Probiotics and Helicobacter pylori infection

Abstract

Probiotics involving Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Saccharomyces, Clostridium butyricum, etc. have been reported to have inhibitory effects on Helicobacter pylori infections in in vitro and in vivo studies. In addition, these probiotics have been reported to be effective in clinical studies; the patients treated with triple therapy combined with probiotics had a higher H. pylori eradication rate than those with triple therapy only, and antibiotic-associated gastrointestinal side effects during H. pylori eradication therapy were reduced in the patients treated with a probiotics supplemented regimen. It was also reported that probiotic supplementation reduced side effects and permitted a slight improvement in eradicating H. pylori in second-line eradication therapy.