A Meta-Analysis of Probiotic Efficacy for Gastrointestinal Diseases

Background: Meta-analyses on the effects of probiotics on specific gastrointestinal diseases have generally shown positive effects on disease prevention and treatment; however, the relative efficacy of probiotic use for treatment and prevention across different gastrointestinal diseases, with differing etiology and mechanisms of action, has not been addressed. Methods/Principal Findings: We included randomized controlled trials in humans that used a specified probiotic in the treatment or prevention of Pouchitis, Infectious diarrhea, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Helicobacter pylori, Clostridium difficile Disease, Antibiotic Associated Diarrhea, Traveler’s Diarrhea, or Necrotizing Enterocolitis. Random effects models were used to evaluate efficacy as pooled relative risks across the eight diseases as well as across probiotic species, single vs. multiple species, patient ages, dosages, and length of treatment. Probiotics had a positive significant effect across all eight gastrointestinal diseases with a relative risk of 0.58 (95 % (CI) 0.51–0.65). Six of the eight diseases: Pouchitis, Infectious diarrhea, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Helicobacter pylori, Clostridium difficile Disease, and Antibiotic Associated Diarrhea, showed positive significant effects. Traveler’s Diarrhea and Necrotizing Enterocolitis did not show significant effects of probiotcs. Of the 11 species and species mixtures, all showed positive significant effects except for Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Bifidobacterium infantis. Across all diseases and probiotic species, positive significant effects of probiotics were observed for all age groups, single vs. multiple species, and treatment lengths

Immune responses in advanced colorectal cancer following repeated intradermal vaccination with the anti-CEA murine monoclonal antibody, PR1A3: results of a phase I study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The aim was to determine the toxicity, clinical and immune responses to the murine monoclonal anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) antibody, PR1A3, in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with advanced colorectal cancer received either 0.5-, 1.0- or 5.0-mg doses of PR1A3 mixed with 10% w/v Alum adjuvant (Superfos Biosector, Denmark) intradermally at 4-week intervals for 3 months. Patient serum was assessed for anti-idiotypic (Ab2), anti-anti-idiotypic (Ab3) and human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA) reactivity. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), CEA and PR1A3, stimulated IL-2, IL-4 and IFN-gamma levels and PR1A3-stimulated IL-2 receptor expression during immunotherapy were determined. Comparisons were made with 16 age-matched controls without malignant disease. RESULTS: Hyperimmune sera from 12 of the 15 patients showed Ab2 reactivity with no detectable Ab3 responses. Strong HAMA reactivity was recorded in 7 of the 15 cases with no adverse clinical effect. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses developed in 12 of the 15 patients. Pre-treatment PBMC proliferation with PHA was subnormal in each patient compared with controls, becoming normal (or supranormal) in all patients during immunisation (P<0.001). PBMC proliferation with CEA and PR1A3 increased during immunotherapy (P<0.001) along with stimulated production of IL-2, IFN-gamma and IL-2 receptor expression. Progressive disease was observed in 14 of the 15 patients with minimal toxicity. CONCLUSION: PR1A3 generated limited idiotypic responses but robust DTH reactivity in most patients. In vitro PBMC proliferation with mitogens and recall antigens is greatly increased during the course of immunisation, with a shift in stimulated cytokine profile

Reservação da arcada vascular do cólon direito para o alongamento mesenterial na cirurgia do reservatório ileal

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a eficácia da preservação da arcada vascular do cólon direito (AVCD) na manutenção da perfusão sangüínea do reservatório após manobras de alongamento do mesentério ileal. MÉTODOS: O estudo incluiu 46 pacientes (janeiro/1990 a julho/2000, para o tratamento de retocolite ulcerativa (RCU) e polipose adenomatosa familiar (PAF), que foram divididos em dois grupos: grupo com preservação da arcada (CPA), 27 pacientes, média de idade - 34,0 (19-53) anos, 15 (55,6%) eram do sexo feminino e 24 (88,9%) eram brancos; e grupo sem preservação da arcada (SPA), 19 pacientes, média de idade 41,5 (13 - 62) anos, oito (42,1%) eram do sexo feminino e 18 (94,8%) eram brancos. Trinta pacientes (65,2%) apresentavam RCU e 16 (34,7%) PAF. Foram comparadas a ocorrência de complicações atribuídas à má perfusão sangüínea ou tensão na anastomose ileoanal, assim como as indicações de reoperações. RESULTADOS: No grupo CPA, em quatro pacientes (18,5%), as complicações estavam relacionadas ao comprometimento da viabilidade intestinal ou à tensão ao nível da anastomose. No grupo SPA, estas complicações ocorreram em sete pacientes (36,9%). Foram reoperados três pacientes (11,1%) do grupo CPA, por causas relacionadas ou à má perfusão sangüínea ou à tensão excessiva no nível da anastomose e no grupo SPA cinco (26,3%), pela mesma causa. CONCLUSÕES: Apesar das limitações metodológicas, observou-se tendência para menor ocorrência de complicações isquêmicas no grupo com preservação da AVCD. Quando o abaixamento do reservatório ileal tem que ser ao nível da linha pectínea, torna-se importante a perfusão sangüínea via AVCD como auxiliar na preservação de sua viabilidade