Premium
The use of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and viral findings in the nasopharynx of children attending day care
Author(s) -
Kumpu Minna,
Lehtoranta Liisa,
Roivainen Merja,
Rönkkö Esa,
Ziegler Thedi,
SöderlundVenermo Maria,
Kautiainen Hannu,
Järvenpää Salme,
Kekkonen Riina,
Hatakka Katja,
Korpela Riitta,
Pitkäranta Anne
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.23623
Subject(s) - rhinovirus , lactobacillus rhamnosus , probiotic , medicine , respiratory system , human bocavirus , enterovirus , virus , virology , respiratory tract infections , immunology , biology , bacteria , genetics
Limited data are available on the effects of probiotics on the nasopharyngeal presence of respiratory viruses in children attending day care. In this substudy of a randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled 28‐week intervention study, nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected, on visits to a physician due to symptoms of infection, from children receiving control milk (N = 97) and children receiving the same milk supplemented with probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (N = 97). The presence of 14 respiratory viruses was assessed by PCR methods, and viral findings were compared with symptom prevalences in the intervention groups. Rhinovirus was identified in 28.6% of 315 swab samples, followed by respiratory syncytial virus (12.4%), parainfluenza virus 1 (12.1%), enterovirus (8.9%), influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (7.9%), human bocavirus 1 (3.8%), parainfluenza virus 2 (3.2%), adenovirus (2.9%), and influenza A(H3N2) (0.6%). The children in the probiotic group had less days with respiratory symptoms per month than the children in the control group (6.48 [95% CI 6.28–6.68] vs. 7.19 [95% CI 6.98–7.41], P < 0.001). Probiotic intervention did not reduce significantly the occurrence of the examined respiratory viruses, or have an effect on the number of respiratory symptoms observed at the time of a viral finding. Rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and parainfluenza virus 1 were the most common respiratory viruses in symptomatic children. Children receiving Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG had fewer days with respiratory symptoms than children in the control group, although probiotic intervention was not effective in reducing the amount of viral findings or the respiratory symptoms associated with viral findings. J. Med. Virol. 85:1632–1638, 2013 . © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.