrol study of breast cancer." J Natl Cancer Inst 77(3): 633-636. Exclude-Rec NoAE Lee do, K., S. Jang, et al. (2009). "Lactic acid bacteria affect serum cholesterol levels, harmful fecal enzyme activity, and fecal water content." Lipids Health Dis 8: 21. Exclude-Participants Lee, H., Y. H. Kim, et al. (2010). "A feasibility study of probiotics pretreatment as a bowel preparation for colonoscopy in constipated patients." Dig Dis Sci 55(8): 2344-2351. ExcludeNoAE Lee, J., D. Seto, et al. (2008). "Meta-analysis of clinical trials of probiotics for prevention and treatment of pediatric atopic dermatitis." J Allergy Clin Immunol 121(1): 116-121 e111. Exclude-NoAE Lee, K., M. Lee, et al. (2008). "Safety assessment of commercial Enterococcus probiotics in Korea." J Microbiol Biotechnol 18(5): 942-945. Exclude-Participants Lee, M. C., L. H. Lin, et al. (2001). "Oral bacterial therapy promotes recovery from acute diarrhea in children." Acta Paediatr Taiwan 42(5): 301-305. Exclude-NoAE Lee, P. and L. V. Campbell (2009). "Vitamin D deficiency: the invisible accomplice of metabolic endotoxemia?" Curr Pharm Des 15(23): 2751-2758. Exclude-Genus D-42 Lee, S., H. S. Lillehoj, et al. (2007). "Effects of Pediococcus- and Saccharomyces-based probiotic (MitoMax) on coccidiosis in broiler chickens." Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 30(4): 261-268. Exclude-Participants Lee, S. J., S. J. Cho, et al. (2007). "Effects of probiotics on enteric flora and feeding tolerance in preterm infants." Neonatology 91(3): 174-179. Exclude-Rec NoAE Lee, S. J., Y. H. Shim, et al. (2007). "Probiotics prophylaxis in children with persistent primary vesicoureteral reflux." Pediatr Nephrol 22(9): 1315-1320. Exclude-NoAE Lee, S. Y., C. T. Chang, et al. (2004). "Lactobacillus peritonitis: a rare cause of peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis patients." Ren Fail 26(4): 419-423. Exclude-Intervention Lee, T. T., M. Morisset, et al. (2007). "Contamination of probiotic preparations with milk allergens can cause anaphylaxis in children with cow's milk allergy." J Allergy Clin Immunol 119(3): 746-747. Exclude-Rec Intervention Lei, V., H. Friis, et al. (2006). "Spontaneously fermented millet product as a natural probiotic treatment for diarrhoea in young children: an intervention study in Northern Ghana." Int J Food Microbiol 110(3): 246-253. Exclude-NoAE Leonard, F., A. Andremont, et al. (1989). "Use of beta-lactamase-producing anaerobes to prevent ceftriaxone from degrading intestinal resistance to colonization." J Infect Dis 160(2): 274-280. Exclude-Intervention Lerebours, E., C. N'Djitoyap Ndam, et al. (1989). "Yogurt and fermented-then-pasteurized milk: effects of short-term and long-term ingestion on lactose absorption and mucosal lactase activity in lactase-deficient subjects." Am J Clin Nutr 49(5): 823-827. Exclude-Rec Intervention Lessard, M., M. Dupuis, et al. (2009). "Administration of Pediococcus acidilactici or Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii modulates development of porcine mucosal immunity and reduces intestinal bacterial translocation after Escherichia coli challenge." J Anim Sci 87(3): 922-934. Exclude-Participants Lestin, F. (2003). "Fungemia after oral treatment with Saccharomyces boulardii in a patient with multiple co-morbidities." Exclude-Duplicate 2017 Lewis, S. (2007). "Response to the article: McFarland LV. Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and the treatment of Clostridium difficile disease. Am J Gastroenterol 2006; 101:812-22." Am J Gastroenterol 102(1): 201-202. Exclude-NoAE Lewis, S., S. Burmeister, et al. (2005). "Effect of the prebiotic oligofructose on relapse of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea: a randomized, controlled study." Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 3(5): 442-448. Exclude-Genus Lewis, S. J. and S. Burmeister (2005). "A double-blind placebo-controlled study of the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus on plasma lipids." Eur J Clin Nutr 59(6): 776-780. Exclude-NoAE Leyer, G. J., S. Li, et al. (2009). "A critical review of probiotic effects on cold and influenza-like symptom incidence and duration in children." Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 16(3): e441-e442. Exclude-Design D-43 Li, L. Q., B. Wu, et al. (2006). "[Role of probiotics in the prevention of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis: A case-control study]." Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi 8(6): 464-466. ExcludeRec NoAE (Chinese) Li, X. (1995). "Controlled clinical trial of Lacteol fort sachets versus furazolidone or berberine in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children." Ann Pediatr 42: 366-401. Exclude-Rec NoAE Li, Y. (2007). "Adjuvant therapy for probiotics in patients with severe acute pancreatitis: An analysis of 14 cases." World Chinese Journal of Digestology 15(3): 302-304. Exclude-Rec NoAE (Chinese) Li, Z. H., M. Dong, et al. (2008). "Functional constipation in children: investigation and management of anorectal motility." World J Pediatr 4(1): 45-48. Exclude-NoAE Lichtenstein, A. H., E. A. Yetley, et al. (2008). "Application of systematic review methodology to the field of nutrition." J Nutr 138(12): 2297-2306. Exclude-NoAE Lidbeck, A., C. Edlund, et al. (1988). "Impact of Lactobacillus acidophilus on the normal intestinal microflora after administration of two antimicrobial agents." Infection 16(6): 329-336. Exclude-NoAE Lidbeck, A., J. A. Gustafsson, et al. (1987). "Impact of Lactobacillus acidophilus supplements on the human oropharyngeal and intestinal microflora." Scand J Infect Dis 19(5): 531-537. ExcludeNoAE Lidbeck, A., C. E. Nord, et al. (1992). "Lactobacilli, anticarcinogenic activities and human intestinal microflora." Eur J Cancer Prev 1(5): 341-353. Exclude-NoAE Lievin-Le Moal, V., L. E. Sarrazin-Davila, et al. (2007). "An experimental study and a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the antisecretory activity of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain LB against nonrotavirus diarrhea." Pediatrics 120(4): e795 803. Exclude-NoAE Lim, K. S., C. S. Huh, et al. (1993). "Antimicrobial susceptibility of bifidobacteria." J Dairy Sci 76(8): 2168-2174. Exclude-Participants Lin, J. S., Y. H. Chiu, et al. (2009). "Different effects of probiotic species/strains on infections in preschool children: A double-blind, randomized, controlled study." Vaccine 27(7): 1073-1079. Exclude-NoAE Lin, M. Y., D. Savaiano, et al. (1991). "Influence of nonfermented dairy products containing bacterial starter cultures on lactose maldigestion in humans." J Dairy Sci 74(1): 87-95. ExcludeNoAE Lin, M. Y., C. L. Yen, et al. (1998). "Management of lactose maldigestion by consuming milk containing lactobacilli." Dig Dis Sci 43(1): 133-137. Exclude-NoAE Lindh, J. (2010). "[Possible interaction between probiotics and warfarin]." Lakartidningen 107(13-14): 917. Exclude-Design Ling, W. H., O. Hanninen, et al. (1992). "Colonization and fecal enzyme activities after oral Lactobacillus GG administration in elderly nursing home residents." Ann Nutr Metab 36(3): 162 166. Exclude-NoAE D-44 Ling, W. H., R. Korpela, et al. (1994). "Lactobacillus strain GG supplementation decreases colonic hydrolytic and reductive enzyme activities in healthy female adults." J Nutr 124(1): 18 23. Exclude-NoAE Link-Amster, H., F. Rochat, et al. (1994). "Modulation of a specific humoral immune response and changes in intestinal flora mediated through fermented milk intake." FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 10(1): 55-63. Exclude-NoAE Linsalata, M., F. Russo, et al. (2004). "The influence of Lactobacillus brevis on ornithine decarboxylase activity and polyamine profiles in Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric mucosa." Helicobacter 9(2): 165-172. Exclude-NoAE Liu, Q., Z. P. Duan, et al. (2004). "Synbiotic modulation of gut flora: effect on minimal hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis." Hepatology 39(5): 1441-1449. Exclude-NoAE Lodi, C. S., M. M. Manarelli, et al. (2010). "Evaluation of fermented milk containing probiotic on dental enamel and biofilm: in situ study." Arch Oral Biol 55(1): 29-33. Exclude-NoAE Lodinova-Zadnikova, R., B. Cukrowska, et al. (2003). "Oral administration of probiotic Escherichia coli after birth reduces frequency of allergies and repeated infections later in life (after 10 and 20 years)." Int Arch Allergy Immunol 131(3): 209-211. Exclude-Genus Lodinova-Zadnikova, R., L. Prokesova, et al. (2010). "Prevention of Allergy in Infants of Allergic Mothers by Probiotic Escherichia coli." Int Arch Allergy Immunol 153(2): 201-206. Exclude-Genus Lodinova-Zadnikova, R., L. Prokesova, et al. (2004). "[Influence of oral colonization with probiotic E. coli strain after birth on frequency of recurrent infections, allergy and development of some immunologic parameters. Long-term studies]." Ceska Gynekol 69 Suppl 1: 91-97. Exclude-Genus Logan, A., V. Roa, et al. (2003). "Chronic fatigue syndrome: lactic acid bacteria may be of therapeutic value." Medical Hypotheses 60(6): 915-923. Exclude-NoAE Loguercio, C., T. De Simone, et al. (2002). "Gut-liver axis: a new point of attack to treat chronic liver damage?" Am J Gastroenterol 97(8): 2144-2146. Exclude-NoAE Loguercio, C., A. Federico, et al. (2005). "Beneficial effects of a probiotic VSL#3 on parameters of liver dysfunction in chronic liver diseases." J Clin Gastroenterol 39(6): 540-543. ExcludeNoAE Loizeau, E. (1993). "[Can antibiotic-associated diarrhea be prevented?]." Ann Gastroenterol Hepatol (Paris) 29(1): 15-18. Exclude-Rec Design Lomangino, K. (2010). "Can probiotics prevent infections in healthy children?" Clinical Nutrition Insight 36(8): 8-11. Exclude-Design Long, Z. R., C. H. Yu, et al. (2006). "[Clinical observation on acupuncture combined with microorganism pharmaceutical preparations for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome of constipation type]." Zhongguo Zhen Jiu 26(6): 403-405. Exclude-NoAE (Chinese) Looijer-van Langen, M. A. and L. A. Dieleman (2009). "Prebiotics in chronic intestinal inflammation." Inflamm Bowel Dis 15(3): 454-462. Exclude-Intervention D-45 Lorea Baroja, M., P. V. Kirjavainen, et al. (2007). "Anti-inflammatory effects of probiotic yogurt in inflammatory bowel disease patients." Clin Exp Immunol 149(3): 470-479. Exclude-Design Loret de Mola, O., R. Gonzalez-Vallina, et al. (1998, May 27-30). "Recovery of chronic Clostridium difficile colitis with the use of Lactobacillus GG, Abstract #P163." 5th Joint Meeting of ESPGHAN and NADPGN, Toulouse, France. Exclude-Rec NoAE Low, D. E., B. M. Willey, et al. (1994). "Enterococcis: pathogens of the 90s." Eur J Surg Suppl(573): 19-24. Exclude-Intervention Lu, X., C. M. Han, et al. (2004). "[Preliminary comparative study on the effects of early enteral supplementation of synbiotics on severely burned patients]." Zhonghua Shao Shang Za Zhi 20(4): 198-201. Exclude-Rec NoAE (Chinese) Lu, Z., D. B., et al. (2008). "Probiotics for preventing acute upper respiratory tract infections." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 1. Exclude-Design Lubbadeh, W., M. S. Y. Haddadin, et al. (1999). "Effect on the Cholesterol Content of Fresh Lamb of supplementing the Feed of Awassi Ewes and Lambs with Lactobacillus acidophilus. ." Meat Sci. 52: 381-385. Exclude-Participants Lund, B., C. Edlund, et al. (2000). "Impact on human intestinal microflora of an Enterococcus faecium probiotic and vancomycin." Scand J Infect Dis 32(6): 627-632. Exclude-Participants Luoto, R., M. Kalliomaki, et al. (2010). "The impact of perinatal probiotic intervention on the development of overweight and obesity: follow-up study from birth to 10 years." Int J Obes (Lond). Exclude-NoAE Luoto, R., J. Matomaki, et al. (2010). "Incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis in very-low-birth weight infants related to the use of Lactobacillus GG." Acta Paediatr 99(8): 1135-1138. ExcludeNoAE Lye, H. S., C. Y. Kuan, et al. (2009). "The improvement of hypertension by probiotics: effects on cholesterol, diabetes, renin, and phytoestrogens." Int J Mol Sci 10(9): 3755-3775. ExcludeDesign Lykova, E. A., V. M. Bondarenko, et al. (1996). "[The probiotic correction of microecological and immune disorders in gastroduodenal pathology in children]." Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol(2): 88-91. Exclude-NoAE (Russian) Ma, D., P. Forsythe, et al. (2004). "Live Lactobacillus reuteri is essential for the inhibitory effect on tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced interleukin-8 expression." Infect Immun 72(9): 5308 5314. Exclude-Participants MacDonald, T. T. and A. Di Sabatino (2006). "The exposure of infants to Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in Finland." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 42(5): 476-478. Exclude-NoAE MacFie, J., C. O'Boyle, et al. (1999). "Gut origin of sepsis: a prospective study investigating associations between bacterial translocation, gastric microflora, and septic morbidity." Gut 45(2): 223-228. Exclude-Intervention MacGregor, G., A. J. Smith, et al. (2002). "Yoghurt biotherapy: contraindicated in immunosuppressed patients?" Postgrad Med J 78(920): 366-367. Exclude-Rec Genus D-46 Mack, D. R. (2004). "D(-)-lactic acid-producing probiotics, D(-)-lactic acidosis and infants." Can J Gastroenterol 18(11): 671-675. Exclude-Design Mack, D. R. (2005). "Probiotics and necrotizing enterocolitis." Pediatrics 116(1): 293; author reply 293. Exclude-NoAE Madden, J. A. and J. O. Hunter (2002). "A review of the role of the gut microflora in irritable bowel syndrome and the effects of probiotics." Br J Nutr 88 Suppl 1: S67-72. Exclude-NoAE Madden, J. A., S. F. Plummer, et al. (2005). "Effect of probiotics on preventing disruption of the intestinal microflora following antibiotic therapy: a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study." Int Immunopharmacol 5(6): 1091-1097. Exclude-NoAE Madsen, K. (2008). "Probiotics in critically ill patients." J Clin Gastroenterol 42 Suppl 3 Pt 1: S116-118. Exclude-Participants Madsen, K. L., J. S. Doyle, et al. (1999). "Lactobacillus species prevents colitis in interleukin 10 gene-deficient mice." Gastroenterology 116(5): 1107-1114. Exclude-Participants Magee, H. R. (2007). "Probiotic treatment of vancomycin-resistant enterococci: a randomised controlled trial. Comment." Med J Aust 187(5): 320. Exclude-NoAE Mahe, S., P. Marteau, et al. (1994). "Intestinal nitrogen and electrolyte movements following fermented milk ingestion in man." Br J Nutr 71(2): 169-180. Exclude-NoAE Majamaa, H. and E. Isolauri (1997). "Probiotics: a novel approach in the management of food allergy." J Allergy Clin Immunol 99(2): 179-185. Exclude-NoAE Majamaa, H., E. Isolauri, et al. (1995). "Lactic acid bacteria in the treatment of acute rotavirus gastroenteritis." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 20(3): 333-338. Exclude-NoAE Makaryus, A. N., R. Yang, et al. (2005). "A rare case of Lactobacillus acidophilus presenting as mitral valve bacterial endocarditis." Echocardiography 22(5): 421-425. Exclude-Intervention Makharia, G., A. Sood, et al. (2009). "A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of a probiotic preparation, VSL#3, for the treatment of mild to moderate active ulcerative colitis. ." Clin Gastro Hep.: 1202–1209. Exclude-Duplicate 15381 Malberg, K. (2008). "[Oral probiotic modifies pollen rhinitis]." MMW Fortschr Med 150(26-27): 26. Exclude-Rec Design Malchow, H. A. (1997). "Crohn's disease and Escherichia coli. A new approach in therapy to maintain remission of colonic Crohn's disease?" J Clin Gastroenterol 25(4): 653-658. ExcludeNoAE Malin, M., H. Suomalainen, et al. (1996). "Promotion of IgA immune response in patients with Crohn's disease by oral bacteriotherapy with Lactobacillus GG." Ann Nutr Metab 40(3): 137 145. Exclude-NoAE Malkov, S., V. Markelov, et al. (2006). "Genome rejuvenation and its applications." Biomed Sci 50: 45-47. Exclude-NoAE Mallie, M., V. Nguyen, et al. (2001). "Genotyping study of Saccharomyces boulardii compared to the Saccharomyces sensustricto complex species." J Mycol Med 11: 19-25. ExcludeParticipants D-47 Mann, G. V. (1974). "Studies of a surfactant and cholesteremia in the Maasai." Am J Clin Nutr 27(5): 464-469. Exclude-Intervention Mansour-Ghanaei, F., N. Dehbashi, et al. (2003). "Efficacy of saccharomyces boulardii with antibiotics in acute amoebiasis." World J Gastroenterol 9(8): 1832-1833. Exclude-NoAE Manzella, J. P., S. Shaffer, et al. (1989). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia in a multiply traumatized patient." J Trauma 29(1): 129-130. Exclude-Intervention Manzoni, P., R. Arisio, et al. (2006). "Prophylactic fluconazole is effective in preventing fungal colonization and fungal systemic infections in preterm neonates: a single-center, 6-year, retrospective cohort study." Pediatrics 117(1): e22-32. Exclude-Intervention Mao, M., T. Yu, et al. (2008). "Effect of a lactose-free milk formula supplemented with bifidobacteria and streptococci on the recovery from acute diarrhoea." Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 17(1): 30-34. Exclude-NoAE Marcone, V., G. Rocca, et al. (2010). "Long-term vaginal administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus as a complementary approach to management of bacterial vaginosis." Int J Gynaecol Obstet 110(3): 223-226. Exclude-NoAE Marinho, S., A. Simpson, et al. (2007). "Quantification of atopy and the probability of rhinitis in preschool children: a population-based birth cohort study." Allergy 62(12): 1379-1386. ExcludeGenus Marini, A., F. Negretti, et al. (2003). "Pro- and pre-biotics administration in preterm infants: colonization and influence on faecal flora." Acta Paediatr Suppl 91(441): 80-81. Exclude-NoAE Marotta, F., Y. Naito, et al. (2004). "Chemopreventive effect of a probiotic preparation on the development of preneoplastic and neoplastic colonic lesions: an experimental study." Hepatogastroenterology 50: 19148. Exclude-Participants Marteau, P. (2003). "Basic aspects and pharmacology of probiotics: An overview of pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of action and side-effects." Best Practice and Research. ExcludeDuplicate 2037 Marteau, P. and C. Cellier (1998). "Immunological effects of biotherapeutic agents. In: Biotherapeutic agents and Infectious Diseases. Elmer, G, Surawicz, C., McFarland, L (eds)." Humana Press Inc.: 121-144. Exclude-Rec Design Marteau, P., E. Cuillerier, et al. (2002). "Bifidobacterium animalis strain DN-173 010 shortens the colonic transit time in healthy women: a double-blind, randomized, controlled study." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 16(3): 587-593. Exclude-NoAE Marteau, P., B. Flourie, et al. (1990). "Effect of the microbial lactase (EC 3.2.1.23) activity in yoghurt on the intestinal absorption of lactose: an in vivo study in lactase-deficient humans." Br J Nutr 64(1): 71-79. Exclude-NoAE Marteau, P., P. Seksik, et al. (2002). "Probiotics and intestinal health effects: a clinical perspective." Br J Nutr 88 Suppl 1: S51-57. Exclude-NoAE D-48 Marteau, P., J. P. Vaerman, et al. (1997). "Effects of intrajejunal perfusion and chronic ingestion of Lactobacillus johnsonii strain La1 on serum concentrations and jejunal secretions of immunoglobulins and serum proteins in healthy humans." Gastroenterol Clin Biol 21(4): 293 298. Exclude-NoAE Marteau, P. R., M. de Vrese, et al. (2001). "Protection from gastrointestinal diseases with the use of probiotics." Am J Clin Nutr 73(2 Suppl): 430S-436S. Exclude-NoAE Martens, U., P. Enck, et al. (2010). "Probiotic treatment of irritable bowel syndrome in children." Ger Med Sci 8: Doc07. Exclude-Genus Martini, M. C., G. L. Bollweg, et al. (1987). "Lactose digestion by yogurt beta-galactosidase: influence of pH and microbial cell integrity." Am J Clin Nutr 45(2): 432-436. Exclude-NoAE Martini, M. C., E. C. Lerebours, et al. (1991). "Strains and species of lactic acid bacteria in fermented milks (yogurts): effect on in vivo lactose digestion." Am J Clin Nutr 54(6): 1041 1046. Exclude-Rec Intervention Martini, M. C., D. E. Smith, et al. (1987). "Lactose digestion from flavored and frozen yogurts, ice milk, and ice cream by lactase-deficient persons." Am J Clin Nutr 46(4): 636-640. ExcludeGenus Mason, P. D. (1986). "Metabolic acidosis due to D-lactate." Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 292(6528): 1105-1106. Exclude-Design Mastretta, E., P. Longo, et al. (2002). "Effect of Lactobacillus GG and breast-feeding in the prevention of rotavirus nosocomial infection." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 35(4): 527-531. Exclude-NoAE Mastromarino, P., S. Macchia, et al. (2009). "Effectiveness of Lactobacillus-containing vaginal tablets in the treatment of symptomatic bacterial vaginosis." Clin Microbiol Infect 15(1): 67-74. Exclude-Duplicate 7382 Mathur, S. and R. Singh (2005). "Antibiotic resistance in food lactic acid bacteria--a review." Int J Food Microbiol 105(3): 281-295. Exclude-Participants Matricardi, P. M. (2002). "Probiotics against allergy: data, doubts, and perspectives." Allergy 57(3): 185-187. Exclude-NoAE Matsumoto, K., T. Takada, et al. (2010). "Effects of a probiotic fermented milk beverage containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota on defecation frequency, intestinal microbiota, and the intestinal environment of healthy individuals with soft stools." J Biosci Bioeng. ExcludeNoAE Matsumoto, M. and Y. Benno (2004). "Consumption of Bifidobacterium lactis LKM512 yogurt reduces gut mutagenicity by increasing gut polyamine contents in healthy adult subjects." Mutat Res 568(2): 147-153. Exclude-NoAE Matsumoto, M., M. Sakamoto, et al. (2009). "Dynamics of fecal microbiota in hospitalized elderly fed probiotic LKM512 yogurt." Microbiol Immunol 53(8): 421-432. Exclude-NoAE Matsuzaki, T., R. Yamazaki, et al. (1998). "The effect of oral feeding of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota on immunoglobulin E production in mice." J Dairy Sci 81(1): 48-53. ExcludeParticipants D-49 Mattarelli, P., G. Brandi, et al. "Discrepancy between declared and recovered bifidobacteria in a human probiotic." Annals of microbiology 52(3): 283-286. Exclude-Rec Participants Matteuzzi, D., F. Crociani, et al. (1983). "Antimicrobial susceptibility of Bifidobacterium." Ann Microbiol (Paris) 134A(3): 339-349. Exclude-Participants Matthes, H., T. Krummenerl, et al. (2010). "Clinical trial: probiotic treatment of acute distal ulcerative colitis with rectally administered Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN)." BMC Complement Altern Med 10: 13. Exclude-Genus Mattila-Sandholm, T. (1999). "The PROBDEMO project: demonstration of the nutritional functionality of probiotic foods." Trends Food Sci Technol 10: 385-386. Exclude-Intervention Matulka, R. A. (2006). "Safety Evaluation Of A Novel Ingredient: Probiotic And Non-Probiotic Bacteria Added To Food." Toxicol Sci 90(1-S): 156. Exclude-Participants Mawdsley, J. E., J. Lindsay, et al. (2005). "Synbiotic therapy for ulcerative colitis." Gut 54(9): 1346. Exclude-NoAE McClean, K. (2006). "Probiotics help reduce severity of atopic dermatitis." J Pediatr 148(1): 143-144. Exclude-NoAE McCoy, D., S. Bennett, et al. (2008). "Salaries and incomes of health workers in sub-Saharan Africa." Lancet 371(9613): 675-681. Exclude-NoAE McCullough, M. J., K. V. Clemons, et al. (1998). "Epidemiological investigation of vaginal Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates by a genotypic method." J Clin Microbiol 36(2): 557-562. Exclude-Participants McCullough, M. J., K. V. Clemons, et al. (1998). "Species identification and virulence attributes of Saccharomyces boulardii (nom. inval.)." J Clin Microbiol 36(9): 2613-2617. ExcludeParticipants McDonough, F., N. Wong, et al. (1987). "Alleviation of lactose malabsorption from sweet acidophilus milk." Am J Clin Nutr 42: 345-346. Exclude-NoAE McDonough, F. E., A. D. Hitchins, et al. (1987). "Modification of sweet acidophilus milk to improve utilization by lactose-intolerant persons." Am J Clin Nutr 45(3): 570-574. ExcludeNoAE McFarland, L. V. (1996). "Saccharomyces boulardii is not Saccharomyces cerevisiae." Clin Infect Dis 22(1): 200-201. Exclude-NoAE McFarland, L. V. (2000). "A review of the evidence of health claims for biotherapeutic agents." Microbial Ecol Health Dis 12(4): 65-76. Exclude-NoAE McFarland, L. V., C. M. Surawicz, et al. (1999). "Recurrent Clostridium difficile disease: epidemiology and clinical characteristics." Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 20(1): 43-50. Exclude-Intervention McIntosh, J. (2004). "Research shows the benefits of postoperative probiotics." Nursing Times 100(18): 14. Exclude-NoAE McMullen, M. H., J. M. Hamilton-Reeves, et al. (2006). "Consumption of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum does not alter phytoestrogen metabolism and plasma hormones in men: a pilot study." J Altern Complement Med 12(9): 887-894. Exclude-NoAE D-50 McNaught, C., N. Woodcock, et al. (2001). "The effect of probiotics on bacterial translocation and septic morbidity in elective surgical patients." Gut 48(Supp 1 A18): 064. Exclude-Rec NoAE McNaught, C. E., N. P. Woodcock, et al. (2005). "A prospective randomised trial of probiotics in critically ill patients." Clin Nutr 24(2): 211-219. Exclude-Rec NoAE Meance, S., C. Cayuela, et al. (2001). "A fermented milk with a Bifidobacterium probiotic strain DN-173 010 shortened oro-fecal gut transit time in elderly." Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease(13): 217-222. Exclude-NoAE Mego, M., J. Majek, et al. (2005). "Intramucosal bacteria in colon cancer and their elimination by probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium M-74 with organic selenium." Folia Microbiol (Praha) 50(5): 443-447. Exclude-Participants Mei, H., J. M. Antoine, et al. (2004). "[Influence of live flora on lactose digestion in male adult lactose-malabsorbers after dairy products intake]." Wei Sheng Yan Jiu 33(5): 603-605. ExcludeNoAE Mettler, L., A. Romeyke, et al. (1973). "[Effects of para- and post-irradiation abnormal bacterial flora and intestinal irradiation reaction through Bacterium bifidus substitution therapy]." Strahlentherapie 145(5): 588-599. Exclude-NoAE (German) Miceli, E., Missanelli A., Mazzocchi S., Di Stefano M., Corazza G. R. (2003). "Lactobacillus GG in the treatment of gaseous symptoms." Argomenti di Gastroenterologia Clinica 16(3): 71 75. Exclude-NoAE Michail, S. K., A. Stolfi, et al. (2008). "Efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of pediatric atopic dermatitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 101(5): 508-516. Exclude-Rec NoAE Michielutti, F., M. Bertini, et al. (1996). "[Clinical assessment of a new oral bacterial treatment for children with acute diarrhea]." Minerva Med 87(11): 545-550. Exclude-Genus (Italian) Mihatsch, W. A., J. Hoegel, et al. (2006). "Prebiotic oligosaccharides reduce stool viscosity and accelerate gastrointestinal transport in preterm infants." Acta Paediatr 95(7): 843-848. ExcludeRec Intervention Mikes, A., M. Ferencik, et al. (1995). "Hypocholesterolemic and immunostimulatory effects of orally applied Enterococcus faecium M-74 in man." Folia Microbiol (Praha) 40(6): 639-646. Exclude-NoAE Miller, L. G. and S. M. Finegold (1967). "Antibacterial sensitivity of Bifidobacterium (Lactobacillus bifidus)." J Bacteriol 93(1): 125-130. Exclude-Participants Miller, M. (2008). "A probiotic drink prevented diarrhoea and Clostridium difficile infection in older patients taking antibiotics." Evid Based Med 13(2): 46. Exclude-NoAE Mills, J. A. (1989). "Do bacteria cause chronic polyarthritis?" N Engl J Med 320(4): 245-246. Exclude-Intervention Mimura, T., M. Kaminishi, et al. (2002). "Probiotic therapy for pouchitis and its endoscopic findings." Digestive Endoscopy 14: 47-52. Exclude-NoAE D-51 Miraglia del Giudice, M. and M. G. De Luca (2004). "The role of probiotics in the clinical management of food allergy and atopic dermatitis." J Clin Gastroenterol 38(6 Suppl): S84-85. Exclude-NoAE Misra, S., T. K. Sabui, et al. (2009). "A randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of lactobacillus GG in infantile diarrhea." J Pediatr 155(1): 129-132. Exclude-NoAE Misuoka, T. (1984). "Taxonomy and ecology of bifidobacteria." Bifidobact Microflora 3: 11-28. Exclude-NoAE Mittal, V. V., P. Sharma, et al. (2009). "Treatment of minimal hepatic encephalopathy: a randomized controlled trial comparing lactulose, probiotics & L-ornithine L-aspartate with placebo." Hepatology(4 (Suppl)): 471a. Exclude-NoAE Moayyedi, P. (2007). "Review: eradication therapy supplemented by probiotics increased eradication rates and reduced side effects in H pylori infection." Evid Based Med 12(3): 84. Exclude-Design Moayyedi, P., A. C. Ford, et al. (2010). "The efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review." Gut 59(3): 325-332. Exclude-Duplicate 5233 Modi, N., S. Uthaya, et al. (2010). "A randomised, double-blind, controlled trial of the effect of prebiotic oligosaccharides on enteral tolerance in preterm infants (ISRCTN77444690)." Pediatr Res. Exclude-Genus Moellering, R. C., Jr. (1982). "Enterococcal infections in patients treated with moxalactam." Rev Infect Dis 4 Suppl: S708-711. Exclude-Intervention Moghaddam, M. N. (2010). "Recto-vaginal colonization of group B streptococcus in pregnant women referred to a hospital in Iran and its effect on lactobacillus normal flora." Journal of Biological Sciences 10(2): 166-169. Exclude-Intervention Mohan, R., C. Koebnick, et al. (2008). "Effects of Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 supplementation on body weight, fecal pH, acetate, lactate, calprotectin, and IgA in preterm infants." Pediatr Res 64(4): 418-422. Exclude-NoAE Mollenbrink, M. and E. Bruckschen (1994). "[Treatment of chronic constipation with physiologic Escherichia coli bacteria. Results of a clinical study of the effectiveness and tolerance of microbiological therapy with the E. coli Nissle 1917 strain (Mutaflor)]." Med Klin (Munich) 89(11): 587-593. Exclude-Genus Mommsen, H. (1956). "[Antibiotic or probiotic therapy of whooping cough.]." Medizinische(14): 501-504. Exclude-Rec Design Moneret-Vautrin, D. A., M. Morisset, et al. (2006). "Probiotics may be unsafe in infants allergic to cow's milk." Allergy 61(4): 507-508. Exclude-Rec Intervention Monteiro, E., Fernandes JP, et al. (1981). "[Double blind clinical trial on the use of ultra-levure in the prophylaxis of antibiotic induced gastro-intestinal and mucocutaneous disorders] " Acta Med Port 3: 143-145. Exclude-NoAE Montes, R. G., T. M. Bayless, et al. (1995). "Effect of milks inoculated with Lactobacillus acidophilus or a yogurt starter culture in lactose-maldigesting children." J Dairy Sci 78(8): 1657 1664. Exclude-Rec NoAE D-52 Montineri, A., C. Iacobello, et al. (2008). "[Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungaemia associated to multiple foci pneumonia in a patient affected by alcohol-related hepatic cirrhosis]." Infez Med 16(4): 227-229. Exclude-Design Moreira, A., R. Kekkonen, et al. (2007). "Allergy in marathon runners and effect of Lactobacillus GG supplementation on allergic inflammatory markers." Respir Med 101(6): 1123 1131. Exclude-NoAE Morelli, L. and E. Campominosi (2002). "Genetic stability of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei F19." Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease Suppl 3: 14-16. Exclude-Participants Morgenstern, L. and N. Hiatt (1967). "Injurious effect of pancreatic secretions on postradiation enteropathy." Gastroenterology 53(6): 923-929. Exclude-Participants Morken, M. H., J. Valeur, et al. (2009). "Antibiotic or bacterial therapy in post-giardiasis irritable bowel syndrome." Scand J Gastroenterol 44(11): 1296-1303. Exclude-Intervention Moro, G., S. Arslanoglu, et al. (2006). "A mixture of prebiotic oligosaccharides reduces the incidence of atopic dermatitis during the first six months of age." Arch Dis Child 91(10): 814 819. Exclude-Rec Intervention Moro, G., I. Minoli, et al. (2002). "Dosage-related bifidogenic effects of galacto- and fructooligosaccharides in formula-fed term infants." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 34(3): 291-295. Exclude-Rec Intervention Morrison, D., N. Woodford, et al. (1997). "Enterococci as emerging pathogens of humans." Soc Appl Bacteriol Symp Ser 26: 89S-99S. Exclude-Intervention Morrison, V. A., R. J. Haake, et al. (1993). "The spectrum of non-Candida fungal infections following bone marrow transplantation." Medicine (Baltimore) 72(2): 78-89. ExcludeIntervention Muehrcke, D. D., B. W. Lytle, et al. (1995). "Surgical and long-term antifungal therapy for fungal prosthetic valve endocarditis." Ann Thorac Surg 60(3): 538-543. Exclude-Intervention Mullie, C., A. Yazourh, et al. (2004). "Increased poliovirus-specific intestinal antibody response coincides with promotion of Bifidobacterium longum-infantis and Bifidobacterium breve in infants: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Pediatr Res 56(5): 791-795. Exclude-Rec Genus Murosaki, S., Y. Yamamotoa, et al. (2006). "Effects of intake of syrup supplemented with nigerooligosaccharides and heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 on skin symptom and immune function in patients with atopic dermatitis." Japanese Pharmacology and Therapeutics 34(10): 1087-1096. Exclude-Genus (Chinese) Murray, B. (1995). "Editorial response: what can we do about vancomycin-resistant enterocooci." Clin Infect Dis(20): 1134-1136. Exclude-Intervention Murray, B. E. (1990). "The life and times of the Enterococcus." Clin Microbiol Rev 3(1): 46-65. Exclude-NoAE Mustapha, A., T. Jiang, et al. (1997). "Improvement of lactose digestion by humans following ingestion of unfermented acidophilus milk: influence of bile sensitivity, lactose transport, and acid tolerance of Lactobacillus acidophilus." J Dairy Sci 80(8): 1537-1545. Exclude-NoAE D-53 Myllyluoma, E., L. Veijola, et al. (2005). "Probiotic supplementation improves tolerance to Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy--a placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized pilot study." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 21(10): 1263-1272. Exclude-NoAE N.N (1976). "Essais clinques controle en double insu de I'Ultra-Levure lyophilisee. Etude multicentrique per 25 medecins de 388 cas." Medecine et Chirurgie Digestives 5: 401-406. Exclude-Duplicate 12894 Nakajima, S., Y. Setoguchi, et al. (2005). "[Effect of probiotics on the prevention of diarrhea in Helicobacter pylori therapy]." Nippon Rinsho 63 Suppl 11: 539-542. Exclude-NoAE (Japanese) Nase, L., K. Hatakka, et al. (2001). "Effect of long-term consumption of a probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, in milk on dental caries and caries risk in children." Caries Res 35(6): 412-420. Exclude-Rec NoAE Neri, A., G. Sabah, et al. (1993). "Bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy treated with yoghurt." Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 72(1): 17-19. Exclude-NoAE Nettleton, J. A., K. A. Greany, et al. (2004). "Plasma phytoestrogens are not altered by probiotic consumption in postmenopausal women with and without a history of breast cancer." J Nutr 134(8): 1998-2003. Exclude-NoAE Nettleton, J. A., K. A. Greany, et al. (2005). "The effect of soy consumption on the urinary 2:16 hydroxyestrone ratio in postmenopausal women depends on equol production status but is not influenced by probiotic consumption." J Nutr 135(3): 603-608. Exclude-NoAE Nettleton, J. A., K. A. Greany, et al. (2005). "Short-term soy and probiotic supplementation does not markedly affect concentrations of reproductive hormones in postmenopausal women with and without histories of breast cancer." J Altern Complement Med 11(6): 1067-1074. ExcludeRec NoAE Neu, J. (2007). "Nutrition in clinical care Perinatal and neonatal manipulation of the intestinal microbiome: a note of caution." Nutrition Reviews 65(6 Part 1): 282-285. Exclude-NoAE Neu, J. (2007). "Perinatal and neonatal manipulation of the intestinal microbiome: a note of caution." Nutr Rev 65(6 Pt 1): 282-285. Exclude-Rec Design Ng, S. C., S. Plamondon, et al. (2010). "Immunosuppressive effects via human intestinal dendritic cells of probiotic bacteria and steroids in the treatment of acute ulcerative colitis." Inflamm Bowel Dis 16(8): 1286-1298. Exclude-NoAE Nicas, T. I., C. T. Cole, et al. (1989). "Activity of glycopeptides against vancomycin-resistant gram-positive bacteria." Antimicrob Agents Chemother 33(9): 1477-1481. Exclude-Participants Nichols, A. W. (2007). "Probiotics and athletic performance: a systematic review." Curr Sports Med Rep 6(4): 269-273. Exclude-NoAE Nielsen, H., J. Stenderup, et al. (1990). "Fungemia with Saccharomycetaceae. Report of four cases and review of the literature." Scand J Infect Dis 22(5): 581-584. Exclude-Intervention Niemi, S., M. Saxelin, et al. (2001). "Effects of fiber-rich rye bread and yoghurt with Lactobacillus GG on bowel movement." Am J Clin Nutr 73: 490S-491S. Exclude-Rec NoAE Nikfar, S., R. Rahimi, et al. (2008). "Efficacy of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome: a meta analysis of randomized, controlled trials." Dis Colon Rectum 51(12): 1775-1780. Exclude-NoAE D-54 Nikitenko, V. I., G. N. Zolotareva, et al. (2010). "[Sporobakterin impact on atherogenic dyslipidemia at patients with intestinal dysbacteriosis]." Eksp Klin Gastroenterol(3): 60-64. Exclude-Genus Nishijima, K., K. Shukunami, et al. (2005). "Probiotics affects vaginal flora in pregnant women, suggesting the possibility of preventing preterm labor." J Clin Gastroenterol 39(5): 447-448. Exclude-NoAE Nista, E. C., M. Candelli, et al. (2004). "Bacillus clausii therapy to reduce side-effects of antiHelicobacter pylori treatment: randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 20(10): 1181-1188. Exclude-NoAE Niv, M., W. Levy, et al. (1963). "Yogurt in the treatment of infantile diarrhea." Clin Pediatr 7: 407-411. Exclude-NoAE Nomura, T., Y. Tsuchiya, et al. (2007). "Probiotics reduce infectious complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy." Hepatogastroenterology 54(75): 661-663. Exclude-NoAE Nonaka, Y., T. Izumo, et al. (2008). "Antiallergic effects of Lactobacillus pentosus strain S-PT84 mediated by modulation of Th1/Th2 immunobalance and induction of IL-10 production." Int Arch Allergy Immunol 145(3): 249-257. Exclude-Participants Nopchinda, S., W. Varavithya, et al. (2002). "Effect of bifidobacterium Bb12 with or without Streptococcus thermophilus supplemented formula on nutritional status." J Med Assoc Thai 85 Suppl 4: S1225-1231. Exclude-NoAE Noriega, E. R., E. Rubinstein, et al. (1975). "Subacute and acute endocarditis due to Pseudomonas cepacia in heroin addicts." Am J Med 59(1): 29-36. Exclude-Intervention Oatley, J. T., M. D. Rarick, et al. (2000). "Binding of aflatoxin B1 to bifidobacteria in vitro." J Food Prot 63(8): 1133-1136. Exclude-Participants Oberhelman, R. A., R. H. Gilman, et al. (1999). "A placebo-controlled trial of Lactobacillus GG to prevent diarrhea in undernourished Peruvian children." J Pediatr 134(1): 15-20. ExcludeNoAE Oberreuther-Moschner, D. L., G. Jahreis, et al. (2004). "Dietary intervention with the probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus 145 and Bifidobacterium longum 913 modulates the potential of human faecal water to induce damage in HT29clone19A cells." Br J Nutr 91(6): 925-932. Exclude-NoAE Ogier, J. C., E. Casalta, et al. (2008). "Safety assessment of dairy microorganisms: The Leuconostoc genus." International journal of food microbiology 126(3): 286-290. ExcludeGenus Ogier, J.-C. and P. Serror (2008). "Safety assessment of dairy microorganisms: The Enterococcus genus." International journal of food microbiology 126(3): 291-301. ExcludeParticipants Oh, Y., M. S. Osato, et al. (2002). "Folk yoghurt kills Helicobacter pylori." J Appl Microbiol 93(6): 1083-1088. Exclude-Participants D-55 Ohno, H., S. Tsunemine, et al. (2005). "Oral administration of Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1 suppresses total and antigen specific immunoglobulin E production in mice." Biol Pharm Bull 28(8): 1462-1466. Exclude-Participants Okawa, T., M. Kita, et al. (1989). "Phase II randomized clinical trial of LC9018 concurrently used with radiation in the treatment of carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Its effect on tumor reduction and histology." Cancer 64(9): 1769-1776. Exclude-Genus Okawa, T., H. Niibe, et al. (1993). "Effect of LC9018 combined with radiation therapy on carcinoma of the uterine cervix. A phase III, multicenter, randomized, controlled study." Cancer 72(6): 1949-1954. Exclude-Genus Okumura, M. J. and M. D. Cabana (2006). "The results of a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus." J Hum Nutr Diet 19(6): 451; author reply 452. Exclude-NoAE Olah, A., T. Belagyi, et al. (2002). "Randomized clinical trial of specific lactobacillus and fibre supplement to early enteral nutrition in patients with acute pancreatitis." Br J Surg 89(9): 1103 1107. Exclude-NoAE Olguin, F., M. Araya, et al. (2005). "Prebiotic ingestion does not improve gastrointestinal barrier function in burn patients." Burns 31(4): 482-488. Exclude-Genus Olivares, M., M. P. Diaz-Ropero, et al. (2006). "The consumption of two new probiotic strains, Lactobacillus gasseri CECT 5714 and Lactobacillus coryniformis CECT 5711, boosts the immune system of healthy humans." Int Microbiol 9(1): 47-52. Exclude-NoAE Olmo, J., M. Mariscal, et al. (2006). "Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis due to Streptococcus constellatus [5]." Gastroenterologia y Hepatologia 29(9): 595-596. Exclude-Genus Olver, W. J., S. A. James, et al. (2002). "Nosocomial transmission of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in bone marrow transplant patients." J Hosp Infect 52(4): 268-272. Exclude-Intervention Onwulata, C. I., D. R. Rao, et al. (1989). "Relative efficiency of yogurt, sweet acidophilus milk, hydrolyzed-lactose milk, and a commercial lactase tablet in alleviating lactose maldigestion." Am J Clin Nutr 49(6): 1233-1237. Exclude-NoAE Ooi, C. Y., A. V. Dilley, et al. (2009). "Saccharomyces boulardii in a child with recurrent Clostridium difficile." Pediatrics International 51(1): 156-158. Exclude-NoAE Opekun, A. R., C. W. Yeh, et al. (2005). "In vivo tests of natural therapy, Tibetan yogurt or fresh broccoli, for Helicobacter pylori infection." Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol 27(5): 327-329. Exclude-Rec Genus Oriol, A., J. M. Ribera, et al. (1993). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae septicemia in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome." Am J Hematol 43(4): 325-326. Exclude-Intervention Ortiz-Andrellucchi, A., A. Sanchez-Villegas, et al. (2008). "Immunomodulatory effects of the intake of fermented milk with Lactobacillus casei DN114001 in lactating mothers and their children." Br J Nutr 100(4): 834-845. Exclude-NoAE Osborn, D. A. and J. K. Sinn (2007). "Prebiotics in infants for prevention of allergic disease and food hypersensitivity." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(4): CD006474. Exclude-Duplicate 4449 D-56 Osipova, I. G., I. B. Sorokulova, et al. (1998). "[Safety of bacteria of the genus Bacillus, forming the base of some probiotics]." Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol(6): 68-70. ExcludeParticipants (Russian) Othman, M., J. P. Neilson, et al. (2007). "Probiotics for preventing preterm labour." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(1): CD005941. Exclude-NoAE Otsuka, Y. and W. Pan (2007). "Effects of the novel symbiotic immubalance as a food supplement in relieving clinical symptoms of Japnese cedar pollinosis: A pilot study." Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology 34(Suppl 1): S73-75. Exclude-NoAE Ouwehand, A. C., H. Lagstrom, et al. (2002). "Effect of probiotics on constipation, fecal azoreductase activity and fecal mucin content in the elderly." Ann Nutr Metab 46(3-4): 159-162. Exclude-Rec NoAE Ouwehand, A. C., M. Saxelin, et al. (2004). "Phenotypic differences between commercial Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and L. rhamnosus strains recovered from blood." Clin Infect Dis 39(12): 1858-1860. Exclude-Participants Palacios, S., I. A. Rojo, et al. (2008). "Women's perception of the efficacy of a soy extract with probiotic: the M3 study." Gynecol Endocrinol 24(4): 178-183. Exclude-Rec Design Pande, C., A. Kumar, et al. (2009). "Addition of probiotics to antibiotics does not improve its efficacy in prevention of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: a double blind placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial." Hepatology(4 (Suppl)): 454a. Exclude-NoAE Pant, A. R., S. M. Graham, et al. (1996). "Lactobacillus GG and acute diarrhoea in young children in the tropics." J Trop Pediatr 42(3): 162-165. Exclude-NoAE Pant, N., H. Marcotte, et al. (2007). "Effective prophylaxis against rotavirus diarrhea using a combination of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and antibodies." BMC Microbiol 7: 86. ExcludeParticipants Park, S. K., D. I. Park, et al. (2007). "The effect of probiotics on Helicobacter pylori eradication." Hepatogastroenterology 54(79): 2032-2036. Exclude-Rec NoAE Parnell, J. A. and R. A. Reimer (2009). "Weight loss during oligofructose supplementation is associated with decreased ghrelin and increased peptide YY in overweight and obese adults." Am J Clin Nutr 89(6): 1751-1759. Exclude-Intervention Pashapour, N. and S. G. Iou (2006). "Evaluation of yogurt effect on acute diarrhea in 6-24 month-old hospitalized infants." Turk J Pediatr 48(2): 115-118. Exclude-NoAE Patel, R., F. R. Cockerill, et al. (1994). "Lactobacillemia in liver transplant patients." Clin Infect Dis 18(2): 207-212. Exclude-Intervention Pavan, S., P. Desreumaux, et al. (2003). "Use of mouse models to evaluate the persistence, safety, and immune modulation capacities of lactic acid bacteria." Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 10(4): 696-701. Exclude-Participants Pavese, P., J. P. Brion, et al. (1999). "[Epidemiology of fungemia in a university hospital; therapeutic incidence]." Pathol Biol (Paris) 47(5): 579-583. Exclude-Rec Intervention D-57 Pawlowska, J., E. Klewicka, et al. (2007). "Effect of Lactobacillus casei DN-114001 application on the activity of fecal enzymes in children after liver transplantation." Transplant Proc 39(10): 3219-3221. Exclude-NoAE Payne, D. L., J. D. Welsh, et al. (1981). "Effectiveness of milk products in dietary management of lactose malabsorption." Am J Clin Nutr 34(12): 2711-2715. Exclude-Rec NoAE Pearce, J. L. and J. R. Hamilton (1974). "Controlled trial of orally administered lactobacilli in acute infantile diarrhea." J Pediatr 84(2): 261-262. Exclude-NoAE Pedone, C. A., A. O. Bernabeu, et al. (1999). "The effect of supplementation with milk fermented by Lactobacillus casei (strain DN-114 001) on acute diarrhoea in children attending day care centres." Int J Clin Pract 53(3): 179-184. Exclude-NoAE Pedrosa, M. C., B. B. Golner, et al. (1995). "Survival of yogurt-containing organisms and Lactobacillus gasseri (ADH) and their effect on bacterial enzyme activity in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy and hypochlorhydric elderly subjects." Am J Clin Nutr 61(2): 353-359. ExcludeNoAE Pelletier, X., S. Laure-Boussuge, et al. (2001). "Hydrogen excretion upon ingestion of dairy products in lactose-intolerant male subjects: importance of the live flora." Eur J Clin Nutr 55(6): 509-512. Exclude-Genus Pelto, L., E. Isolauri, et al. (1998). "Probiotic bacteria down-regulate the milk-induced inflammatory response in milk-hypersensitive subjects but have an immunostimulatory effect in healthy subjects." Clin Exp Allergy 28(12): 1474-1479. Exclude-NoAE Peng, G. and C. Hsu (2006). "The efficacy and safety of heat-killed Lactobacillus paracasei for treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis induced by house-dust mite: Commentary." ExcludeDuplicate 3119 Peng, S., J. Y. Lin, et al. (2007). "Antiallergic effect of milk fermented with lactic acid bacteria in a murine animal model." J Agric Food Chem 55(13): 5092-5096. Exclude-Participants Penot, J. P., P. Lagrange, et al. (1998). "[Lactobacillus acidophilus endocarditis]." Presse Med 27(21): 1009-1012. Exclude-Intervention (French) Peral, M. C., M. M. Rachid, et al. (2010). "Interleukin-8 production by polymorphonuclear leukocytes from patients with chronic infected leg ulcers treated with Lactobacillus plantarum." Clin Microbiol Infect 16(3): 281-286. Exclude-NoAE Perdigon (1990). "The oral administration of lactic acid bacteria increases the mucosal intestinal immunity in response to enteropathogens." J Food Protection (53): 404-410. ExcludeParticipants Peret Filho, L. A., F. J. Penna, et al. (1998). "Dose effect of oral Saccharomyces boulardii treatments on morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed mice." J Med Microbiol 47(2): 111 116. Exclude-Participants Perez, N., J. C. Iannicelli, et al. (2010). "Effect of probiotic supplementation on immunoglobulins, isoagglutinins and antibody response in children of low socio-economic status." Eur J Nutr 49(3): 173-179. Exclude-NoAE D-58 Pessi, T., Y. Sutas, et al. (2000). "Interleukin-10 generation in atopic children following oral Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG." Clin Exp Allergy 30(12): 1804-1808. Exclude-NoAE Petricevic, L. and W. A. (2008). "The role of Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus Lcr35 in restoring the normal vaginal flora after antibiotic treatment of bacterial vaginosis." BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 115(11): 1369-1374. Exclude-NoAE Phuapradit, P., W. Varavithya, et al. (1999). "Reduction of rotavirus infection in children receiving bifidobacteria-supplemented formula." J Med Assoc Thai 82 Suppl 1: S43-48. Exclude-NoAE Picard, C., J. Fioramonti, et al. (2005). "Review article: bifidobacteria as probiotic agents - physiological effects and clinical benefits." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 22(6): 495-512. ExcludeNoAE Picaud, J. C., V. Chapalain, et al. (2010). "Incidence of infectious diseases in infants fed followon formula containing synbiotics: an observational study." Acta Paediatr. Exclude-NoAE Pichkhadze, G. M., V. P. Rusanov, et al. (2000). "[The antagonistic activity of the eubiotic Maxilin towards wound infection and its effect on the antibiotic resistance of microorganisms]." Stomatologiia (Mosk) 79(4): 22-27. Exclude-Rec Participants (Russian) Pilipenko, V. I., E. A. Burliaeva, et al. (2009). "[Efficacy of using inulin fortified fermented milk products in patients with functional constipation]." Vopr Pitan 78(3): 56-61. Exclude-Genus (Russian) Pirotta, M., J. Gunn, et al. (2004). "The PAV trial: does lactobacillus prevent post-antibiotic vulvovaginal candidiasis? Protocol of a randomised controlled trial [ISRCTN24141277]." BMC Fam Pract 5: 5. Exclude-NoAE Pitsouni, E., V. Alexiou, et al. (2009). "Does the use of probiotics/synbiotics prevent postoperative infections in patients undergoing abdominal surgery? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (Provisional abstract)." European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology(6): 561-570. Exclude-Duplicate 5805 Pitzurra, R., R. Steffen, et al. (2010). "Diarrhoea in a large prospective cohort of European travellers to resource-limited destinations." BMC Infect Dis 10(1): 231. Exclude-Genus Planeta-Malecka, I., L. Bak-Romaniszyn, et al. (2004). "Probiotics in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection - A preliminary report." Gastroenterologia Polska 11(3): 219-222. Exclude-Design (Polish) Plein, K. and J. Hotz (1993). "Therapeutic effects of Saccharomyces boulardii on mild residual symptoms in a stable phase of Crohn's disease with special respect to chronic diarrhea--a pilot study." Z Gastroenterol 31(2): 129-134. Exclude-Rec NoAE Pletinex, M., J. Legein, et al. (1995). "Fungemia with Saccharomyces boulardii in a 1-year-old girl with protracted diarrhea." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 21: 113-115. Exclude-Duplicate 12363 Plewinska, E. M., P.-M. I., et al. (2006). "Probiotics in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in children." Gastroenterologia Polska 13(4): 315-319. Exclude-NoAE D-59 Plummer, S., M. A. Weaver, et al. (2004). "Clostridium difficile pilot study: effects of probiotic supplementation on the incidence of C. difficile diarrhoea." Int Microbiol 7(1): 59-62. ExcludeNoAE Pochapin, M. (2000). "The effect of probiotics on Clostridium difficile diarrhea." Am J Gastroenterol 95(1 Suppl): S11-13. Exclude-NoAE Pohjavuori, E., M. Viljanen, et al. (2004). "Lactobacillus GG effect in increasing IFN-gamma production in infants with cow's milk allergy." J Allergy Clin Immunol 114(1): 131-136. Exclude-NoAE Pool-Zobel, B. L. (2005). "Inulin-type fructans and reduction in colon cancer risk: review of experimental and human data." Br J Nutr 93 Suppl 1: S73-90. Exclude-Intervention Posteraro, B., M. Sanguinetti, et al. (1999). "Molecular and epidemiological characterization of vaginal Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates." J Clin Microbiol 37(7): 2230-2235. ExcludeIntervention Pothoulakis, C., C. P. Kelly, et al. (1993). "Saccharomyces boulardii inhibits Clostridium difficile toxin A binding and enterotoxicity in rat ileum." Gastroenterology 104(4): 1108-1115. Exclude-Participants Poty, F. C. and J. A. Poty (1979). "[Urinary tract infections caused by Lactobacillus (author's transl)]." Nouv Presse Med 8(45): 3755-3756. Exclude-Rec Intervention (Foreign Language) Prajapati, J., R. Shah, et al. (1986). "Nutritional and therapeutic benefits of a blended-spray dried acidophilus preparation " Cultured Dairy Prod J: 16-21. Exclude-NoAE Prantera, C. (2006). "Should probiotics be given as an adjunct to standard maintenance therapy for children with Crohn's disease?" Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol 3: 130-131. ExcludeRec Design Prantera, C., F. Zannoni, et al. (1996). "An antibiotic regimen for the treatment of active Crohn's disease: a randomized, controlled clinical trial of metronidazole plus ciprofloxacin." Am J Gastroenterol 91(2): 328-332. Exclude-Intervention Prescott, S. L., J. A. Dunstan, et al. (2005). "Clinical effects of probiotics are associated with increased interferon-gamma responses in very young children with atopic dermatitis." Clin Exp Allergy 35(12): 1557-1564. Exclude-NoAE Prescott, S. L., K. Wickens, et al. (2008). "Supplementation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus or Bifidobacterium lactis probiotics in pregnancy increases cord blood interferon-gamma and breast milk transforming growth factor-beta and immunoglobin A detection." Clin Exp Allergy 38(10): 1606-1614. Exclude-NoAE Prescott, S. L., J. Wiltschut, et al. (2008). "Early markers of allergic disease in a primary prevention study using probiotics: 2.5-year follow-up phase." Allergy 63(11): 1481-1490. Exclude-NoAE Preter, V. d., H. Raemen, et al. (2008). "Effect of dietary intervention with different pre- and probiotics on intestinal bacterial enzyme activities." European journal of clinical nutrition 62(2): 225-231. Exclude-NoAE D-60 "Probiotic blocks HIV transmission via breastfeeding." AIDS Patient Care STDS 2008;22(8): 687. Exclude-NoAE "Probiotic normalizes bowel function in IBS." Clinical Infectious Diseases 2006;42(1): iii. Exclude-NoAE "A probiotic strain of Escherichia coli, Nissle 1917, given orally exerts local and systemic antiinflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis in mice." 2009. Exclude-Participants "Probiotic supplements improve atopic dermatitis in infants." Anonymous Nurs Times 2005;101(23): 7. Exclude-Rec Design "Probiotic therapy may prevent necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants." Clinical Infectious Diseases 2005;41(2): IV. Exclude-NoAE "Probiotics and eczema prevention: a randomized study." Nutrition & the M D 2004;30(8): 5-6. Exclude-Design "Probiotics for antibiotic-associated diarrhoea." Bandolier 2002; 9(10): 1-2. Exclude-NoAE "Probiotics in late pregnancy/early infancy confer antiallergy protection." Alternative & Complementary Therapies 2003;9(4): 155-156. Exclude-NoAE Pronio, A., C. Montesani, et al. (2008). "Probiotic administration in patients with ileal pouchanal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis is associated with expansion of mucosal regulatory cells." Inflamm Bowel Dis 14(5): 662-668. Exclude-NoAE Qin, H., J. Zheng, et al. (2008). "Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum enteral feeding on the gut permeability and septic complications in the patients with acute pancreatitis." European Journal of Clinical Nutrion 62(7): 923-930. Exclude-Rec NoAE Qualia, C. and A. Bousvaros (2010). "Probiotic for new onset ulcerative colitis in children: baby's got bac(teria)." Inflamm Bowel Dis 16(1): 177-178. Exclude-Design Quigley, E. M., A. Wald, et al. (2006). "Safety and tolerability of tegaserod in patients with chronic constipation: pooled data from two phase III studies." Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 4(5): 605-613. Exclude-Intervention Quliyev, N. and N. Huseynova (2007). "Dynamics of immune indices at newborn with intestinal dysbacteriosis during treatment by probiotics." Azerbaijan Medical Journal 4: 110-112. ExcludeNoAE (Azerbaijani) Radke, M. (2009). "Pro- and prebiotics for nutrition of preterm infants and newborns." Padiatrische Praxis 73(1): 49-57. Exclude-NoAE (Foreign Language) Rafeey, M., A. Ostadrahimi, et al. (2008). "Lactobacillus acidophilus yogurt and supplement in children with acute diarrhea: A clinical trial." Research Journal of Medical Sciences 2(1): 13-18. Exclude-NoAE Rafter, J. (2003). "Probiotics and colon cancer." Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 17(5): 849 859. Exclude-Design Rahimi, R., S. Nikfar, et al. (2008). "A meta-analysis on the efficacy of probiotics for maintenance of remission and prevention of clinical and endoscopic relapse in Crohn's disease." Dig Dis Sci 53(9): 2524-2531. Exclude-NoAE D-61 Rahman, M. (1982). "Chest infection caused by Lactobacillus casei ss rhamnosus." Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 284(6314): 471-472. Exclude-Intervention Rahman, S. H., J. A. Catton, et al. (2003). "Letter 2: Randomized clinical trial of specific lactobacillus and fibre supplement to early enteral nutrition in patients with acute pancreatitis (Br J Surg 2002; 89: 1103-1107)." Br J Surg 90(1): 123. Exclude-NoAE Rajala, S. A., S. J. Salminen, et al. (1988). "Treatment of chronic constipation with lactitol sweetened yoghurt supplemented with guar gum and wheat bran in elderly hospital in-patients." Compr Gerontol A 2(2): 83-86. Exclude-Rec Intervention Rakov, A. L., V. B. Grinevich, et al. (2006). "[Clinical efficacy of probiotics in complex treatment of called-up servicemen with community-acquired pneumonia]." Voen Med Zh 327(4): 15-22. Exclude-Rec Intervention (Russian) Rapoport, L. and W. I. Levine (1965). "Treatment of oral ulceration with lactobacillus tablets. Report of forty cases." Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 20(5): 591-593. Exclude-NoAE Rautanen, T., E. Isolauri, et al. (1998). "Management of acute diarrhoea with low osmolarity oral rehydration solutions and Lactobacillus strain GG." Arch Dis Child 79(2): 157-160. ExcludeNoAE Rautava, S., H. Arvilommi, et al. (2006). "Specific probiotics in enhancing maturation of IgA responses in formula-fed infants." Pediatr Res 60(2): 221-224. Exclude-NoAE Rautava, S., S. Salminen, et al. (2009). "Specific probiotics in reducing the risk of acute infections in infancy--a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study." Br J Nutr 101(11): 1722-1726. Exclude-Duplicate 3761 Rayes, N. (2004). "Lactobacilli and fibers -- a strong couple against bacterial infections in patients with major abdominal surgery." Nutrition 20(6): 579-580. Exclude-NoAE Raza, S., S. M. Graham, et al. (1995). "Lactobacillus GG promotes recovery from acute nonbloody diarrhea in Pakistan." Pediatr Infect Dis J 14(2): 107-111. Exclude-NoAE "Recurrent septicemia in an immunocompromised patient due to probiotic strains of Bacillus subtilis [2]." Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1998;36(1): 32. Exclude-Duplicate 679 Reddy, B. S., J. Macfie, et al. (2007). "Randomized clinical trial of effect of synbiotics, neomycin and mechanical bowel preparation on intestinal barrier function in patients undergoing colectomy." Br J Surg 94(5): 546-554. Exclude-Rec NoAE Reddy, B. S. and A. Rivenson (1993). "Inhibitory effect of Bifidobacterium longum on colon, mammary, and liver carcinogenesis induced by 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline, a food mutagen." Cancer Res 53(17): 3914-3918. Exclude-Participants Reid, G. (1999). "Testing the efficacy of probiotics in: Probiotics: a Critical Review." Horizon Scientific Press: 129-140. Exclude-NoAE Reid, G. (2001). "Probiotic agents to protect the urogenital tract against infection." Am J Clin Nutr 73(2 Suppl): 437S-443S. Exclude-NoAE Reid, G., A. W. Bruce, et al. (1990). "Is there a role for lactobacilli in prevention of urogenital and intestinal infections?" Clin Microbiol Rev 3(4): 335-344. Exclude-NoAE D-62 Reid, G. and J. Burton (2002). "Use of Lactobacillus to prevent infection by pathogenic bacteria." Microbes Infect 4(3): 319-324. Exclude-NoAE Reid, G., J. Burton, et al. (2004). "Nucleic acid-based diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis and improved management using probiotic lactobacilli." J Med Food 7(2): 223-228. Exclude-NoAE Reid, G. and J. A. Hammond (2004). "Beware of "natural" products." Can Fam Physician 50: 1081. Exclude-NoAE Reiff, C., M. Delday, et al. (2009). "Balancing inflammatory, lipid, and xenobiotic signaling pathways by VSL#3, a biotherapeutic agent, in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease." Inflamm Bowel Dis 15(11): 1721-1736. Exclude-Participants Rembacken, B. J., A. M. Snelling, et al. (1999). "Non-pathogenic Escherichia coli versus mesalazine for the treatment of ulcerative colitis: a randomised trial." Lancet 354(9179): 635 639. Exclude-Genus Resbeut, M., P. Marteau, et al. (1997). "A randomized double blind placebo controlled multicenter study of mesalazine for the prevention of acute radiation enteritis." Radiother Oncol 44(1): 59-63. Exclude-Intervention Reuter, G. (2001). "The Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium microflora of the human intestine: composition and succession." Curr Issues Intest Microbiol 2(2): 43-53. Exclude-Intervention Ribeiro, H. and J. Vanderhoof (1998, May 27-30). "Reduction of diarrheal illness following adminstration of Lactobacillus plantarum 299V in a day care facility, Abstract #P162." 5th Joint Meeting of ESPGHAN and NADPGN, Toulouse, France. Exclude-Rec NoAE Ridwan, B. U., C. J. Koning, et al. (2008). "Antimicrobial activity of a multispecies probiotic (Ecologic 641) against pathogens isolated from infected pancreatic necrosis." Lett Appl Microbiol 46(1): 61-67. Exclude-Participants Rincon Sanchez, A. R. and A. M. Rivas-Estilla (2006). "Role of probiotics in hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury." J Gastroenterol Hepatol 21(4): 629-631. Exclude-NoAE Rinne, M., M. Kalliomaki, et al. (2005). "Effect of probiotics and breastfeeding on the bifidobacterium and lactobacillus/enterococcus microbiota and humoral immune responses." J Pediatr 147(2): 186-191. Exclude-NoAE Rinne, M., M. Kalliomaki, et al. (2006). "Probiotic intervention in the first months of life: shortterm effects on gastrointestinal symptoms and long-term effects on gut microbiota." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 43(2): 200-205. Exclude-NoAE Rivero, M., A. Roca, et al. (2005). "Effect of a new infant formula enriched with prebiotics, probiotics, nucleotides and LC-PUFA on recovery after infection." Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 569: 186-187. Exclude-NoAE Rizkalla, S. W., J. Luo, et al. (2000). "Chronic consumption of fresh but not heated yogurt improves breath-hydrogen status and short-chain fatty acid profiles: a controlled study in healthy men with or without lactose maldigestion." Am J Clin Nutr 72(6): 1474-1479. Exclude-NoAE D-63 Robertson, J. (2000). "In children receiving antibiotics, does coadministration of Lactobacillus GG reduce the incidence of diarrhea? commentary on Vanderhoof JA, Whitney DB, Antonson DL, et al Lactobacillus GG in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children J PEDIATR 1999;135:564-568." WJM: Western Journal of Medicine 173(6): 397. Exclude-NoAE Robins-Browne, R. M. and M. M. Levine (1981). "The fate of ingested lactobacilli in the proximal small intestine." Am J Clin Nutr 34(4): 514-519. Exclude-NoAE Robinson, E. L. and W. L. Thompson (1952). "Effect on weight gain of the addition of Lactobacillus acidophilus to the formula of newborn infants." J Pediatr 41(4): 395-398. ExcludeNoAE Rochat, F., C. Brown, et al. (2005). "Effect of a formula with adapted protein profile on intestinal microbiota and growth of infants." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 41: 508. Exclude-Intervention Rochat, F., C. Cherbut, et al. (2007). "A whey-predominant formula induces fecal microbiota similar to that found in breast-fed infants." Nutrition research 27(12): 735-740. ExcludeIntervention Rogasi, P. G., S. Vigano, et al. (1998). "Lactobacillus casei pneumonia and sepsis in a patient with AIDS. Case report and review of the literature." Ann Ital Med Int 13(3): 180-182. ExcludeIntervention Rohrenbach, J., A. Matthess, et al. (2009). "Treatment of children with E. coli strain Nissle 1917. Results of a prospective data collection with 668 patients." Padiatrische Praxis 73(4): 645-652. Exclude-Genus Røland, K. D., M. H. Reime, et al. (2010). "Acute pancreatitis and nutrition -- a systematic review of literature [Danish]." Klinisk Sygepleje 24(2): 48-59. Exclude-Design (Danish) Rolfe, R. D. (2000). "The role of probiotic cultures in the control of gastrointestinal health." J Nutr 130(2S Suppl): 396S-402S. Exclude-NoAE Roller, M., Y. Clune, et al. (2007). "Consumption of prebiotic inulin enriched with oligofructose in combination with the probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium lactis has minor effects on selected immune parameters in polypectomised and colon cancer patients." Br J Nutr 97(4): 676-684. Exclude-Rec Participants Roos, K., E. Grahn, et al. (1986). "Evaluation of beta-lactamase activity and microbial interference in treatment failures of acute streptococcal tonsillitis." Scand J Infect Dis 18(4): 313-319. Exclude-Intervention Rosenfeldt, V., E. Benfeldt, et al. (2003). "Effect of probiotic Lactobacillus strains in children with atopic dermatitis." J Allergy Clin Immunol 111(2): 389-395. Exclude-NoAE Rosenfeldt, V., E. Benfeldt, et al. (2004). "Effect of probiotics on gastrointestinal symptoms and small intestinal permeability in children with atopic dermatitis." J Pediatr 145(5): 612-616. Exclude-NoAE Rosenfeldt, V., K. F. Michaelsen, et al. (2002). "Effect of probiotic Lactobacillus strains in young children hospitalized with acute diarrhea." Pediatr Infect Dis J 21(5): 411-416. ExcludeNoAE D-64 Rossouw, J. E., E. M. Burger, et al. (1981). "The effect of skim milk, yoghurt, and full cream milk on human serum lipids." Am J Clin Nutr 34(3): 351-356. Exclude-NoAE Rouge, C., H. Piloquet, et al. (2009). "Oral supplementation with probiotics in very-low-birth weight preterm infants: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Am J Clin Nutr 89(6): 1828-1835. Exclude-Duplicate 5819 Rowland, I. (2004). "Probiotics and colorectal cancer risk." Br J Nutr 91(6): 805-807. ExcludeNoAE Rubaltelli, F., R. Biadaioli, et al. (2000). "Probiotics feeding prevents necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants: a prospective double-blind study." Pediatr Res 47: 346A. Exclude-NoAE Rubinstein, E., E. R. Noriega, et al. (1975). "Fungal endocarditis: analysis of 24 cases and review of the literature." Medicine (Baltimore) 54(4): 331-334. Exclude-Intervention Ruiz-Esquide, F., M. C. Diaz, et al. (2002). "[Verrucous endocarditis secondary to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A case report]." Rev Med Chil 130(10): 1165-1169. Exclude-Rec Intervention Ruiz-Palacios, G., M. Gerrrero, et al. (1996). "Feeding of probiotic for the prevention of community-acquired diarrhea in yougn Mexican children." Ped Res 39(Supp 4): 184A. ExcludeRec NoAE Ruoff, K. L., S. I. Miller, et al. (1989). "Bacteremia with Streptococcus bovis and Streptococcus salivarius: clinical correlates of more accurate identification of isolates." J Clin Microbiol 27(2): 305-308. Exclude-Participants Ruseler-van Embden, J. G., L. M. van Lieshout, et al. (1995). "Inability of Lactobacillus casei strain GG, L. acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium bifidum to degrade intestinal mucus glycoproteins." Scand J Gastroenterol 30(7): 675-680. Exclude-Participants Russell, G., J. Kaplan, et al. (2010). "Fecal bacteriotherapy for relapsing Clostridium difficile infection in a child: a proposed treatment protocol." Pediatrics 126(1): e239-242. Exclude-NoAE Saavedra, J., A. Abi-Hanna, et al. (1998). "Effect of long term consumption of infant formulas with bifidobacteria (B) and S. thermophilus (ST) on stool patterns and diaper rash in infacts." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 27([Abstract 82]): 483. Exclude-NoAE Sadrzadeh-Yeganeh, H., I. Elmadfa, et al. (2010). "The effects of probiotic and conventional yoghurt on lipid profile in women." Br J Nutr 103(12): 1778-1783. Exclude-NoAE "Safety of Lactobacillus strains used as probiotic agents [5] (multiple letters)." 2002. ExcludeDuplicates 1753 Saggioro, A. (2004). "Probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome." J Clin Gastroenterol 38(6 Suppl): S104-106. Exclude-NoAE Saint-Marc, T., L. Rossello-Prats, et al. (1991). "[Efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii in the treatment of diarrhea in AIDS]." Ann Med Interne (Paris) 142(1): 64-65. Exclude-Rec Design Saint-Marc, T., C. Sellem, et al. (1990). "Treatment of chronic diarrhea with saccharomyces boulardii." Int Conf AIDS June 20-23 6(1 (abstract no. Th.B.363)): 212. Exclude-NoAE D-65 Sakata, T., T. Kojima, et al. (1999). "Probiotic preparations dose-dependently increase net production rates of organic acids and decrease that of ammonia by pig cecal bacteria in batch culture." Dig Dis Sci 44(7): 1485-1493. Exclude-Participants Salazar-Lindo, E., D. Figueroa-Quintanilla, et al. (2007). "Effectiveness and safety of Lactobacillus LB in the treatment of mild acute diarrhea in children." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 44(5): 571-576. Exclude-Genus Salminen, E., E. Isolauri, et al. (1995). "Gut microflora in health and disease." Chemotherapy 41: 5-15. Exclude-NoAE Salminen, E., S. Salminen, et al. (1995). "Adverse effects of pelvic radiotherapy." Prog-RadioOncol: 501-504. Exclude-Rec NoAE Salminen, M. K., H. Rautelin, et al. (2004). "Lactobacillus bacteremia, clinical significance, and patient outcome, with special focus on probiotic L. rhamnosus GG." Clin Infect Dis 38(1): 62 69. Exclude-Rec Design Salminen, M. K., H. Rautelin, et al. (2006). "Lactobacillus bacteremia, species identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility of 85 blood isolates." Clin Infect Dis 42(5): e35-44. ExcludeIntervention Salminen, S., C. Bouley, et al. (1998). "Functional food science and gastrointestinal physiology and function." Br J Nutr 80 Suppl 1: S147-171. Exclude-Rec Genus Salminen, S., M. Deighton, et al. (1993). "Lactic acid bacteria in health and disease." Lactic Acid Bacteria: 199-225. Exclude-NoAE Salminen, S., A. Von Wright, et al. (1996b). "Development of selection criteria for probiotic strains to assess their potential in functional foods: A Nordic and European approach." Biosci Microbiol 15: 61-67. Exclude-Design Saltzman, J. R., R. M. Russell, et al. (1999). "A randomized trial of Lactobacillus acidophilus BG2FO4 to treat lactose intolerance." Am J Clin Nutr 69(1): 140-146. Exclude-NoAE Salzano, P., L. Piscopo, et al. (2000). "The role of Lactobacillus casei subspecies Rhamnous GG (ATCC 53103) in the treatment of recurring cystitis and vaginitis and in the prevention of specific cystitis and vaginitis after therapy." 159(2): 59-63. Exclude-NoAE (Italian) Sandborn, W. J., R. McLeod, et al. (1999). "Medical therapy for induction and maintenance of remission in pouchitis: a systematic review." Inflamm Bowel Dis 5(1): 33-39. Exclude-NoAE Sanders, M. E. (2006). "Summary of probiotic activities of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019." J Clin Gastroenterol 40(9): 776-783. Exclude-Rec Design Sang, L. X., B. Chang, et al. (2010). "Remission induction and maintenance effect of probiotics on ulcerative colitis: a meta-analysis." World J Gastroenterol 16(15): 1908-1915. Exclude-NoAE Santen, G. W., R. F. Benus, et al. (2008). "[Probiotic prophylaxis in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and informed consent procedure]." Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 152(28): 1591; author reply 1593-1594. ExcludeRec Design (German) D-66 Santiago, G. L., H. Verstraelen, et al. (2009). "A pilot study evaluating the safety of vaginal administration of a multi-particulate pellet formulation." Eur J Pharm Biopharm 73(3): 399-403. Exclude-Genus Sanz, Y., I. Nadal, et al. (2007). "Probiotics as drugs against human gastrointestinal infections." Recent Pat Antiinfect Drug Discov 2(2): 148-156. Exclude-NoAE Sarker, S. A., S. Sultana, et al. (2005). "Lactobacillus paracasei strain ST11 has no effect on rotavirus but ameliorates the outcome of nonrotavirus diarrhea in children from Bangladesh." Pediatrics 116(2): e221-228. Exclude-NoAE Sartor, R. B. (2004). "Therapeutic manipulation of the enteric microflora in inflammatory bowel diseases: antibiotics, probiotics, and prebiotics." Gastroenterology 126(6): 1620-1633. ExcludeNoAE Sashihara, T., N. Sueki, et al. (2006). "An analysis of the effectiveness of heat-killed lactic acid bacteria in alleviating allergic diseases." J Dairy Sci 89(8): 2846-2855. Exclude-Participants Satoh, Y. (2007). "Bifidobacteria prevents necrotizing enterocolitis and infection in preterm infants." International journal of probiotics 2(2): 149-154. Exclude-NoAE Satta, A., A. Delplano, et al. (1980). "[Treatment of enterocolitis and other intestinal disorders with a Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus combination]." Clin Ter 94(2): 173-184. Exclude-NoAE (Italian) Savaiano, D. A., A. AbouElAnouar, et al. (1984). "Lactose malabsorption from yogurt, pasteurized yogurt, sweet acidophilus milk, and cultured milk in lactase-deficient individuals." Am J Clin Nutr 40(6): 1219-1223. Exclude-Rec NoAE Savino, F., E. Palumeri, et al. (2006). "Reduction of crying episodes owing to infantile colic: A randomized controlled study on the efficacy of a new infant formula." Eur J Clin Nutr 60(11): 1304-1310. Exclude-Intervention Sawada, J., H. Morita, et al. (2007). "Ingestion of heat-treated Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG prevents development of atopic dermatitis in NC/Nga mice." Clin Exp Allergy 37(2): 296-303. Exclude-Participants Saxelin, M. (1997). "Lactobacillus gg. a human probiotic strain with thorough clinical documentation." Food Reviews International 13(2): 293-313. Exclude-NoAE Saxelin, M., M. Ahokas, et al. (1993). "Dose response on the fecal colinzation of Lactobacillus strain GG administered by two different formulations." Microb Ecol Hlth Dis 6: 119-122. Exclude-NoAE Saxelin, M., N. H. Chuang, et al. (1996). "Lactobacilli and bacteremia in southern Finland, 1989 1992." Clin Infect Dis 22(3): 564-566. Exclude-Rec Intervention Saxelin, M., T. Pessi, et al. (1995). "Fecal recovery following oral administration of Lactobacillus strain GG (ATCC 53103) in gelatine capsules to healthy volunteers." Int J Food Microbiol 25(2): 199-203. Exclude-NoAE Saxelin, M., H. Rautelin, et al. (1996). "The safety of commercial products with viable Lactobacillus strains." Infect Dis Clin Prac 5: 331-335. Exclude-Participants D-67 Sazawal, S., U. Dhingra, et al. (2007). "Effects of fortified milk on morbidity in young children in north India: community based, randomised, double masked placebo controlled trial." BMJ 334(7585): 140. Exclude-Genus Sazawal, S., G. Hiremath, et al. (2006). "Efficacy of probiotics in prevention of acute diarrhoea: a meta-analysis of masked, randomised, placebo-controlled trials." Lancet Infect Dis 6(6): 374 382. Exclude-NoAE Scaccianoce, G., A. Zullo, et al. (2008). "Triple therapies plus different probiotics for Helicobacter pylori eradication." Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 12(4): 251-256. Exclude-NoAE Schaberg, D. R., D. H. Culver, et al. (1991). "Major trends in the microbial etiology of nosocomial infection." Am J Med 91(3B): 72S-75S. Exclude-Intervention Schell, M. A., M. Karmirantzou, et al. (2002). "The genome sequence of Bifidobacterium longum reflects its adaptation to the human gastrointestinal tract." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99(22): 14422-14427. Exclude-Participants Schellenberg, D., A. Bonington, et al. (1994). "Treatment of Clostridium difficile diarrhoea with brewer's yeast." Lancet 343(8890): 171-172. Exclude-NoAE Schiffrin, E. J., A. Parlesak, et al. (2009). "Probiotic yogurt in the elderly with intestinal bacterial overgrowth: endotoxaemia and innate immune functions." Br J Nutr 101(7): 961-966. ExcludeNoAE Schiffrin, E. J., F. Rochat, et al. (1995). "Immunomodulation of human blood cells following the ingestion of lactic acid bacteria." J Dairy Sci 78(3): 491-497. Exclude-NoAE Schiffrin, E. J., D. R. Thomas, et al. (2007). "Systemic inflammatory markers in older persons: the effect of oral nutritional supplementation with prebiotics." J Nutr Health Aging 11(6): 475 479. Exclude-Intervention Schlegel, L., S. Lemerle, et al. (1998). "Lactobacillus species as opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised patients." Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 17(12): 887-888. ExcludeIntervention Schlotterer, M., P. Bernasconi, et al. (1987). "Interet de Saccharomyces boulardii dans la tolerance digestive de la nutrition enterale a debit coninu chez le brule." Nutr Clin Metabol 1: 31 34. Exclude-NoAE Schmelzle, H., S. Wirth, et al. (2003). "Randomized double-blind study of the nutritional efficacy and bifidogenicity of a new infant formula containing partially hydrolyzed protein, a high beta-palmitic acid level, and nondigestible oligosaccharides." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 36(3): 343-351. Exclude-Rec Intervention Schmolzer, G., B. Urlesberger, et al. (2006). "Multi-modal approach to prophylaxis of necrotizing enterocolitis: clinical report and review of literature." Pediatr Surg Int 22(7): 573 580. Exclude-NoAE Schneegans, E., A. Haarscher, et al. (1966). "Contribution a l'etude de Bifidobacterinum bifidum. Essais d'implantation chez le nourrisson sain et chez le porteur d'Escherichia coli pathogenes." Sem. Hop. Paris 42 (26/27): 457-462. Exclude-Rec NoAE D-68 Scholtens, P. A., M. S. Alles, et al. (2006). "Bifidogenic effects of solid weaning foods with added prebiotic oligosaccharides: a randomised controlled clinical trial." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 42(5): 553-559. Exclude-Intervention Scholtens, P. A., P. Alliet, et al. (2008). "Fecal secretory immunoglobulin A is increased in healthy infants who receive a formula with short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides." J Nutr 138(6): 1141-1147. Exclude-Intervention Schoon, Y., B. Schuurman, et al. (1998). "Aortic graft infection by Lactobacillus casei: a case report." Neth J Med 52(2): 71-74. Exclude-Intervention Schultz, M. J. (2010). "Symbiotics as a preventive measure against ventilator-associated pneumonia." Crit Care Med 38(6): 1506-1507; author reply 1507. Exclude-Design Schwabb, J. (1993). "Phlogistic properties of peptido-glycan-polysaccharide polymers from cell walls of pathogenic and normal-flora bacteria which colonise humans." Infect Immun(61): 4535 4539. Exclude-Participants Schwan, A., S. Sjolin, et al. (1983). "Relapsing clostridium difficile enterocolitis cured by rectal infusion of homologous faeces." Lancet 2(8354): 845. Exclude-Intervention Schwandt, L. Q., R. van Weissenbruch, et al. (2005). "Effect of dairy products on the lifetime of Provox2 voice prostheses in vitro and in vivo." Head Neck 27(6): 471-477. Exclude-NoAE Scribano, M. L. and P. C. (2004). "Use of antibiotics and probiotics in inflammatory bowel disease." EOS Rivista di Immunologia ed Immunofarmacologia 24(1-2): 44-51. Exclude-NoAE Sedman, P. C., J. Macfie, et al. (1994). "The prevalence of gut translocation in humans." Gastroenterology 107(3): 643-649. Exclude-Intervention See, J. (2006). "Lactobacillus endocarditis: Case report and literature review." Exclude-Rec Genus Segawa, S., Y. Nakakita, et al. (2008). "Effect of oral administration of heat-killed Lactobacillus brevis SBC8803 on total and ovalbumin-specific immunoglobulin E production through the improvement of Th1/Th2 balance." Int J Food Microbiol 121(1): 1-10. Exclude-Participants Seguela, J., J. Massot, et al. (1978). "Action d'un Saccharomyces lors d'une infestaton experimentale a Candida Albicans chez le rat normal et le rat traite par antibiotiques." Bulletin de la Societe Myc. Med. VII: 199. Exclude-Participants (French) Seidel, C., V. Boehm, et al. (2007). "Influence of prebiotics and antioxidants in bread on the immune system, antioxidative status and antioxidative capacity in male smokers and non smokers." Br J Nutr 97(2): 349-356. Exclude-Intervention Seki, H., M. Shiohara, et al. (2003). "Prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children by Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI." Pediatr Int 45(1): 86-90. Exclude-Genus Semmo, N. (2007). "Probiotic drink prevents antibiotic associated diarrhea." Zeitschrift fur Gastoenterologie 45(11): 1110. Exclude-Rec Design (Foreign Language) Sen, S., M. Mullan, et al. (2002). "Effect of lactobacillus plantarum 299v on colonic fermentation and symptoms or irritable bowel syndrome." Dig Dis Sci 47: 2615. Exclude-NoAE Senok, A. C., V. H., et al. (2006). "Probiotics for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 4. Exclude-Design D-69 Senok, A. C., A. Y. Ismaeel, et al. (2005). "Probiotics: facts and myths." Clin Microbiol Infect 11(12): 958-966. Exclude-Rec NoAE Sensenig, J., M. Johnson, et al. (2001). "Treatment of migraine with targeted nutrition focused on improved assimilation and elimination." Altern Med Rev 6(5): 488-494. Exclude-NoAE Sentongo, T. A., V. Cohran, et al. (2008). "Intestinal permeability and effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus therapy in children with short bowel syndrome." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 46(1): 41-47. Exclude-NoAE Sepp, E., K. Julge, et al. (1997). "Intestinal microflora of Estonian and Swedish infants." Acta Paediatr 86(9): 956-961. Exclude-Intervention Sepp, E., M. Mikelsaar, et al. (1993). "Effect of administration of Lactobacillus casei strain GG on the gastrointestinal microbiota of newborns." Microbila Ecology in Health and Disease 6: 309-314. Exclude-NoAE Sethi, N. and W. Mandell (1988). "Saccharomyces fungemia in a patient with AIDS." N Y State J Med 88(5): 278-279. Exclude-Intervention Shadid, R., M. Haarman, et al. (2007). "Effects of galactooligosaccharide and long-chain fructooligosaccharide supplementation during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal microbiota and immunity--a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study." Am J Clin Nutr 86(5): 1426-1437. Exclude-Intervention Shah, U. and W. A. Walker (2000). "Adverse host responses to bacterial toxins in human infants." J Nutr 130(2S Suppl): 420S-425S. Exclude-Design Shalev, E. (2002). "Ingestion of probiotics: optional treatment of bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy." Isr Med Assoc J 4(5): 357-360. Exclude-NoAE Shamir, R., I. R. Makhoul, et al. (2005). "Evaluation of a diet containing probiotics and zinc for the treatment of mild diarrheal illness in children younger than one year of age." J Am Coll Nutr 24(5): 370-375. Exclude-NoAE Shanahan, F. (2002). "Probiotics and inflammatory bowel disease: from fads and fantasy to facts and future." Br J Nutr 88 Suppl 1: S5-9. Exclude-NoAE Sharma, J., C. Chanana, et al. (2007). "Comparison of ofloxacin & ornidazole with probiotic versus doxycycline & metronidazole for the outpatient treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease." JK Science 9(2): 66-69. Exclude-NoAE Sharma, J. K., K. K. Kapoor, et al. (1980). "Clinical trial of Sporlac in the treatment of recurrent aphthous ulceration." Uttar Pradesh State Dent J 11(1): 7-12. Exclude-NoAE Shaughnessy, A. (2003). "Can probiotics decrease the likelihood of antibiotic-associated diarrhea?" Evidence-Based Practice 6(2): 3, 2. Exclude-NoAE Shaw, L. (2006). "Effects of probiotics on atopic dermatitis." Arch Dis Child 91(4): 373. Exclude-NoAE Sheen, P., R. A. Oberhelman, et al. (1995). "Short report: a placebo-controlled study of Lactobacillus GG colonization in one-to-three-year-old Peruvian children." Am J Trop Med Hyg 52(5): 389-392. Exclude-Rec NoAE D-70 Shen, D. H., C. R. Shi, et al. (2009). "Detection of intestinal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in patients with Hirschsprung's disease associated enterocolitis." World J Pediatr 5(3): 201-205. Exclude-Intervention Shen, J., H. Z. Ran, et al. (2009). "Meta-analysis: the effect and adverse events of Lactobacilli versus placebo in maintenance therapy for Crohn disease (Structured abstract)." Internal Medicine Journal(2): 103-109. Exclude-Duplicate 7295 Shermak, M. A., J. M. Saavedra, et al. (1995). "Effect of yogurt on symptoms and kinetics of hydrogen production in lactose-malabsorbing children." Am J Clin Nutr 62(5): 1003-1006. Exclude-NoAE Sherman, M. E., M. Albrecht, et al. (1987). "An unusual case of splenic abscess and sepsis in an immunocompromised host." Am J Clin Pathol 88(5): 659-662. Exclude-Design Sheu, B., J. Wu, et al. (2002). "Impact of supplement with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria containing yogurt on triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 16: 1669-1675. Exclude-Duplicate 1749 Sheu, B. S., J. J. Wu, et al. (2002). "Impact of supplement with Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium-containing yogurt on triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 16(9): 1669-1675. Exclude-NoAE Shiau, S. L., B. H. Su, et al. (2007). "Possible effect of probiotics and breast milk in short bowel syndrome: report of one case." Acta Paediatr Taiwan 48(2): 89-92. Exclude-NoAE Shibolet, O., F. Karmeli, et al. (1999). "Probiotics ameliorates iodoacetamide induced colitis." Gastroenterology 116: A818. Exclude-Participants Shimizu, R. and H. Haruna (2002). "Effects of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL 2716 (LG21) on Helicobacter pylori infection in children [5]." J Antimicrob Chemother 50(4): 617-618. ExcludeNoAE Shinefield, H. R., J. C. Ribble, et al. (1971). "Bacterial interference between strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 1960 to 1970." Am J Dis Child 121(2): 148-152. Exclude-Genus Shlaes, D. M., J. Levy, et al. (1981). "Enterococcal bacteremia without endocarditis." Arch Intern Med 141(5): 578-581. Exclude-Intervention Shornikova, A. V., I. A. Casas, et al. (1997). "Lactobacillus reuteri as a therapeutic agent in acute diarrhea in young children." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 24(4): 399-404. Exclude-NoAE Shornikova, A. V., E. Isolauri, et al. (1997). "A trial in the Karelian Republic of oral rehydration and Lactobacillus GG for treatment of acute diarrhoea." Acta Paediatr 86(5): 460-465. ExcludeNoAE Shteyer, E. and M. Wilschanski (2008). "Novel therapeutic modalities in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease." Isr Med Assoc J 10(11): 816-820. Exclude-NoAE Sicherer, S. H. and L. S. Ford (2009). "Probiotic supplementation in the first 6 months of life in at risk Asian infants: Effects on eczema and atopic sensitization at the age of 1 year." Pediatrics 124(SUPPL. 2): S112. Exclude-Duplicate 5858 D-71 Siegman-Igra, Y., J. Lavochkin, et al. (1983). "Meningitis and bacteremia due to Bacillus cereus. A case report and a review of Bacillus infections." Isr J Med Sci 19(6): 546-551. ExcludeIntervention Siitonen, S., H. Vapaatalo, et al. (1990). "Effect of Lactobacillus GG yoghurt in prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhoea." Ann Med 22(1): 57-59. Exclude-NoAE Silk, D. B., A. Davis, et al. (2009). "Clinical trial: the effects of a trans-galactooligosaccharide prebiotic on faecal microbiota and symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 29(5): 508-518. Exclude-Intervention Silva, M. R., G. Dias, et al. (2008). "Growth of preschool children was improved when fed an iron-fortified fermented milk beverage supplemented with Lactobacillus acidophilus." Nutr Res 28(4): 226-232. Exclude-NoAE Simakachorn, N., V. Pichaipat, et al. (2000). "Clinical evaluation of the addition of lyophilized, heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus LB to oral rehydration therapy in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 30(1): 68-72. Exclude-Rec NoAE Simark-Mattsson, C., C. G. Emilson, et al. (2007). "Lactobacillus-mediated interference of mutans streptococci in caries-free vs. caries-active subjects." Eur J Oral Sci 115(4): 308-314. Exclude-Design Simren, M., A. Syrous, et al. (2006). "Effects of Lactobacillus Plantarum 299V on symptoms and rectal sensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - a randomized double blind controlled trial." Gastroenterology 130(Suppl 2): A600. Exclude-Rec NoAE Singh, T. (1987). "Yoghurt feeding during acute diarrhea." Indian Pediatr 24(6): 530. ExcludeNoAE Sistek, D., R. Kelly, et al. (2006). "Is the effect of probiotics on atopic dermatitis confined to food sensitized children?" Clin Exp Allergy 36(5): 629-633. Exclude-NoAE Slonim, A. E., M. Grovit, et al. (2009). "Effect of exclusion diet with nutraceutical therapy in juvenile Crohn's disease." J Am Coll Nutr 28(3): 277-285. Exclude-NoAE Smith, D., D. Metzgar, et al. (2002). "Fatal Saccharomyces cerevisiae aortic graft infection." J Clin Microbiol 40(7): 2691-2692. Exclude-Intervention Sobel, J. D., J. Vazquez, et al. (1993). "Vaginitis due to Saccharomyces cerevisiae: epidemiology, clinical aspects, and therapy." Clin Infect Dis 16(1): 93-99. Exclude-Intervention Socha, J., A. Stolarczyk, et al. (2002). "Role of bifidobacteria in prophylaxis and treatment of selected diseases in children." 4(1): 47-47. Exclude-Design (Polish) Soh, S. E., M. Aw, et al. (2009). "Probiotic supplementation in the first 6 months of life in at risk Asian infants--effects on eczema and atopic sensitization at the age of 1 year." Clin Exp Allergy 39(4): 571-578. Exclude-NoAE Soh, S. E., M. Aw, et al. (2009). "Probiotic supplementation in the first 6 months of life in at risk Asian infants - Effects on eczema and atopic sensitization at the age of 1 year." Clinical and Experimental Allergy 39(4): 571-578. Exclude-Duplicate 5858 D-72 Soh, S. E., D. Q. Ong, et al. (2010). "Effect of probiotic supplementation in the first 6 months of life on specific antibody responses to infant Hepatitis B vaccination." Vaccine 28(14): 2577 2579. Exclude-NoAE Sokic-Milutinovic, A. (2009). "Therapeutic role of probiotics in gastroenterology." Arhiv za Farmaciju 59(2-3): 182-197. Exclude-Design Soleman, N., H. Laferl, et al. (2003). "How safe is safe?--a case of Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei endocarditis and discussion of the safety of lactic acid bacteria." Scand J Infect Dis 35(10): 759-762. Exclude-Rec Design Sorokulova, I., I. Pinchuk, et al. (2008). "The safety of two Bacillus probiotic strains for human use." Exclude-Participants Sorokulova, I. B. (1998). "[The safety and reactogenicity of the new probiotic subalin for volunteers]." Mikrobiol Z 60(1): 43-46. Exclude-Rec Intervention (Russian) Spindler-Vesel, A., S. Bengmark, et al. (2007). "Synbiotics, prebiotics, glutamine, or peptide in early enteral nutrition: a randomized study in trauma patients." JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 31(2): 119-126. Exclude-NoAE Spinosa, M. R., T. Braccini, et al. (2000). "On the fate of ingested Bacillus spores." Res Microbiol 151(5): 361-368. Exclude-Participants Sramek, V., L. Dadka, et al. (2007). "Impact of addition of synbiotics (Synbiotic 2000 Forte) to enteral nutrition on the course of MODS, occurrence of sepsis, immune status and gut function in long-term critically ill patients." Anestesiologie a Intenzivni Medicina 18(3): 157-163. ExcludeNoAE (Foreign Language) Srinivasjois, R., S. Rao, et al. (2009). "Prebiotic supplementation of formula in preterm neonates: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials." Clin Nutr. ExcludeIntervention Sriskandan, S., S. Lacey, et al. (1993). "Isolation of vancomycin-resistant lactobacilli from three neutropenic patients with pneumonia." Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 12(8): 649-650. ExcludeIntervention Staab, B., S. Eick, et al. (2009). "The influence of a probiotic milk drink on the development of gingivitis: a pilot study." J Clin Periodontol 36(10): 850-856. Exclude-NoAE Stein, G. Y., R. Nanim, et al. (2007). "[Probiotics as prophylactic agents against antibioticassociated diarrhea in hospitalized patients]." Harefuah 146(7): 520-522, 575. Exclude-NoAE (Hebrew) Stein, P. D., A. T. Folkens, et al. (1970). "Saccharomyces fungemia." Chest 58(2): 173-175. Exclude-Intervention Stewart-Tuli, D. (1980). "The immunological activities of bacterial peptidoglycans." Annual Review of Microbiology 34: 311-340. Exclude-Intervention Stjernquist-Desatnik, A., H. Warfving, et al. (2000). "Persistence of Lactobacillus plantarum DSM 9843 on human tonsillar surface after oral administration in fermented oatmeal gruel. A pilot study." Acta Otolaryngol Suppl 543: 215-219. Exclude-NoAE D-73 St-Onge, M. P., E. R. Farnworth, et al. (2002). "Kefir consumption does not alter plasma lipid levels or cholesterol fractional synthesis rates relative to milk in hyperlipidemic men: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN10820810]." BMC Complement Altern Med 2: 1. ExcludeGenus Strus, M. (1997). "[The significance of lactic acid bacteria in treatment and prophylaxis of digestive tract disorders]." Postepy Hig Med Dosw 51(6): 605-619. Exclude-Rec Design Sudarmo, S. M., R. G. Ranuh, et al. (2003). "Management of infant diarrhea with high-lactose probiotic-containing formula." Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 34(4): 845-848. Exclude-NoAE Sullivan, A., C. E. Nord, et al. (2009). "Effect of supplement with lactic-acid producing bacteria on fatigue and physical activity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome." Nutr J 8: 4. ExcludeNoAE Sumner, S. S., M. W. Speckhard, et al. (1985). "Isolation of histamine-producing Lactobacillus buchneri from Swiss cheese implicated in a food poisoning outbreak." Appl Environ Microbiol 50(4): 1094-1096. Exclude-Intervention Sun, S., K. Yang, et al. (2009). "Probiotics in patients with severe acute pancreatitis: a meta analysis." Langenbecks Arch Surg 394(1): 171-177. Exclude-Duplicate 15430 Surakka, A., K. Kajander, et al. (2009). "Yoghurt containing galactooligosaccharides facilitates defecation among elderly subjects and selectively increases the number of bifidobacteria." Int J of Probiotics and Prebiotics 4(1): 65-74. Exclude-Genus Surawicz, C. M. (2004). "Treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated disease." Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol 1(1): 32-38. Exclude-NoAE Sussman, J. I., E. J. Baron, et al. (1986). "Clinical manifestations and therapy of Lactobacillus endocarditis: report of a case and review of the literature." Rev Infect Dis 8(5): 771-776. Exclude-Intervention Sutas, Y., M. Hurme, et al. (1996). "Down-regulation of anti-CD3 antibody-induced IL-4 production by bovine caseins hydrolysed with Lactobacillus GG-derived enzymes." Scand J Immunol 43(6): 687-689. Exclude-Intervention Suzuki, A., K. Mitsuyama, et al. (2006). "Bifidogenic growth stimulator for the treatment of active ulcerative colitis: a pilot study." Nutrition 22(1): 76-81. Exclude-Intervention Swenson, J. M., R. R. Facklam, et al. (1990). "Antimicrobial susceptibility of vancomycin resistant Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Lactobacillus species." Antimicrob Agents Chemother 34(4): 543-549. Exclude-Intervention Szajewska, H., P. Albrecht, et al. (2009). "Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial: effect of lactobacillus GG supplementation on Helicobacter pylori eradication rates and side effects during treatment in children." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 48(4): 431-436. ExcludeNoAE Szajewska, H. and J. Mrukowicz (2002). "Analysis of evidence for clinical efficacy of probiotic products registered in Poland in the treatment and prevention of acute infectious diarrhea in infants and young children." Pediatira Polska 6: 495-500. Exclude-Design (Polish) D-74 Szajewska, H. and J. Z. Mrukowicz (2003). "Probiotics in prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea: meta-analysis." J Pediatr 142(1): 85. Exclude-NoAE Tabbers, M. (2009). "Effect of the consumption of a fermented dairy product containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 on constipation in childhood: A multicentre randomised controlled trial (NTRTC: 1571)." BMC Pediatrics. Exclude-Design Tae, C. H., S. A. Jung, et al. (2009). "The first case of antibiotic-associated colitis by Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 027 in Korea." J Korean Med Sci 24(3): 520-524. Exclude-NoAE Tailor, S. A., E. M. Bailey, et al. (1993). "Enterococcus, an emerging pathogen." Ann Pharmacother 27(10): 1231-1242. Exclude-Intervention Takacs, G. (1994). "Klinikai tapasztalatok GENIA-92 huvelykuppal." Magy Noorv L 57: 185 187. Exclude-Intervention Takahashi, O., Y. Noguchi, et al. (2007). "Probiotics in the prevention of traveler's diarrhea: meta-analysis." J Clin Gastroenterol 41(3): 336-337. Exclude-NoAE Takayama, F., K. Taki, et al. (2003). "Bifidobacterium in gastro-resistant seamless capsule reduces serum levels of indoxyl sulfate in patients on hemodialysis." Am J Kidney Dis 41(3 Suppl 1): S142-145. Exclude-NoAE Tambot, H. G., I. Yu, et al. (2010). "Lactobacillus gasseri: A rare and fatal case of Fournier gangrene in a diabetic woman." Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice 18(2): 132-134. ExcludeDuplicate Tanaka, R. (1996). "The effects of the ingestion of fermented mile with Lactobacillus casi Shirota on the gastrointestinal microbial ecology in health volunteers " Gut Flora and Health-Past, Present and Future 219: 37-45. Exclude-NoAE Tanaka, R., H. Takayama, et al. (1983). "Effects of administration of TOS and Bifidobacterium breve 4006 on the human fecal flora." Bifidobacteria Microflora 2: 17-24. Exclude-Participants Taniuchi, S., K. Hattori, et al. (2005). "Administration of Bifidobacterium to infants with atopic dermatitis: changes in fecal microflora and clinical symptoms." Journal of Applied Research 5(2): 387-396. Exclude-NoAE Tankanow, R. M., M. B. Ross, et al. (1990). "A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy of Lactinex in the prophylaxis of amoxicillin-induced diarrhea." DICP 24(4): 382-384. Exclude-Rec NoAE Tannock, G. W., K. Munro, et al. (2000). "Analysis of the fecal microflora of human subjects consuming a probiotic product containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus DR20." Appl Environ Microbiol 66(6): 2578-2588. Exclude-NoAE Tawfik, O. W., C. J. Papasian, et al. (1989). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae pneumonia in a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome." J Clin Microbiol 27(7): 1689-1691. ExcludeIntervention Taylor, A., J. Hale, et al. (2006). "Evaluation of the effects of probiotic supplementation from the neonatal period on innate immune development in infancy." Clin Exp Allergy 36(10): 1218 1226. Exclude-NoAE D-75 Taylor, A. L., J. Hale, et al. (2006). "Effects of probiotic supplementation for the first 6 months of life on allergen- and vaccine-specific immune responses." Clin Exp Allergy 36(10): 1227 1235. Exclude-NoAE Taylor, G. D., M. Buchanan-Chell, et al. (1994). "Trends and sources of nosocomial fungaemia." Mycoses 37(5-6): 187-190. Exclude-Intervention Tel'nykh, R. (2008). "[Use of biologically active preparations in prevention of complication in patients with open traumatic mandible fractures]." Stomatologiia (Mosk) 87(4): 56-58. ExcludeGenus (Russian) Tempe, J. D., A. L. Steidel, et al. (1983). "[Prevention of diarrhea administering Saccharomyces boulardii during continuous enteral feeding]." Sem Hop 59(18): 1409-1412. Exclude-NoAE Teran, C. G., C. N. Teran-Escalera, et al. (2009). "Nitazoxanide vs. probiotics for the treatment of acute rotavirus diarrhea in children: a randomized, single-blind, controlled trial in Bolivian children." Int J Infect Dis 13(4): 518-523. Exclude-Duplicate 5482 Teughels, W., S. Kinder Haake, et al. (2007). "Bacteria interfere with A. actinomycetemcomitans colonization." J Dent Res 86(7): 611-617. Exclude-Participants Teughels, W., M. G. Newman, et al. (2007). "Guiding periodontal pocket recolonization: a proof of concept." J Dent Res 86(11): 1078-1082. Exclude-Participants Theunissen, J., T. J. Britz, et al. (2005). "Identification of probiotic microorganisms in South African products using PCR-based DGGE analysis." Int J Food Microbiol 98(1): 11-21. Exclude-Intervention Thibault, H., C. Aubert-Jacquin, et al. (2004). "Effects of long-term consumption of a fermented infant formula (with Bifidobacterium breve c50 and Streptococcus thermophilus 065) on acute diarrhea in healthy infants." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 39(2): 147-152. Exclude-Genus Thompson, C., Y. S. McCarter, et al. (2001). "Lactobacillus acidophilus sepsis in a neonate." J Perinatol 21(4): 258-260. Exclude-Intervention Thompson, W. G. (2001). "Probiotics for irritable bowel syndrome: a light in the darkness?" Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 13(10): 1135-1136. Exclude-Rec NoAE Thompson-Chagoyan, O. C., J. M. Vieites, et al. (2010). "Changes in faecal microbiota of infants with cow's milk protein allergy - A Spanish prospective case-control 6-month follow-up study." Pediatric Allergy and Immunology 21(2 PART 2): e394-e400. Exclude-NoAE Thulkar, J., A. Kriplani, et al. (2010). "Probiotic and metronidazole treatment for recurrent bacterial vaginosis." Int J Gynaecol Obstet 108(3): 251-252. Exclude-NoAE Tiballi, R. N., J. E. Spiegel, et al. (1995). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae infections and antifungal susceptibility studies by colorimetric and broth macrodilution methods." Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 23(4): 135-140. Exclude-Intervention Timmerman, H. M., C. J. Koning, et al. (2004). "Monostrain, multistrain and multispecies probiotics--A comparison of functionality and efficacy." Int J Food Microbiol 96(3): 219-233. Exclude-NoAE D-76 Tiollier, E., M. Chennaoui, et al. (2007). "Effect of a probiotics supplementation on respiratory infections and immune and hormonal parameters during intense military training." Mil Med 172(9): 1006-1011. Exclude-NoAE Tleyjeh, I. M., J. Routh, et al. (2004). "Lactobacillus gasseri causing Fournier's gangrene." Scand J Infect Dis 36(6-7): 501-503. Exclude-Intervention Tojyo, M., T. Oikawa, et al. (1987). "The effects of Bifido-bacterium breve administration on Campylobacter enteritis." Acta Paediatr Jpn 29: 160-167. Exclude-NoAE Tompkins, T. A., K. E. Hagen, et al. (2008). "Safety evaluation of two bacterial strains used in Asian probiotic products." Can J Microbiol 54(5): 391-400. Exclude-Participants Tong, J. L., Z. H. Ran, et al. (2007). "Meta-analysis: the effect of supplementation with probiotics on eradication rates and adverse events during Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 25(2): 155-168. Exclude-NoAE Torii, A., S. Torii, et al. (2007). "Lactobacillus Acidophilus strain L-92 regulates the production of Th1 cytokine as well as Th2 cytokines." Allergol Int 56(3): 293-301. Exclude-Participants Touhami, M., G. Boudraa, et al. (1992). "[Clinical consequences of replacing milk with yogurt in persistent infantile diarrhea]." Ann Pediatr (Paris) 39(2): 79-86. Exclude-Rec Genus (French) Tournut, J. (1986). "Bacterial neonatal gastroenteritis probiotics efficiency in prophylaxis." Microbiologie Aliments Nutrition 4(2): 101-106. Exclude-Participants Trapp, C., C. Chang, et al. (1993). "The influence of chronic yogurt consumption on populations of yound and elderly adults." Int J Immunotherapy 9: 53-64. Exclude-Rec Genus Trois, L., E. M. Cardoso, et al. (2008). "Use of probiotics in HIV-infected children: a randomized double-blind controlled study." J Trop Pediatr 54(1): 19-24. Exclude-NoAE Tsangalis, D., G. Wilcox, et al. (2007). "Urinary excretion of equol by postmenopausal women consuming soymilk fermented by probiotic bifidobacteria." Eur J Clin Nutr 61(3): 438-441. Exclude-NoAE Tsangalis, D., G. Wilcox, et al. (2005). "Bioavailability of isoflavone phytoestrogens in postmenopausal women consuming soya milk fermented with probiotic bifidobacteria." Br J Nutr 93(6): 867-877. Exclude-NoAE Tsubura, S., H. Mizunuma, et al. (2009). "The effect of Bacillus subtilis mouth rinsing in patients with periodontitis." Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 28(11): 1353-1356. Exclude-NoAE Tsuda, Y., Y. Yoshimatsu, et al. (2007). "Clinical effectiveness of probiotics therapy (BIO THREE) in patients with ulcerative colitis refractory to conventional therapy." Scand J Gastroenterol 42(11): 1306-1311. Exclude-NoAE Tsvetkov, K., P. Vasileva, et al. (2007). "[Probiotics in the treatment and prevention of bacterial vaginosis relapses]." Akush Ginekol (Sofiia) 46 Suppl 2: 41-44. Exclude-NoAE (Ukranian) Tuazon, C. U., H. W. Murray, et al. (1979). "Serious infections from Bacillus sp." JAMA 241(11): 1137-1140. Exclude-Intervention Tuohy, K. M., M. Pinart-Gilberga, et al. (2007). "Survivability of a probiotic Lactobacillus casei in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy human volunteers and its impact on the faecal microflora." J Appl Microbiol 102(4): 1026-1032. Exclude-NoAE D-77 Tuomilehto, J., J. Lindstrom, et al. (2004). "Effect of ingesting sour milk fermented using Lactobacillus helveticus bacteria producing tripeptides on blood pressure in subjects with mild hypertension." Journal of Human Hypertension 18(11): 795-802. Exclude-NoAE Tursi, A., G. Brandimarte, et al. (2004). "Effect of Lactobacillus casei supplementation on the effectiveness and tolerability of a new second-line 10-day quadruple therapy after failure of a first attempt to cure Helicobacter pylori infection." Med Sci Monit 10(12): CR662-666. ExcludeNoAE Tvede, M. and J. Rask-Madsen (1989). "Bacteriotherapy for chronic relapsing Clostridium difficile diarrhoea in six patients." Lancet 1(8648): 1156-1160. Exclude-Genus Tynkkynen, S., K. V. Singh, et al. (1998). "Vancomycin resistance factor of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in relation to enterococcal vancomycin resistance (van) genes." Int J Food Microbiol 41(3): 195-204. Exclude-Participants Ubeda, P., A. Viudes, et al. (2000). "Endocarditis por Saccharomyces cerevisiae sobre valvula protesica." Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 18: 142. Exclude-Intervention Ubeda, P., A. Viudes, et al. (2001). "Endocarditis infecciosa por levaduras." Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 19: 500-502. Exclude-Rec Intervention Uchida, H., H. Yamamoto, et al. (2004). "D-lactic acidosis in short-bowel syndrome managed with antibiotics and probiotics." J Pediatr Surg 39(4): 634-636. Exclude-NoAE Uchida, K., T. Takahashi, et al. (2007). "Immunonutritional effects during synbiotics therapy in pediatric patients with short bowel syndrome." Pediatr Surg Int 23(3): 243-248. Exclude-NoAE Uhlemann, M., W. Heine, et al. (1999). "[Effects of oral administration of bifidobacteria on intestinal microflora in premature and newborn infants]." Z Geburtshilfe Neonatol 203(5): 213 217. Exclude-NoAE Urbancsek, H., T. Kazar, et al. (2001). "Results of a double-blind, randomized study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Antibiophilus(R) in patients with radiation-induced diarrhoea." Exclude-Duplicate 1367 Ussher, J., C. Dewberry, et al. (1995). "The relationship between health related quality of life and dietary supplementation in British middle managers: a double-blind placebo-controlled study." Psychol Health(10): 97-111. Exclude-Intervention Utemuradova, G. E. (2009). "[Etiology of acute enteric infection in children with arid zone and effect of probiotics]." Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol(3): 98-100. Exclude-NoAE Valerio, F., F. Russo, et al. (2010). "Effects of Probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei-enriched Artichokes on Constipated Patients: A Pilot Study." J Clin Gastroenterol. Exclude-NoAE Van de Water, J., C. L. Keen, et al. (1999). "The influence of chronic yogurt consumption on immunity." J Nutr 129(7 Suppl): 1492S-1495S. Exclude-Rec NoAE van der Aa, L. B., A. B. Sprikkelman, et al. (2008). "Impact of maternal atopy and probiotic supplementation during pregnancy on infant sensitization." Clin Exp Allergy 38(10): 1698; author reply 1698-1699. Exclude-NoAE van der Aa, L. B., W. M. van Aalderen, et al. (2010). "Synbiotics prevent asthma-like symptoms in infants with atopic dermatitis." Allergy. Exclude-NoAE D-78 van Elburg, R. M., W. P. Fetter, et al. (2003). "Intestinal permeability in relation to birth weight and gestational and postnatal age." Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 88(1): F52-55. ExcludeIntervention van Elburg, R. M., J. J. Uil, et al. (1995). "Repeatability of the sugar-absorption test, using lactulose and mannitol, for measuring intestinal permeability for sugars." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 20(2): 184-188. Exclude-Intervention van Goor, H., C. Rosman, et al. (1994). "Translocation of bacteria and endotoxin in organ donors." Arch Surg 129(10): 1063-1066. Exclude-Intervention van Hoffen, E., B. Ruiter, et al. (2009). "A specific mixture of short-chain galacto oligosaccharides and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides induces a beneficial immunoglobulin profile in infants at high risk for allergy." Allergy 64(3): 484-487. Exclude-Rec Intervention Van Nood, E. (2007). "Probiotics are possibly effective in the prevention of diarrhea associated with antibiotics." Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde 151(50): 2806-2807. Exclude-Rec Design (Dutch) van Santvoort, H. C., M. G. Besselink, et al. (2008). "Probiotics in surgery." Surgery 143(1): 1-7. Exclude-NoAE van Santvoort, H. C., M. G. Besselink, et al. (2006). "[Potential role for probiotics in the prevention of infectious complications during acute pancreatitis]." Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 150(10): 535-540. Exclude-Rec NoAE (Dutch) Vandenbergh, P. (1993). "Lactic acid bacteria, their metabolic products and interference with microbial growth." FEMS Microbiol Rev 12: 221-238. Exclude-Intervention Vanderhoof, J. A. (2008). "Probiotics in allergy management." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 47 Suppl 2: S38-40. Exclude-NoAE Vankerckhoven, V., G. Huys, et al. (2008). "Biosafety assessment of probiotics used for human consumption: recommendations from the EU-PROSAFE project." Trends in food science & technology 19(2): 102-114. Exclude-Design van't Veer, P., J. M. Dekker, et al. (1989). "Consumption of fermented milk products and breast cancer: a case-control study in The Netherlands." Cancer Res 49(14): 4020-4023. Exclude-NoAE Vardinon, N., R. Handsher, et al. (1990). "Poliovirus vaccination responses in HIV-infected patients: correlation with T4 cell counts." J Infect Dis 162(1): 238-241. Exclude-Intervention Varela-Moreiras, G., J. M. Antoine, et al. (1992). "Effects of yogurt and fermented-then pasteurized milk on lactose absorption in an institutionalized elderly group." J Am Coll Nutr 11(2): 168-171. Exclude-NoAE Vazquez, L. and H. Rivera (1976). "Clinical evaluation of lactovagil." Presna Med MEx 41: 428 431. Exclude-NoAE (Spanish) Velasco, E., C. A. Martins, et al. (1992). ""Bacillus subtilis" infection in a patient submitted to a bone marrow transplantation." Rev Paul Med 110(3): 116-117. Exclude-Intervention Verdu, E. F. (2009). "Probiotics effects on gastrointestinal function: beyond the gut?" Neurogastroenterol Motil 21(5): 477-480. Exclude-Design D-79 Vergis, E. N., M. K. Hayden, et al. (2001). "Determinants of vancomycin resistance and mortality rates in enterococcal bacteremia. a prospective multicenter study." Ann Intern Med 135(7): 484-492. Exclude-Intervention Vesa, T. H., P. Marteau, et al. (1996). "Digestion and tolerance of lactose from yoghurt and different semi-solid fermented dairy products containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria in lactose maldigesters-is bacterial lactase important?" Eur J Clin Nutr 50(11): 730-733. Exclude-Rec NoAE Viadel, B., E. Nova, et al. (2008). "Effects of a synbiotic on intestinal and immune functions of healthy adults <ISSUE> Ist International Immunonutrition Workshop." Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 67: E76. Exclude-NoAE Vilaichone, R. K., V. Mahachai, et al. (2002). "Inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus on Helicobacter pylori in peptic ulcer patients: in vitro study." J Med Assoc Thai 85 Suppl 1: S79 84. Exclude-Participants Viljanen, M., E. Savilahti, et al. (2005). "Probiotics in the treatment of atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome in infants: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial." Allergy 60(4): 494-500. ExcludeNoAE Villarruel, G., D. M. Rubio, et al. (2007). "Saccharomyces boulardii in acute childhood diarrhoea: a randomized, placebo-controlled study." Acta Paediatr 96(4): 538-541. ExcludeNoAE Vitali, B., M. Ndagijimana, et al. (2010). "Impact of a synbiotic food on the gut microbial ecology and metabolic profiles." BMC Microbiol 10: 4. Exclude-Participants Vliagoftis, H., V. D. Kouranos, et al. (2008). "Probiotics for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma: systematic review of randomized controlled trials." Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 101(6): 570-579. Exclude-NoAE Vogel, G. (2008). "Clinical trials. Deaths prompt a review of experimental probiotic therapy." Science 319(5863): 557. Exclude-Design Volozhin, A. I., V. K. Il'in, et al. (2004). "[Development and use of periodontal dressing of collagen and Lactobacillus casei 37 cell suspension in combined treatment of periodontal disease of inflammatory origin (a microbiological study)]." Stomatologiia (Mosk) 83(6): 6-8. ExcludeNoAE (Russian) Vorberg, G. (1974). "Gefahrlose effiziente Therapie von Durchfallerkrankungen." Arztl. Prax. 26: 709-710. Exclude-NoAE (German) Voudouris, A., P. Kazamias, et al. (2005). "Benefits of symbiotic 2000 forte in clinically ill patients: a randomized controlled trial." Critical Care S1: S152. Exclude-NoAE Vouloumanou, E. K., G. C. Makris, et al. (2009). "Probiotics for the prevention of respiratory tract infections: a systematic review (Structured abstract)." International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents(3): 197.e191-e110. Exclude-Duplicates 5894 D-80 Wagner, R. D., C. Pierson, et al. (2000). "Probiotic effects of feeding heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei to Candida albicans-colonized immunodeficient mice." J Food Prot 63(5): 638-644. Exclude-Participants Wagner, R. D., T. Warner, et al. (1998). "Biotherapeutic effects of Bifidobacterium spp. on orogastric and systemic candidiasis in immunodeficient mice." Rev Iberoam Micol 15(4): 265 270. Exclude-Participants Wagner, R. D., T. Warner, et al. (1997). "Colonization of congenitally immunodeficient mice with probiotic bacteria." Infect Immun 65(8): 3345-3351. Exclude-Participants Waligora-Dupriet, A. J., F. Campeotto, et al. (2007). "Effect of oligofructose supplementation on gut microflora and well-being in young children attending a day care centre." Int J Food Microbiol 113(1): 108-113. Exclude-Intervention Wallet, F., V. Crunelle, et al. (1996). "Bacillus subtilis as a cause of cholangitis in polycystic kidney and liver disease." Am J Gastroenterol 91(7): 1477-1478. Exclude-Intervention Walsh, H., J. Ross, et al. (2010). "Physico-chemical properties, probiotic survivability, microstructure, and acceptability of a yogurt-like symbiotic oats-based product using prepolymerized whey protein as a gelation agent." J Food Sci 75(5): M327-337. ExcludeParticipants Walsh, M. C. and R. M. Kliegman (1986). "Necrotizing enterocolitis: treatment based on staging criteria." Pediatr Clin North Am 33(1): 179-201. Exclude-Intervention Walsh, M. C., R. M. Kliegman, et al. (1988). "Necrotizing enterocolitis: a practitioner's perspective." Pediatr Rev 9(7): 219-226. Exclude-Intervention Wang, K. Y., S. N. Li, et al. (2004). "Effects of ingesting Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium containing yogurt in subjects with colonized Helicobacter pylori." Am J Clin Nutr 80(3): 737 741. Exclude-NoAE Wang, P., X. Tang, et al. (2006). "Probiotic agents for the treatment of diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews(2). Exclude-Duplicate 6745 Wang, X., R. Andersson, et al. (1996). "Gut origin sepsis, macrophage function, and oxygen extraction associated with acute pancreatitis in the rat." World J Surg 20(3): 299-307; discussion 307-298. Exclude-Participants Wassenaar, T. M. and G. Klein (2008). "Safety aspects and implications of regulation of probiotic bacteria in food and food supplements." J Food Prot 71(8): 1734-1741. Exclude-Rec Participants Watanabe, T., H. Nishio, et al. (2009). "Probiotic Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota prevents indomethacin-induced small intestinal injury: involvement of lactic acid." Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 297(3): G506-513. Exclude-Participants Weale, R. and A. Edwards (2003). "Letter 1: Randomized clinical trial of specific lactobacillus and fibre supplement to early enteral nutrition in patients with acute pancreatitis (Br J Surg 2002; 89: 1103-1107)." Br J Surg 90(1): 122-123. Exclude-NoAE D-81 Weichselbaum, E. (2009). "Probiotics and health: a review of the evidence." Nutrition Bulletin 34(4): 340-373. Exclude-Design Weizman, Z. (2010). "Probiotics therapy in acute childhood diarrhoea." Lancet 376(9737): 233. Exclude-NoAE Wenus, C., R. Goll, et al. (2008). "Prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea by a fermented probiotic milk drink." Eur J Clin Nutr 62(2): 299-301. Exclude-NoAE Werfel, T. and K. Breuer (2004). "Role of food allergy in atopic dermatitis." Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 4(5): 379-385. Exclude-Design West, C. E., L. Gothefors, et al. (2008). "Effects of feeding probiotics during weaning on infections and antibody responses to diphtheria, tetanus and Hib vaccines." Pediatr Allergy Immunol 19(1): 53-60. Exclude-NoAE West, C. E., M. L. Hammarstrom, et al. (2009). "Probiotics during weaning reduce the incidence of eczema." Pediatr Allergy Immunol. Exclude-NoAE Westerbeek, E. A., A. van den Berg, et al. (2006). "The intestinal bacterial colonisation in preterm infants: a review of the literature." Clin Nutr 25(3): 361-368. Exclude-Intervention Westerbeek, E. A., R. M. van Elburg, et al. (2008). "Design of a randomised controlled trial on immune effects of acidic and neutral oligosaccharides in the nutrition of preterm infants: carrot study." BMC Pediatr 8: 46. Exclude-Intervention Westerbeek, E. A. M., R. M. van Elburg, et al. (2009). "Design of a randomized controlled trial on immune effects of acidic and neutral oligosaccharides in the nutrition of preterm infants: carrot study." Neonatal Intensive Care 22(2): 26-30. Exclude-Duplicate 5557 Wheeler, J. G., M. L. Bogle, et al. (1997). "Impact of dietary yogurt on immune function." Am J Med Sci 313(2): 120-123. Exclude-Rec Genus Whelan, K., L. Efthymiou, et al. (2006). "Appetite during consumption of enteral formula as a sole source of nutrition: the effect of supplementing pea-fibre and fructo-oligosaccharides." Br J Nutr 96(2): 350-356. Exclude-Rec Intervention Wickens, K., P. N. Black, et al. (2008). "A differential effect of 2 probiotics in the prevention of eczema and atopy: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial." J Allergy Clin Immunol 122(4): 788-794. Exclude-Rec NoAE Williams, A. B., C. Yu, et al. (2001). "Evaluation of two self-care treatments for prevention of vaginal candidiasis in women with HIV." J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care 12(4): 51-57. ExcludeNoAE Williams, G. and J. C. Craig (2009). "Prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection in children." Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases 22(1): 72-76. Exclude-Intervention Williams, H. C. (2001). "Pre- and postnatal administration of Lactobacillus GG reduced the occurrence of atopic disease in offspring." ACP Journal Club 135(3): 106. Exclude-Duplicate 7738 Williams, J., Jr. and C. Stewart (2008 Dec-2009 Jan.). "Factoring safety into functional foods." Foodsafety magazine 14(6): 42, 44-46. Exclude-Design D-82 Willis, A. T., C. L. Bullen, et al. (1973). "Breast milk substitute: a bacteriological study." Br Med J 4(5884): 67-72. Exclude-Genus Witsell, D. L., C. G. Garrett, et al. (1995). "Effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus on antibioticassociated gastrointestinal morbidity: a prospective randomized trial." J Otolaryngol 24(4): 230 233. Exclude-Rec NoAE Woo, K. (2008). "A probiotic drink prevented diarrhoea and Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea in older patients taking antibiotics." Evid Based Nurs 11(2): 57. Exclude-NoAE Woo, S. I., J. Y. Kim, et al. (2010). "Effect of Lactobacillus sakei supplementation in children with atopic eczema-dermatitis syndrome." Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 104(4): 343-348. Exclude-NoAE Wood, G. C., B. A. Boucher, et al. (2002). "Lactobacillus species as a cause of ventilatorassociated pneumonia in a critically ill trauma patient." Pharmacotherapy 22(9): 1180-1182. Exclude-Intervention "World Health Organization Expert Committee on Rabies: Eighth Report." World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser 1992;(824). Exclude-NoAE Wutzke, K. D., M. Lotz, et al. (2010). "The effect of pre- and probiotics on the colonic ammonia metabolism in humans as measured by lactose-[(15)N(2)]ureide." Eur J Clin Nutr. ExcludeNoAE Wytock, D. H. and J. A. DiPalma (1988). "All yogurts are not created equal." Am J Clin Nutr 47(3): 454-457. Exclude-Rec Intervention Xiao, J. Z., S. Kondo, et al. (2007). "Clinical efficacy of probiotic Bifidobacterium longum for the treatment of symptoms of Japanese cedar pollen allergy in subjects evaluated in an environmental exposure unit." Allergol Int 56(1): 67-75. Exclude-NoAE Xiao, J. Z., S. Kondo, et al. (2006). "Effect of probiotic Bifidobacterium longum BB536 [corrected] in relieving clinical symptoms and modulating plasma cytokine levels of Japanese cedar pollinosis during the pollen season. A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 16(2): 86-93. Exclude-NoAE Xu, J., W. Yan, et al. (2008). "[Safety assessment of starters culture bacteria in fermented milk in China]." Wei Sheng Yan Jiu 37(2): 193-195. Exclude-Participants Yagi, S., M. Akaike, et al. (2008). "Infective endocarditis caused by lactobacillus." Intern Med 47(12): 1113-1116. Exclude-Intervention Yakabe, T., E. L. Moore, et al. (2009). "Safety assessment of Lactobacillus brevis KB290 as a probiotic strain." Food Chem Toxicol 47(10): 2450-2453. Exclude-Participants Yamada, T., S. Nagata, et al. (2009). "[Effect of continuous probiotic fermented milk intake containing Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota on fever in mass infectious gastroenteritis rest home outbreak]." Kansenshogaku Zasshi 83(1): 31-35. Exclude-Rec NoAE (Japanese) Yamano, T., H. Iino, et al. (2006). "Improvement of the human intestinal flora by ingestion of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus johnsonii La1." Br J Nutr 95(2): 303-312. Exclude-NoAE Yang, X. F., Q. Huang, et al. (2005). "[Application of flow cytometry on functional assessment of health food]." Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi 39(5): 335-341. Exclude-NoAE (Chinese) D-83 Yazid, A. M., A. M. Ali, et al. (2000). "Antimicrobial susceptibility of bifidobacteria." Lett Appl Microbiol 31(1): 57-62. Exclude-Participants Yeo, S. K. and M. T. Liong (2010). "Effect of prebiotics on viability and growth characteristics of probiotics in soymilk." J Sci Food Agric 90(2): 267-275. Exclude-Participants Yesovitch, R., A. Cohen, et al. (2004). "Failure to improve parameters of lactose maldigestion using the multiprobiotic product VSL3 in lactose maldigesters: a pilot study." Can J Gastroenterol 18(2): 83-86. Exclude-NoAE Yoon, M. Y., Y. J. Kim, et al. (2008). "Properties and safety aspects of Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from Chungkukjang, a fermented soy product." Food science and technology 41(5): 925-933. Exclude-Participants Yoshida, M., T. Obayashi, et al. (1997). "Detection of plasma (1 --> 3)-beta-D-glucan in patients with Fusarium, Trichosporon, Saccharomyces and Acremonium fungaemias." J Med Vet Mycol 35(5): 371-374. Exclude-Design Yoshida, Y., T. Seki, et al. (2010). "Clinical effects of probiotic bifidobacterium breve supplementation in adult patients with atopic dermatitis." Yonago Acta Medica 53(2): 37-45. Exclude-NoAE Zerva, L., R. J. Hollis, et al. (1996). "In vitro susceptibility testing and DNA typing of Saccharomyces cerevisiae clinical isolates." J Clin Microbiol 34(12): 3031-3034. ExcludeParticipants Ze-Ze, L., R. Tenreiro, et al. (2004). "Case of aortic endocarditis caused by Lactobacillus casei." J Med Microbiol 53(Pt 5): 451-453. Exclude-Rec Intervention Z'Graggen, W. J., H. Fankhauser, et al. (2005). "Pancreatic necrosis infection due to Lactobacillus paracasei in an immunocompetent patient." Pancreatology 5(1): 108-109. ExcludeIntervention Zhao, H. Y., H. J. Wang, et al. (2004). "Intestinal microflora in patients with liver cirrhosis." Chin J Dig Dis 5(2): 64-67. Exclude-NoAE Zhong, Y., C. Y. Huang, et al. (2006). "[Effect of probiotics and yogurt on colonic microflora in subjects with lactose intolerance]." Wei Sheng Yan Jiu 35(5): 587-591. Exclude-NoAE Zhou, J. S., C. J. Pillidge, et al. (2005). "Antibiotic susceptibility profiles of new probiotic Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains." Int J Food Microbiol 98(2): 211-217. ExcludeParticipants Zhou, J. S., Q. Shu, et al. (2000). "Acute oral toxicity and bacterial translocation studies on potentially probiotic strains of lactic acid bacteria." Food Chem Toxicol 38(2-3): 153-161. Exclude-Participants Ziegler, E., J. A. Vanderhoof, et al. (2007). "Term infants fed formula supplemented with selected blends of prebiotics grow normally and have soft stools similar to those reported for breast-fed infants." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 44(3): 359-364. Exclude-Participants Ziemniak, W. (2006). "Efficacy of Helicobacter pylori eradication taking into account its resistance to antibiotics." J Physiol Pharmacol 57 Suppl 3: 123-141. Exclude-NoAE D-84 Zubadalashvili, N. G., M. A. Makhviladze, et al. (2009). "[The comparative study of Linex and Lacto-G in treatment of adult patients with disbacteriosis]." Georgian Med News(170): 38-42. Exclude-NoA Background Papers "6.2 Enteral Nutrition (Other): Prebiotics/Probiotics/Synbiotics." 2007. (NCCAM), N. C. f. C. a. A. M. (2008). "An Introduction to Probiotics." Abad, C. L. and N. Safdar (2009). "The role of Lactobacillus probiotics in the treatment or prevention of urogenital infections: a systematic review (Provisional abstract)." Journal of Chemotherapy(3): 243-252. Abernethy, A. P. (2008). "Probiotics to prevent antibiotic-related diarrhea." Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy 22(1): 29-30. Adams, M. R. (1999). "Safety of industrial lactic acid bacteria." J Biotechnol 68(2-3): 171-178. Alander, M., J. Matto, et al. (In press). "Effect of galacto-oligosaccharide supplementation on human faecal microflora and on survival and persistence of Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12 in the gastrointestinal tract." J Dairy Sci. Alfaleh, K., J. Anabrees, et al. (2010). "Probiotics reduce the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants: a meta-analysis." Neonatology 97(2): 93-99. Alfaleh, K. and D. Bassler (2008). "Probiotics for prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(1): CD005496. Allen, S. J., B. Okoko, et al. (2003). "Probiotics for treating infectious diarrhoea." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 4: 4. Alsheikh, A. and Z. Weizman (2003). "Safety of infant formula supplemented with two strains of probiotics in early infancy [abstract]." Pediatr Res 53: 174A. Andersson, R. G. (2008). "Probiotics in acute pancreatitis." Br J Surg 95(8): 941-942. Bakker, O. J., H. C. van Santvoort, et al. (2009). "Prevention, detection, and management of infected necrosis in severe acute pancreatitis." Curr Gastroenterol Rep 11(2): 104-110. Barclay, A. R., B. Stenson, et al. (2007). "Probiotics for necrotizing enterocolitis: a systematic review." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 45(5): 569-576. Bee, P. (2008). "Probiotics, not so friendly after all?" TIMESONLINE. Beerepoot, M. A., E. E. Stobberingh, et al. (2006). "[A study of non-antibiotic versus antibiotic prophylaxis for recurrent urinary-tract infections in women (the NAPRUTI study)]." Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 150(10): 574-575. Bengmark, S. (2004). "Synbiotics to strengthen gut barrier function and reduce morbidity in critically ill patients." Clin Nutr 23(4): 441-445. Berger, R. E. (2005). "Lactobacillus sepsis associated with probiotic therapy." J Urol 174(5): 1843. D-85 Berman, S. and D. Spicer (2003). "Safety and Reliability of Lactobacillus Supplements in Seattle, Washington (A Pilot Study)." The Internet Journal of Alternative Medicine 1(2). Bernardeau, M., M. Guguen, et al. (2006). "Beneficial lactobacilli in food and feed: long-term use, biodiversity and proposals for specific and realistic safety assessments." FEMS Microbiol Rev 30(4): 487-513. Bernardeau, M., J. P. Vernoux, et al. (2008). "Safety assessment of dairy microorganisms: the Lactobacillus genus." Int J Food Microbiol 126(3): 278-285. Besselink, M. G., H. M. Timmerman, et al. (2005). "Lactobacilli in necrotizing pancreatitis." Pancreatology 5(6): 594. Besselink, M. G., H. M. Timmerman, et al. (2005). "Prevention of infectious complications in surgical patients: potential role of probiotics." Dig Surg 22(4): 234-244. Besselink, M. G., H. C. van Santvoort, et al. (2009). "Probiotic prophylaxis in acute pancreatitis: prudence required." Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol 6(3): E3-6. Besselink, M. G., H. C. van Santvoort, et al. (2009). "New randomized trial of probiotics in pancreatitis needed? Caution advised." Langenbecks Arch Surg 394(1): 191-192; author reply 193-194. Besselink, M. G., H. C. van Santvoort, et al. (2007). "Management of severe acute pancreatitis: it's all about timing." Curr Opin Crit Care 13(2): 200-206. Bittner, A. C., R. M. Croffut, et al. (2007). "Prescript-assist probiotic-prebiotic treatment for irritable bowel syndrome: an open-label, partially controlled, 1-year extension of a previously published controlled clinical trial." Clin Ther 29(6): 1153-1160. Borchers, A. T., C. Selmi, et al. (2009). "Probiotics and immunity." J Gastroenterol 44(1): 26-46. Borody, T. J., E. F. Warren, et al. (2004). "Bacteriotherapy using fecal flora: toying with human motions." J Clin Gastroenterol 38(6): 475-483. Borowiec, A. M. and R. N. Fedorak (2007). "The role of probiotics in management of irritable bowel syndrome." Curr Gastroenterol Rep 9(5): 393-400. Borriello, S. P., W. P. Hammes, et al. (2003). "Safety of probiotics that contain lactobacilli or bifidobacteria." Clin Infect Dis 36(6): 775-780. Bousvarous, K. (2002). "The L. GG Study Group: A multicenter, placebo-controlled, doubleblind study of Lactobacillus GG in addition to standard maintenance medication therapy in children with Crohn's disease." J Ped Gastroenerol Nutr 35: A7. Boyle, R. J., F. J. Bath-Hextall, et al. (2008). "Probiotics for treating eczema [Intervention Review]." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(4): CD006135. Boyle, R. J., F. J. Bath-Hextall, et al. (2009). "Probiotics for the treatment of eczema: a systematic review." Clin Exp Allergy 39(8): 1117-1127. Boyle, R. J., J. Leonardi-Bee, et al. (2009). "Probiotics for the treatment or prevention of eczema." J Allergy Clin Immunol 123(1): 266-267; author reply 267. Boyle, R. J., R. M. Robins-Browne, et al. (2006). "Probiotic use in clinical practice: what are the risks?" Am J Clin Nutr 83(6): 1256-1264; quiz 1446-1257. D-86 Boyle, R. J. and M. L. Tang (2006). "The role of probiotics in the management of allergic disease." Clin Exp Allergy 36(5): 568-576. Brenner, D. M. and W. D. Chey (2009). "Bifidobacterium infantis 35624: A Novel Probiotic for the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome." Rev Gastroenterol Disord 9(1): 7-15. Brenner, D. M., M. J. Moeller, et al. (2009). "The utility of probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review." Am J Gastroenterol 104(4): 1033-1049; quiz 1050. Brown, D. (2006). "Oral probiotic combination for bacterial vaginosis." Alternative Therapies in Women's Health 8(8): 62-63. Buts, J. P. and P. Bernasconi (2005). "Saccharomyces boulardii: basic science and clinical applications in gastroenterology." Gastroenterol Clin North Am 34(3): 515-532, x. Butterworth, A. D., A. G. Thomas, et al. (2008). "Probiotics for induction of remission in Crohn's disease." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(3): CD006634. Cabana, M. D., A. L. Shane, et al. (2006). "Probiotics in primary care pediatrics." Clin Pediatr (Phila) 45(5): 405-410. Cannon, J. P., T. A. Lee, et al. (2005). "Pathogenic relevance of Lactobacillus: a retrospective review of over 200 cases." Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 24(1): 31-40. Caplan, M. S. (2009). "Probiotic and prebiotic supplementation for the prevention of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis." J Perinatol 29 Suppl 2: S2-6. Caplan, M. S. and T. Jilling (2000). "Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis: possible role of probiotic supplementation." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 30 Suppl 2: S18-22. Capurso, G., M. Marignani, et al. (2008). "Probiotics and severe acute pancreatitis. Addendum." J Clin Gastroenterol 42 Suppl 3 Pt 1: S152-153. Carlet, J. (2010). "Anti-, pre-, or . . . probiotics to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in the intensive care unit?" Crit Care Med 38(3): 1009-1010. Cassone, M., P. Serra, et al. (2003). "Outbreak of Saccharomyces cerevisiae subtype boulardii fungemia in patients neighboring those treated with a probiotic preparation of the organism." J Clin Microbiol 41(11): 5340-5343. Chande, N., J. K. MacDonald, et al. (2009). "Interventions for treating microscopic colitis: a Cochrane Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Functional Bowel Disorders Review Group systematic review of randomized trials." Am J Gastroenterol 104(1): 235-241; quiz 234, 242. Chande, N., J. W. McDonald, et al. (2008). "Interventions for treating collagenous colitis." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(2): CD003575. Chmielewska, A., M. Ruszczynksi, et al. (2008). "Lactobacillus reuteri strain ATCC 55730 for the treatment of acute infectious diarrhoea in children: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." Pediatria Wspolczesna 10(1): 32-36. Chmielewska, A. and H. Szajewska (2010). "Systematic review of randomised controlled trials: probiotics for functional constipation." World J Gastroenterol 16(1): 69-75. Claud, E. C. and W. A. Walker (2001). "Hypothesis: inappropriate colonization of the premature intestine can cause neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis." FASEB J 15(8): 1398-1403. D-87 Clements, M. L., M. M. Levine, et al. (1981). "Lactobacillus prophylaxis for diarrhea due to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli." Antimicrob Agents Chemother 20(1): 104-108. "Clinical trials prove the safety and efficacy of the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium Bb12 in follow-up formula and growing-up milks." 1998. Consultation, F. W. E. (2001). "Health and Nutritional Properties of Probiotics in Food Including Powder Milk with Live Lactic Acid Bacteria." Cots, J. (2008). "Consumption of probiotics can reduce the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea." FMC Formacion Medica Continuada en Atencion Primaria 15(3): 201. Coulthard, M. G. and C. M. Mellis (2004). "Does probiotic milk prevent infections in children attending daycare centres?" Med J Aust 181(10): 556-557. Crittenden, R. (2002). "Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei F19: Survival, ecology and safety in the human intestinal tract - A survey of feeding studies within the PROBDEMO project." Czerucka, D. and T. Piche (2007). "Review article: Yeast as probiotics - Saccharomyces boulardii." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 26(6): 767-778. Daniel-Johnson, J., S. Leitman, et al. (2009). "Probiotic-associated high-titer anti-B in a group A platelet donor as a cause of severe hemolytic transfusion reactions." Transfusion 49(9): 1845 1849. de Boer, W. A., J. C. Thys, et al. (1996). "Proposal for use of a standard side effect scoring system in studies exploring Helicobacter pylori treatment regimens." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 8(7): 641-643. De Preter, V., T. Vanhoutte, et al. (2006). "Effect of lactulose and Saccharomyces boulardii administration on the colonic urea-nitrogen metabolism and the bifidobacteria concentration in healthy human subjects." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 23(7): 963-974. de Vrese, M. and J. Schrezenmeir (2008). "Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics." Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol 111: 1-66. Del, P., L. Morelli, et al. (2006). "Probiotics: from research to consumer." Dig Liver Dis 38(Supp 2): S248-255. DeLorenzo, T. (2007). "The benefits and safety of probiotics in infants." Support Line 29(5): 3 6. Delorme, C. (2008). "Safety assessment of dairy microorganisms: Streptococcus thermophilus." International Journal of Food Microbiology 126(3): 274-277. Delzenne, N. and G. Reid (2009). "No causal link between obesity and probiotics." Nat Rev Microbiol 7(12): 901; author reply 901. Dendukuri, N., V. Costa, et al. (2005). "Probiotic therapy for the prevention and treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea: a systematic review." CMAJ 173(2): 167-170. Deshpande, G., S. Rao, et al. (2007). "Probiotics for prevention of necrotising enterocolitis in preterm neonates with very low birthweight: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials." Lancet 369(9573): 1614-1620. D-88 Deshpande, G., S. Rao, et al. (2010). "Updated meta-analysis of probiotics for preventing necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates." Pediatrics 125(5): 921-930. Doherty, G., G. Bennett, et al. (2009). "Interventions for prevention of post-operative recurrence of Crohn's disease." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(4): CD006873. Donohue, D., S. Salminen, et al. (1998). "Safety of probiotic bacteria." Lactic acid Bacteria: 369 384. Donohue, D. C. (2006). "Safety of probiotics." Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 15(4): 563-569. Doron, S. and S. L. Gorbach (2006). "Probiotics: their role in the treatment and prevention of disease." Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 4(2): 261-275. Doron, S. I., P. L. Hibberd, et al. (2008). "Probiotics for prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea." J Clin Gastroenterol 42 Suppl 2: S58-63. "The double-edged sword of probiotics." Gastrointestinal Nursing 2008;6(1): 4. D'Souza, A. L., C. Rajkumar, et al. (2002). "Probiotics in prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhoea: meta-analysis." BMJ 324(7350): 1361. Dugoua, J. J., M. Machado, et al. (2009). "Probiotic safety in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces spp (Provisional abstract)." Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada(6): 542-552. Elmer, G. W. (2001). "Probiotics: "living drugs"." Am J Health Syst Pharm 58(12): 1101-1109. Elmer, G. W., L. V. McFarland, et al. (1999). "Biotherapeutic agents and infectious diseases." Humana Press. Elmer, G. W., C. M. Surawicz, et al. (1996). "Biotherapeutic agents. A neglected modality for the treatment and prevention of selected intestinal and vaginal infections." JAMA 275(11): 870 876. Embleton, N. D. and R. Yates (2008). "Probiotics and other preventative strategies for necrotising enterocolitis." Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 13(1): 35-43. Enache-Angoulvant, A. and C. Hennequin (2005). "Invasive Saccharomyces infection: a comprehensive review." Clin Infect Dis 41(11): 1559-1568. Endres, W. (2003). "Probiotics in the prevention of intestinal diseases in infancy." (151): S24-26. Ezendam, J. and H. van Loveren (2006). "Probiotics: immunomodulation and evaluation of safety and efficacy." Nutr Rev 64(1): 1-14. Falagas, M. E., G. I. Betsi, et al. (2007). "Probiotics for the treatment of women with bacterial vaginosis." Clin Microbiol Infect 13(7): 657-664. Fedorak, R. N. and K. L. Madsen (2004). "Probiotics and prebiotics in gastrointestinal disorders." Curr Opin Gastroenterol 20(2): 146-155. Floch, M. H. (2010). "Probiotic therapy for ulcerative colitis." J Clin Gastroenterol 44(4): 237 238. D-89 Food and Agriculture Organization, W. H. O. (2008). "Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food 2002." FAO/WHO Report No. 4-30-2002. Franz, C. M., W. H. Holzapfel, et al. (1999). "Enterococci at the crossroads of food safety?" Int J Food Microbiol 47(1-2): 1-24. Franz, C. M., M. E. Stiles, et al. (2003). "Enterococci in foods--a conundrum for food safety." Int J Food Microbiol 88(2-3): 105-122. Fuccio, L., A. Guido, et al. (2009). "Effects of probiotics for the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced diarrhea." J Clin Gastroenterol 43(6): 506-513. Furrie, E. (2005). "Probiotics and allergy." Proc Nutr Soc 64(4): 465-469. Gawronska, A., M. Szabunko, et al. (2005). "Probiotic therapy for functional abdominal pain. A systematic review of randomised controlled trials." Pediatria Wspolczesna 7(4): 303-309. Giamarellos-Bourboulis, E. J., S. Bengmark, et al. (2009). "Pro- and synbiotics to control inflammation and infection in patients with multiple injuries." J Trauma 67(4): 815-821. Giard, R. W. (2010). "A probiotics trial on trial: the problem of timely detection of adverse advents in therapeutic trials." J Clin Epidemiol 63(4): 347-349. Gionchetti, P., C. Amadini, et al. (2002). "Probiotics--role in inflammatory bowel disease." Dig Liver Dis 34 Suppl 2: S58-62. Gionchetti, P., F. Rizzello, et al. (1998). "Maintenance treatment of chronic pouchitis: a randomised placebo-controlled, double-blind trial with a new probiotic preparation." Gastroenterology(114): A985. Goldin, B. R. (1998). "Health benefits of probiotics." Br J Nutr 80(4): S203-207. Gommersall (2006). "Dous routine administration of probiotics improve outcome of critically ill patients?" ANZCA. Gosar, J. (2002). "Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of pseudomembranous colitis." J Pharm Technol 18: 3-8. Graf, C. and F. P. Sarasin (2007). "[Efficacy and safety of probiotics]." Rev Med Suisse 3(129): 2350-2354. Group, F. W. W. (2002). "Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food." Guarner, F., A. G. Khan, et al. (2008). "Probiotics and prebiotics - World Gastroenterology Organisation Practice Guidelines." Gueimonde, M., A. C. Ouwehand, et al. (2004). "Safety of probiotics." Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition 48(1): 42-48. Gurusamy, K. S., Y. Kumar, et al. (2008). "Methods of preventing bacterial sepsis and wound complications for liver transplantation." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(4): CD006660. Guthmann, F., C. Kluthe, et al. (2010). "Probiotics for Prevention of Necrotising Enterocolitis: An Updated Meta-analysis." Klin Padiatr. D-90 Haller, D., J. M. Antoine, et al. (2010). "Guidance for Substantiating the Evidence for Beneficial Effects of Probiotics: Probiotics in Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the Functional Disorder Irritable Bowel Syndrome." J Nutr 140(3): 690S-697S. Hamilton-Miller, J. M. (2003). "The role of probiotics in the treatment and prevention of Helicobacter pylori infection." Int J Antimicrob Agents 22(4): 360-366. Hamilton-Miller, J. M., S. Shah, et al. (1996). ""Probiotic" remedies are not what they seem." BMJ 312(7022): 55-56. Hamilton-Miller, J. M., S. Shah, et al. (1999). "Public health issues arising from microbiological and labelling quality of foods and supplements containing probiotic microorganisms." Public Health Nutr 2(2): 223-229. Hammerman, C., A. Bin-Nun, et al. (2006). "Safety of probiotics: comparison of two popular strains." BMJ 333(7576): 1006-1008. Hammerman, C. and M. Kaplan (2006). "Probiotics and neonatal intestinal infection." Curr Opin Infect Dis 19(3): 277-282. Hart, A. L., A. J. Stagg, et al. (2003). "Use of probiotics in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease." J Clin Gastroenterol 36(2): 111-119. Hatakka, K. and M. Saxelin (2008). "Probiotics in intestinal and non-intestinal infectious diseases--clinical evidence." Curr Pharm Des 14(14): 1351-1367. Henriksson, A., T. Borody, et al. (2005). "Probiotics under the regulatory microscope." Expert Opin Drug Saf 4(6): 1135-1143. Herbrecht, R. and Y. Nivoix (2005). "Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia: an adverse effect of Saccharomyces boulardii probiotic administration." Clin Infect Dis 40(11): 1635-1637. Hoekstra, J. H. (2008). "[Probiotic prophylaxis in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and informed consent procedure]." Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 152(28): 1591-1592; author reply 1593-1594. Hoffman, F. A., J. T. Heimbach, et al. (2008). "Executive summary: scientific and regulatory challenges of development of probiotics as foods and drugs." Clin Infect Dis 46 Suppl 2: S53-57. Holubar, S. D., R. R. Cima, et al. (2010). "Treatment and prevention of pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for chronic ulcerative colitis." Cochrane Database Syst Rev 6: CD001176. Hove, H., H. Norgaard, et al. (1999). "Lactic acid bacteria and the human gastrointestinal tract." Eur J Clin Nutr 53(5): 339-350. Hoveyda, N., C. Heneghan, et al. (2009). "A systematic review and meta-analysis: probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome." BMC Gastroenterol 9: 15. Hudson, T. (2005). "Lactobacillus and postantibiotic yeast vaginitis." Alternative and Complementary Therapies 11(1): 37. Ishibashi, N. and S. Yamazaki (2001). "Probiotics and safety." Am J Clin Nutr 73(2 Suppl): 465S-470S. D-91 "Invasive infections due to Saccharomyces boulardii (Ultra-levure(deg))." Prescrire International 2007;16(89): 110. Isolauri, E., P. V. Kirjavainen, et al. (2002). "Probiotics: a role in the treatment of intestinal infection and inflammation?" Gut 50 Suppl 3: III54-59. Jack, L., F. Coyer, et al. (2010). "Probiotics and diarrhoea management in enterally tube fed critically ill patients-What is the evidence?" Intensive Crit Care Nurs. Jain, P. K., C. E. McNaught, et al. (2004). "Influence of synbiotic containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5, Bifidobacterium lactis Bb 12, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and oligofructose on gut barrier function and sepsis in critically ill patients: a randomised controlled trial." Clin Nutr 23(4): 467-475. Johannsen, H. and S. L. Prescott (2009). "Practical prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics for allergists: how useful are they?" Clin Exp Allergy 39(12): 1801-1814. Johnston, B., K. Cramer, et al. (2005). "Does Lactobacillus GG prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children? Part A: Evidence-based answer and summary." Pediatrics and Child Health 10(3): 169-171. Johnston, B. C., A. L. Supina, et al. (2007). "Probiotics for the prevention of pediatric antibioticassociated diarrhea." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(2): CD004827. Johnston, B. C., A. L. Supina, et al. (2006). "Probiotics for pediatric antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials." CMAJ 175(4): 377-383. Kahn Ch, M., F. Fuentes D, et al. (2009). "Probiotics in acute infectious diarrhea." Revista Chilena de Pediatria 80(2): 129-136. Kale-Pradhan, P. B., H. K. Jassal, et al. (2010). "Role of Lactobacillus in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a meta-analysis." Pharmacotherapy 30(2): 119-126. Kalliomaki, M., J. M. Antoine, et al. (2010). "Guidance for Substantiating the Evidence for Beneficial Effects of Probiotics: Prevention and Management of Allergic Diseases by Probiotics." J Nutr 140(3): 713S-721S. Kalliomaki, M., S. Salminen, et al. (2001). "Probiotics in primary prevention of atopic disease: a randomised placebo-controlled trial." Lancet 357(9262): 1076-1079. Kataria, J., N. Li, et al. (2009). "Probiotic microbes: do they need to be alive to be beneficial?" Nutr Rev 67(9): 546-550. Katz, J. A. (2006). "Probiotics for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and Clostridium difficile diarrhea." J Clin Gastroenterol 40(3): 249-255. Kayser, F. H. (2003). "Safety aspects of enterococci from the medical point of view." Int J Food Microbiol 88(2-3): 255-262. Kinross, J., O. Warren, et al. (2007). "Perioperative synbiotic treatment to prevent postoperative infectious complications in biliary cancer surgery: a randomized control trial." Ann Surg 245(6): 1000. Klein, K. and R. Stevens (2008). "The clinical use of probiotics for young children." J Fam Health Care 18(2): 66-68. D-92 Kliegman, R. M. and R. E. Willoughby (2005). "Prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis with probiotics." Pediatrics 115(1): 171-172. Kligler, B., P. Hanaway, et al. (2007). "Probiotics in children." Pediatr Clin North Am 54(6): 949-967; xi. Kopp, M. V. and P. Salfeld (2009). "Probiotics and prevention of allergic disease." Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 12(3): 298-303. Kopp-Hoolihan, L. (2001). "Prophylactic and therapeutic uses of probiotics: a review." J Am Diet Assoc 101(2): 229-238; quiz 239-241. Krome, S. (2007). "Recurrent otitis media in children: Disappointing probiotics." Aktuelle Ernahrungsmedizin 32(6): 288. Kukkonen, K., M. Kuitunen, et al. (2009). "Routine supplement of prebiotics and probiotics to newborn infants is not recommended: In reply." Pediatrics 123(3): e544. Kukkonen, K., T. Nieminen, et al. (2006). "Effect of probiotics on vaccine antibody responses in infancy--a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trial." Pediatr Allergy Immunol 17(6): 416-421. Kukkonen, K., E. Savilahti, et al. (2007). "Probiotics and prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides in the prevention of allergic diseases: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." J Allergy Clin Immunol 119(1): 192-198. Kukkonen, K., E. Savilahti, et al. (2008). "Long-term safety and impact on infection rates of postnatal probiotic and prebiotic (synbiotic) treatment: randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial." Pediatrics 122(1): 8-12. Kullen, M. J. and J. Bettler (2005). "The delivery of probiotics and prebiotics to infants." Curr Pharm Des 11(1): 55-74. Kunz, A. N., M. P. Fairchok, et al. (2005). "Lactobacillus sepsis associated with probiotic therapy." Pediatrics 116(2): 517; author reply 517-518. Kurzer, M. S. (2000). "Soy, Probiotics, and Breast Cancer Prevention." Govt Reports Announcements & Index(14): 6. Kurzer, M. S. (2001). "Soy, Probiotics, and Breast Cancer Prevention." Govt Reports Announcements & Index(23): 6. "Lactobacillus GG for infectious enteritis (InfectoDiarrstop GG)." 2001; 367-370. Laski, L. C. (2008). "The use of probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii for diarrhea management." Topics in Clinical Nutrition 23(1): 71-75. Lewis, S. J. and A. R. Freedman (1998). "Review article: the use of biotherapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal disease." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 12(9): 807-822. Lin, H. C., B. H. Su, et al. (2006). "Oral probiotics prevent necrotizing enterocolitis." J Pediatr 148(6): 849; author reply 850. Lionetti, E., F. Indrio, et al. (2010). "Role of probiotics in pediatric patients with Helicobacter pylori infection: a comprehensive review of the literature." Helicobacter 15(2): 79-87. D-93 Liong, M. T. (2008). "Safety of probiotics: translocation and infection." Nutr Rev 66(4): 192 202. Lirussi, F., E. Mastropasqua, et al. (2007). "Probiotics for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and/or steatohepatitis." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(1): CD005165. Lomangino, K. (2006). "Gut check: how safe are probiotics?" Nutrition & the M D 32(7): 8. Lombardo, L. (2008). "New insights into Lactobacillus and functional intestinal disorders." Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol 54(3): 287-293. Ma, J.-C. (2008). "Efficacy of probiotic agents in maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis: A meta analysis." 12(28): 4123-4127. Madsen, K. L. (2001). "The use of probiotics in gastrointestinal disease." Can J Gastroenterol 15(12): 817-822. Maggi, L., P. Mastromarino, et al. (2000). "Technological and biological evaluation of tablets containing different strains of lactobacilli for vaginal administration." Eur J Pharm Biopharm 50(3): 389-395. Mallon, P., D. McKay, et al. (2007). "Probiotics for induction of remission in ulcerative colitis." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(4): CD005573. Manzoni, P., E. Gallo, et al. (2009). "Probiotics for the neonate." J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 22 Suppl 3: 27-30. Marchand, J. and Y. Vandenplas (2000). "Micro-organisms administered in the benefit of the host: myths and facts." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 12(10): 1077-1088. Marlicz, W. M., E. Wunsch, et al. (2010). "The evaluation of multispecies probiotics in portal hypertension - Cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of hepato-renal syndrome are not manipulated." Journal of Hepatology 52: S330-S331. Marshall, J. C. (2008). "Daily use of a Lactobacilli probiotic prevented antibiotic-associated diarrhea in hospitalized patients." ACP J Club 149(1): 10. Marteau, P. (2001). "Safety aspects of probiotic products." Scand J Nutr 45: 22-24. Marteau, P. (2006). "Living drugs for gastrointestinal diseases: the case for probiotics." Dig Dis 24(1-2): 137-147. Marteau, P. and P. Seksik (2004). "Tolerance of probiotics and prebiotics." J Clin Gastroenterol 38(6 Suppl): S67-69. Marteau, P. and F. Shanahan (2003). "Basic aspects and pharmacology of probiotics: an overview of pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of action and side-effects." Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 17(5): 725-740. Mattila-Sandholm, T., J. Matto, et al. "Lactic acid bacteria with health claims--interactions and interference with gastrointestinal flora." International dairy journal 9(1): 25-35. McClave, S. A., D. K. Heyland, et al. (2009). "Comment on: probiotic prophylaxis in predicted severe acute pancreatitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 33(4): 444-446. D-94 McClave, S. A., D. K. Heyland, et al. (2009). "Probiotic prophylaxis in predicted severe acute pancreatitis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 33(4): 444-446. McFarland, L. V. (2000). "Beneficial microbes: health or hazard?" Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 12(10): 1069-1071. McFarland, L. V. (2005). "Can Saccharomyces boulardii prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children?" Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology 2(6): 262-263. McFarland, L. V. (2005). "Do probiotics have a role in the treatment and prevention of nosocomial infections?" Australian Infection Control 10(1): 12-14, 16-22. McFarland, L. V. (2006). "Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhea and the treatment of Clostridium difficile disease." Am J Gastroenterol 101(4): 812-822. McFarland, L. V. (2007). "Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of traveler's diarrhea." Travel Med Infect Dis 5(2): 97-105. McFarland, L. V. (2009). "Evidence-based review of probiotics for antibiotic-associated diarrhea and Clostridium difficile infections." Anaerobe 15(6): 274-280. McFarland, L. V. (2010). "Systematic review and meta-analysis of Saccharomyces boulardii in adult patients." World J Gastroenterol 16(18): 2202-2222. McFarland, L. V. and S. Dublin (2008). "Meta-analysis of probiotics for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome." World J Gastroenterol 14(17): 2650-2661. McGroarty, J. A. (1993). "Probiotic use of lactobacilli in the human female urogenital tract." FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 6(4): 251-264. Meile, L., G. Le Blay, et al. (2008). "Safety assessment of dairy microorganisms: Propionibacterium and Bifidobacterium." Int J Food Microbiol 126(3): 316-320. Michail, S., F. Sylvester, et al. (2006). "Clinical efficacy of probiotics: review of the evidence with focus on children." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 43(4): 550-557. Millar, M., M. Wilks, et al. (2003). "Probiotics for preterm infants?" Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 88(5): F354-358. Miller, M. (2009). "The fascination with probiotics for Clostridium difficile infection: lack of evidence for prophylactic or therapeutic efficacy." Anaerobe 15(6): 281-284. Mimura (2004). "Maintaining remission in recurrent or refractory pouchitis by single administration of high dose probiotic therapy (VSL3)." Hepato-Gastro 11(4): 317-318. Moayyedi, P., A. C. Ford, et al. (2008). "The efficacy of probiotics in the therapy of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review." Gut. Morais, M. B. and C. M. Jacob (2006). "The role of probiotics and prebiotics in pediatric practice." J Pediatr (Rio J) 82(5 Suppl): S189-197. Muder, R. (2006). "Abstract & commentary Weigh the cons against probiotics: effort to fight C diff leads to fungemia." Hospital Infection Control 33(1): 8-9. Naidu, A. S., W. R. Bidlack, et al. (1999). "Probiotic spectra of lactic acid bacteria (LAB)." Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 39(1): 13-126. D-95 No author (2009). "World Gastroenterology Organisation practice guideline: Probiotics and prebiotics." Arab Journal of Gastroenterology 10(1): 33-42. O'Brien, J., R. Crittenden, et al. (Dec). "Safety evaluation of probiotics." Trends in food science & technology 10(12): 418-424. Olah, A., T. Belagyi, et al. (2007). "Synbiotic control of inflammation and infection in severe acute pancreatitis: a prospective, randomized, double blind study." Hepatogastroenterology 54(74): 590-594. Oldfield, I. E. C. (2008). "Probiotics for the prevention of diarrhea associated with antibiotics." Reviews in Gastroenterological Disorders 8(3): 221-222. Ooi, L. G. and M. T. Liong (2010). "Cholesterol-lowering effects of probiotics and prebiotics: a review of in vivo and in vitro findings." Int J Mol Sci 11(6): 2499-2522. Osborn, D. A. and J. K. Sinn (2007). "Probiotics in infants for prevention of allergic disease and food hypersensitivity." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(4): CD006475. Ouwehand, A. and S. Salminen (2003). "Safety Evaluation of Probiotics." 316-336. Pan, S. J., C. H. Kuo, et al. (2010). "Probiotics and allergy in children--an update review." Pediatr Allergy Immunol 21(4 Pt 2): e659-666. Panknin, H. and M. Trautmann (2008). "Probiotic therapy with Saccharomyces boulardii: High risk of fungemia in patients with central venous catheter." Krankenhauspharmazie 29(3): 108 110. Panknin, H. and M. Trautmann (2008). "Risk of fungemia by administration of S. boulardii in intensive care patients?" Arzneimitteltherapie 26(2): 68-70. Parkes, G. C., J. D. Sanderson, et al. (2009). "The mechanisms and efficacy of probiotics in the prevention of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea." Lancet Infect Dis 9(4): 237-244. Petrov, M. S., B. P. Loveday, et al. (2009). "Systematic review and meta-analysis of enteral nutrition formulations in acute pancreatitis." Br J Surg 96(11): 1243-1252. Petschow, B., R. Figueros, et al. (2003). "Comparison of intestinal colonization and tolerance following oral administration of different levels of lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG (LGG) in healthy term infants." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 36: 566. Pillai, A. and R. Nelson (2008). "Probiotics for treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated colitis in adults." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(1): CD004611. Pineiro, M. and C. Stanton (2007). "Probiotic bacteria: legislative framework-- requirements to evidence basis." J Nutr 137(3 Suppl 2): 850S-853S. Pitsouni, E., V. Alexiou, et al. (2009). "Does the use of probiotics/synbiotics prevent postoperative infections in patients undergoing abdominal surgery? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." Eur J Clin Pharmacol. Prantera, C. and M. L. Scribano (2002). "Probiotics and Crohn's disease." Dig Liver Dis 34 Suppl 2: S66-67. "Probiotic protection against atopic eczema continues to age four years." Lancet 2003;361: 1869. "Probiotics may pose risk in children with cow's milk allergy." Child Health Alert 2007;25: 2-3. D-96 Rabot, S., J. Rafter, et al. (2010). "Guidance for substantiating the evidence for beneficial effects of probiotics: impact of probiotics on digestive system metabolism." J Nutr 140(3): 677S-689S. Rahimi, R., S. Nikfar, et al. (2008). "A meta-analysis of the benefit of probiotics in maintaining remission of human ulcerative colitis: Evidence for prevention of disease relapse and maintenance of remission." Archives of Medical Science 4(2): 185-190. Rayes, N., D. Seehofer, et al. (2002). "[Influence of probiotics and fibre on the incidence of bacterial infections following major abdominal surgery - results of a prospective trial]." Z Gastroenterol 40(10): 869-876. Rayes, N., D. Seehofer, et al. (2009). "Prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics in surgery--are they only trendy, truly effective or even dangerous?" Langenbecks Arch Surg 394(3): 547-555. Reid, G. (2002). "Safety of lactobacillus strains as probiotic agents." Clin Infect Dis 35(3): 349 350. Reid, G. (2006). "Safe and efficacious probiotics: what are they?" Trends Microbiol 14(8): 348 352. Reid, G. and A. Bocking (2003). "The potential for probiotics to prevent bacterial vaginosis and preterm labor." Am J Obstet Gynecol 189(4): 1202-1208. Rijkers, G. T., S. Bengmark, et al. (2010). "Guidance for Substantiating the Evidence for Beneficial Effects of Probiotics: Current Status and Recommendations for Future Research." J Nutr 140(3): 671S-676S. Rohde, C. L., V. Bartolini, et al. (2009). "The use of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea with special interest in Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea." Nutr Clin Pract 24(1): 33-40. Rolfe, V. E., P. J. Fortun, et al. (2006). "Probiotics for maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease." Cochrane Database Syst Rev(4): CD004826. Roman, B. A. (2009). "Use of probiotics in the management of diarrhea in pediatric patients." Clinical nutrition insight 35(10): 1-4. Ruszczynski, M. and H. Szajewska (2008). "Probiotics for the treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." Pediatria Wspolczensna 10(2): 96-104. Saarela, M. (2002). "Safety aspects of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species originating from human oro-gastrointestinal tract or from probiotic products." Saarela, M., G. Mogensen, et al. (2000). "Probiotic bacteria: safety, functional and technological properties." J Biotechnol 84(3): 197-215. Saavedra, J. M. (2007). "Use of probiotics in pediatrics: rationale, mechanisms of action, and practical aspects." Nutr Clin Pract 22(3): 351-365. Sachdeva, A. and J. Nagpal (2009). "Effect of fermented milk-based probiotic preparations on Helicobacter pylori eradication: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials." Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 21(1): 45-53. Salminen, E. (1996). "Safety assessment of Lactobacillus strain GG (ATCC 53103)." Nutrition Today(31): 32S-34S. D-97 Salminen, M. K., S. Tynkkynen, et al. (2002). "Lactobacillus bacteremia during a rapid increase in probiotic use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in Finland." Clin Infect Dis 35(10): 1155-1160. Salminen, S., A. Ouwehand, et al. (1999). "Probiotics: how should they be defined?" Trends in Food Science and Technology 10(3): 107-110. Salminen, S. and A. von Wright (1998). "Current probiotics - safety assured?" Microb Ecol Health Dis 10: 68-77. Salminen, S., A. von Wright, et al. (1998). "Demonstration of safety of probiotics -- a review." Int J Food Microbiol 44(1-2): 93-106. Sand, J. and I. Nordback (2008). "Probiotics in severe acute pancreatitis." Lancet 371(9613): 634-635. Sanders, M., G. Gibson, et al. (2007). "CAST Issue Paper: Probiotics-Their Potenial to Impact Human Health." Council for Agricultural Science and Technology(36). Sanders, M. E., L. M. A. Akkermans, et al. (2010). "Safety assessment of probiotics for human use." Gut Microbes 1(3): 1-22. Sanders, M. E., J. Hamilton, et al. (2007). "A nonviable preparation of Lactobacillus acidophilus is not a probiotic." Clin Infect Dis 44(6): 886. Schindler, B. (2008). "Safety of probiotics: Do not use probiotics on patients with acute pancreatitis." 29(12): 554. Scranton, S. E. and K. L. Davis (2009). "Impact of maternal atopy and probiotic supplementation during pregnancy on infant sensitization: A double-blind placebo-controlled study." Pediatrics 124(SUPPL. 2): S112-S113. Segarra-Newnham, M. (2007). "Probiotics for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea: focus on Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii." Ann Pharmacother 41(7): 1212 1221. Sethi, S., G. Singh, et al. (2009). "Lactobacilli as probiotics against genital infections." Indian J Med Res 129(6): 628-630. Shafai, T. (2009). "Routine supplement of prebiotics and probiotics to newborn infants is not recommended." Pediatrics 123(3): e543-544; author reply e544. Sharp, R. R., J. P. Achkar, et al. (2009). "Helping patients make informed choices about probiotics: a need for research." Am J Gastroenterol 104(4): 809-813. Shen, J. (2009). "Meta-analysis: The effect and adverse events of Lactobacilli versus placebo in maintenance therapy for Crohn disease." Internal Medicine Journal 2: 103-109. Siempos, II, T. K. Ntaidou, et al. (2010). "Impact of the administration of probiotics on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." Crit Care Med 38(3): 954-962. Silvestri, L., H. K. van Saene, et al. (2010). "Probiotics to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia: no robust evidence from randomized controlled trials." Crit Care Med 38(7): 1616 1617; author reply 1617. D-98 Singhi, S. (2007). "Probiotics in the critically ill: handle with care!" Pediatr Crit Care Med 8(5): 499-501. Singhi, S. C. and A. Baranwal (2008). "Probiotic use in the critically ill." Indian J Pediatr 75(6): 621-627. Sipsas, N. V., D. I. Zonios, et al. (2002). "Safety of Lactobacillus strains used as probiotic agents." Clin Infect Dis 34(9): 1283-1284; author reply 1284-1285. Smith, D. L. (1996). "Brewer's yeast as a cause of infection." Clin Infect Dis 22(1): 201. Snydman, D. R. (2008). "The safety of probiotics." Clin Infect Dis 46 Suppl 2: S104-111; discussion S144-151. Sobel, J. (2004). "Editorial comment: The good and bad of Lactobacillus." Infections in Medicine 21(2): 80. Soll, R. F. (2010). "Probiotics: are we ready for routine use?" Pediatrics 125(5): 1071-1072. Spinosa, M. R., F. Wallet, et al. (2000). "The trouble in tracing opportunistic pathogens: cholangitis due to Bacillus in a French hospital caused by a strain related to an Italian probiotic?" Microb Ecol Health Dis 12: 99-101. Stamatova, I. and J. H. Meurman (2009). "Probiotics and periodontal disease." Periodontol 2000 51: 141-151. Stapleton, J. R. and S. A. McClave (2009). "Controversial results with use of probiotics in critical illness: early single-center positive results." Curr Gastroenterol Rep 11(4): 255-256. Steenhout, P. G., F. Rochat, et al. (2009). "The effect of Bifidobacterium lactis on the growth of infants: a pooled analysis of randomized controlled studies." Ann Nutr Metab 55(4): 334-340. Stricker, T. and C. P. Braegger (2006). "Oral probiotics prevent necrotizing enterocolitis." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 42(4): 446-447. Sullivan, A. and C. E. Nord (2006). "Probiotic lactobacilli and bacteraemia in Stockholm." Scand J Infect Dis 38(5): 327-331. Sun, S., K. Yang, et al. (2009). "Probiotics in patients with severe acute pancreatitis: a meta analysis (Structured abstract)." Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery(1): 171-177. Surawicz, C. M. and L. V. McFarland (1999). "Risks of biotherapeutic agents. In: Elmer GW, McFarland LV, Surawicz CM eds." Biotherapeutic agents and infectious diseases. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press: 263-268. Szachta, P., M. Pazgrat, et al. (2009). "Probiotic strains - Perspectives and safety." Gastroenterologia Polska 16(1): 37-41. Szajewska, H. (2010). "Probiotics and prebiotics in preterm infants: Where are we? Where are we going?" Early Hum Dev. Szajewska, H. and J. Mrukowicz (2005). "Meta-analysis: non-pathogenic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 22(5): 365-372. D-99 Szajewska, H. and J. Z. Mrukowicz (2001). "Probiotics in the treatment and prevention of acute infectious diarrhea in infants and children: a systematic review of published randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled trials." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 33 Suppl 2: S17-25. Szajewska, H., M. Ruszczynski, et al. (2006). "Probiotics in the prevention of antibioticassociated diarrhea in children: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." J Pediatr 149(3): 367-372. Szajewska, H., M. Ruszczynski, et al. (2004). "The effects of probiotics in preterm and low-birth weight infants: A systematic review." Pediatria Polska 79(7): 543-550. Szajewska, H. and A. Skorka (2009). "Saccharomyces boulardii for treating acute gastroenteritis in children: updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 30(9): 960-961. Szajewska, H., A. Skorka, et al. (2007). "Meta-analysis: Saccharomyces boulardii for treating acute diarrhoea in children." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 25(3): 257-264. Szajewska, H., A. Skorka, et al. (2008). "Lactobacillus GG for treating acute diarrhea in children: Updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." Peditria Polska 83(4): 330 336. Szajewska, H., A. Skorka, et al. (2007). "Meta-analysis: Lactobacillus GG for treating acute diarrhoea in children." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 25(8): 871-881. Takahashi, O., Y. Noguchi, et al. (2009). "Prevention of traveler's diarrhea with probiotics." Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology 43(2): 198-199. Tamboli, C. P., C. Caucheteux, et al. (2003). "Probiotics in inflammatory bowel disease: a critical review." Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 17(5): 805-820. Tarnow-Mordi, W. O., D. Wilkinson, et al. (2010). "Probiotics reduce all-cause mortality and necrotizing enterocolitis: it is time to change practice." Pediatrics 125(5): 1068-1070. Torrens, J. K. and P. H. McWhinney (1999). "Probiotics and life-threatening infection." J Infect 39(3): 246. Tung, J. M., L. R. Dolovich, et al. (2009). "Prevention of Clostridium difficile infection with Saccharomyces boulardii: a systematic review." Can J Gastroenterol 23(12): 817-821. Tursi, A., G. Brandimarte, et al. (2006). "Mesalazine and/or Lactobacillus casei in preventing recurrence of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease of the colon: a prospective, randomized, open-label study." J Clin Gastroenterol 40(4): 312-316. Uhari, M. (2002). "Review: Lactobacillus is safe and effective for treating children with acute infectious diarrhea." ACP Journal Club [137](3): 96. Van Gossum, A., O. Dewit, et al. (2005). "A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of probiotics (L. johnsonii La1) on early endoscopic recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD) after ileocaecal resection." Gastroenterology 128: A17. Van Loo, J., Y. Clune, et al. (2005). "The SYNCAN project: goals, set-up, first results and settings of the human intervention study." Br J Nutr 93 Suppl 1: S91-98. Van Niel, C. W., C. Feudtner, et al. (2002). "Lactobacillus therapy for acute infectious diarrhea in children: a meta-analysis." Pediatrics 109(4): 678-684. D-100 van Santvoort, H. C., M. G. Besselink, et al. (2009). "Early endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in predicted severe acute biliary pancreatitis: a prospective multicenter study." Ann Surg 250(1): 68-75. Vandenplas, Y. and M. Benninga (2009). "Probiotics and functional gastrointestinal disorders in children." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 48 Suppl 2: S107-109. Vandenplas, Y., O. Brunser, et al. (2009). "Saccharomyces boulardii in childhood." Eur J Pediatr 168(3): 253-265. Vanderhoof, J. and D. Mack (2005). "Safety issues of probiotic ingestion." Vanderhoof, J. A. and R. J. Young (1998). "Use of probiotics in childhood gastrointestinal disorders." J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 27(3): 323-332. Vanderpool, C., F. Yan, et al. (2008). "Mechanisms of probiotic action: Implications for therapeutic applications in inflammatory bowel diseases." Inflamm Bowel Dis 14(11): 1585 1596. Vesterlund, S., V. Vankerckhoven, et al. (2007). "Safety assessment of Lactobacillus strains: presence of putative risk factors in faecal, blood and probiotic isolates." Int J Food Microbiol 116(3): 325-331. von Wright, A. (2005). "Regulating the safety of probiotics--the European approach." Curr Pharm Des 11(1): 17-23. Vouloumanou, E. K., G. C. Makris, et al. (2009). "Probiotics for the prevention of respiratory tract infections: a systematic review." Int J Antimicrob Agents. Vrese, M. d. (2008). "Microbiology, effects, and safety of probiotics." 156: 1063-1069. Wagner, R. D. and E. Balish (1998). "Potential hazards of probiotic bacteria for immunodeficient patients." Bull Inst Pasteur 96: 165-170. Wallace, B. (2009). "Clinical use of probiotics in the pediatric population." Nutr Clin Pract 24(1): 50-59. Wallace, B. (2009). "Invited review: Clinical use of probiotics in the pediatric population." Nutrition in Clinical Practice 24(1): 50-59. Wang, P., T. Wu, et al. (2009). "Probiotic agents for the treatment of diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome [Protocol] "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009;(1) Watkinson, P. J., V. S. Barber, et al. (2007). "The use of pre- pro- and synbiotics in adult intensive care unit patients: systematic review." Clin Nutr 26(2): 182-192. Whelan, K., G. R. Gibson, et al. (2001). "The role of probiotics and prebiotics in the management of diarrhoea associated with enteral tube feeding." J Hum Nutr Diet 14(6): 423-433. Whelan, K. and C. E. Myers (2010). "Safety of probiotics in patients receiving nutritional support: a systematic review of case reports, randomized controlled trials, and nonrandomized trials." Am J Clin Nutr 94: 687-703. Wilcox, M. and S. JA. (2009). "Results of study of probiotic yoghurt drink to prevent antibioticassociated diarrhoea are not widely applicable.". D-101 Wilhelm, S. M., C. M. Brubaker, et al. (2008). "Effectiveness of probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome." Pharmacotherapy 28(4): 496-505. Williams, N. T. (2010). "Probiotics." Am J Health Syst Pharm 67(6): 449-458. Wolvers, D., J. M. Antoine, et al. (2010). "Guidance for Substantiating the Evidence for Beneficial Effects of Probiotics: Prevention and Management of Infections by Probiotics." J Nutr 140(3): 698S-712S. Wu, Q. R., Z. J., et al. (2008). "Probiotic agents for ulcerative colitis: A systematic review." Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine 8(5): 315-321. Yazdankhah, S., J. Narvhus, et al. (2008). "Should long-term prophylactic use of probiotics for infants and young children give cause for concern?" Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 20(4): 171-176. Young, R., D. Whitney, et al. (1998). "Prevention of antibiotic-asscoiated diarrhea utilizing Lactobacillus GG." Gastroenterology 114: A435. Zhang, Z., C. Liu, et al. (2008). "[Safety of probiotics--a review]." Wei Sheng Wu Xue Bao 48(2): 257-261. Zigra, P. I., V. E. Maipa, et al. (2007). "Probiotics and remission of ulcerative colitis: a systematic review." Neth J Med 65(11): 411-418. Zocco, M. A., L. Z. dal Verme, et al. (2006). "Efficacy of Lactobacillus GG in maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis." Aliment Pharmacol Ther 23(11): 1567-1574. Zoppi, G. (1997). "Probiotics and prebiotics in the treatment of infections due to vancomycin dependent Enterococcus faecalis and of imbalance of the intestinal ecosystem (dysbiosis)." Acta Paediatr 86(10): 1148-1150. Zou, J., J. Dong, et al. (2009). "Meta-analysis: Lactobacillus containing quadruple therapy versus standard triple first-line therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication." Helicobacter 14(5): 97-107. Zullo, A., R. Lorenzetti, et al. (2007). "A quintuple therapy for H. pylori eradication." Am J Gastroenterol 102(11): 2601; author reply 2601-2602. D-102 Appendix E. Technical Expert Panel and Peer Reviewers Technical Expert Panel Michael D. Cabana, M.D., M.A., M.P.H. Division of General Pediatrics University of California San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, CA Cara Fiore, Ph.D. Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Food and Drug Administration Rockville, MD Barry R. Goldin, M.S., Ph.D. Department of Public Health and Community Medicine Tufts University School of Medicine Boston, MA Patricia Hibberd, M.D., Ph.D. Center for Global Health Research Tufts University School of Medicine Boston, MA David Mills, M.S., Ph.D. Department of Viticulture and Enology University of California, Davis Davis, CA Mary Ellen Sanders, Ph.D. Dairy and Food Culture Technologies Centennial, CO Maija-Liisa Saxelin, Ph.D. Formerly Valio Ltd., R&D00101 Helsinki, Finland E-1 Alain L. Servin, Ph.D. Faculty of Pharmacy French National Institute of Health and Medical Research Paris, France Jon A. Vanderhoof, M.D. Boys Town National Research Hospital, Mead Johnson Nutrition Boys Town, NE Peer Reviewers Ger Rijkers, Ph.D. Department of Surgery University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands Louis M.A. Akkermans, Ph.D. Gastrointestinal Research Unit University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands Marc G.H. Besselink, M.D., Ph.D. Department of Surgery University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands Daniel Buijs, M.Sc. Natural Health Products Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch Health Canada Ottawa, Ontario, Canada E-2

RELATED PAPERS

RELATED TOPICS

Log In

Safety of Probiotics Used to Reduce Risk and Prevent or Treat Disease

Safety of Probiotics Used to Reduce Risk and Prevent or Treat Disease

Related Papers

RELATED PAPERS

RELATED TOPICS