Lactobacillus reuteri strain for treating acute gastroenteritis in children

Background: Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 has been shown to provide a moderate clinical effect in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children. However, as the L. reuteri ATCC 55730 strain was found to carry potentially transferable resistance traits for tetracycline and lincomycin, it was replaced by a new strain, L. reuteri DSM 17938, without unwanted plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance. Bioequivalence of the two strains has been suggested. We aimed to systematically evaluate data on the effectiveness of L. reuteri DSM 17938 and the original strain, L. reuteri ATCC 55730, in the treatment of AGE in children.

Methods: The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases, reference lists, and abstract books of major scientific meetings were searched in August 2013, with no language restrictions, for relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Two RCTs (n=196) that evaluated L. reuteri DSM 17938 and three RCTs (n=156) that evaluated L. reuteri ATCC 55730, which involved hospitalised children aged 3 to 60 months, met the inclusion criteria.

Results: Compared with placebo or no treatment, DSM 17938 significantly reduced the duration of diarrhoea (mean difference -32 h, 95% confidence interval (CI): -41 to -24) and increased the chance of cure on day 3 (relative risk: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.2 to 10.8, random effects model). Similar results were obtained with the original strain, L. reuteri ATCC 55730.

Conclusion: In conclusion, in hospitalised children, use of both strains of L. reuteri reduced the duration of diarrhoea, and more children were cured within 3 days. Data from outpatients and countryspecific cost-effectiveness analyses are needed. Given the limited data and the methodological limitations of the included trials, the evidence should be viewed with caution.

 

Reference

Meta-analysis: Lactobacillus reuteri strain DSM 17938 (and the original strain ATCC 55730) for treating acute gastroenteritis in children. Szajewska H, Urbańska M, Chmielewska A, Weizman Z, Shamir R. Benef Microbes. 2014 Sep;5(3):285-93. doi: 10.3920/BM2013.0056.

Crawling baby

For the avoidance of doubt, BioGaia’s products are food supplements, and the information on this part of the website should not be interpreted as our products are intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

The information on this part of the website is intended only for health care and business professionals. If you are not a health care or business professional and would like to learn more about the indications BioGaia works with, please visit our Expertise pages.

Please read terms & conditions before accepting. By clicking on the button “I acknowledge and accept” you confirm that you are a healthcare or business professional and have read and understood this disclaimer including the terms and conditions.