Culturelle® PreventsAtopic Eczema in IgE-sensitized Infants

Culturelle® PreventsAtopic Eczema in IgE-sensitized Infants

HELSINKI, FinlandLactobacillusGG (LGG), a mixture of four probiotic strains, reduced symptoms of atopiceczema/dermatitis syndrome (AEDS) in infants with food allergy, according to astudy published in Allergy (60,4:494-500, 2005).

In the randomized, double blind study, 230 infants with AEDSpossibly caused by cows milk allergy (CMA) received LGG (as Culturelle®,manufactured by ConAgra Functional Foods) or placebo, as well as an eliminationdiet and skin treatment, for four weeks. At the conclusion of the test period,CMA was confirmed in 120 infants with a double blind, placebocontrolled cowsmilk challenge. Severity of AEDS measured by the Severity Scoring of AtopicDermatitis (SCORAD) index had decreased by 65 percent since baseline, with nodifferences between treatment groups or in infants with CMA.However, infantssensitized to Immunoglobin E (IgE) and given LGG showed a greater reduction inSCORAD than did infants given placebo. Exclusion of infants who receivedantibiotics during the study reinforced the findings in the IgE-sensitizedsubgroup.

The researchers concluded treatment with LGG may alleviateAEDS symptoms in IgE-sensitized infants but not in non-IgE-sensitized infants.

All groups showed improvement in mean SCORAD, astandardized way to assess eczema, due to the dietary and dermatologictreatments, said M. Viljanen, Ph.D., co-author of the study. Manycases, however, do not respond to standard treatment. When the groups weresubanalyzed for IgE levels, an index of the type and severity of allergicresponse, the group that had the highest IgE levels showed a significantreduction in SCORAD when taking LGG as compared to both the placebo and LGG mixgroup. This is significant because treatment with LGG may help withAEDS symptoms in IgE- sensitized infants. It also helps to identify the exactmechanism by which LGG works and demonstrates that combining probiotics doesntnecessarily improve efficacy.