A probiotic mixture in patients with upper respiratory diseases: the point of view of the otorhinolaringologist

M Gelardi; I La Mantia; L Drago; G Meroni; S E Aragona; G Cupido; C Vicini; C Berardi; G Ciprandi; Italian Study Group on Upper Respiratory Infections: Albanese G, Anni A, Antoniacomi G, Artoni S,
Asprella G, Azzaro R, Azzolin A, Balduzzi A, Barbarino I, Berardi C, Bertetto BI, Bianchi A, Bianco N,
Bonanno A, Bordonaro C, Brindisi AM, Bucolo S, Bulzomì AG, Caligo G, Capaccio P, Capelli M, Capone A,
Carboni S, Carluccio G, Casaula M, Cassano M, Cavaliere M, Ciabattoni A, Conti A, Cordier A, Cortellessa F,
Costanzo M, Cupido F, D’Ascanio L, Danza C, D’Auria C, De Ciccio M, De Luca C, D’Emila M, Dessi R,
Di Lullo A, D’Urso M, Falcetti S, Falciglia R, Fera G, Ferrari G, Ferraro SM, Fini O, Fiorella M, Floriddia A,
Asprea F, Fusco C, Fuson R, Gallo A, Gambardella T, Gambardella G, Giangregorio F, Gramellini G, Ierace M, 
Ingria F, La Paglia A, Lanza L, Lauletta R, Lavazza P, Leone M, Lovotti P, Luperto P, Maniscalco F,
Marincolo I, Martone R, Melis A, Messina A, Milone V, Mirra N, Montanaro SC, Muià F, Nacci A, Nardello E,
Paderno L, Padovani D, Palma A, Paoletti M, Pedrotti I, Petrillo F, Piccolo M, Pinto P, Policarpo M, Raguso M,
Ranieri A, Romano G, Rondinelli M, Russo C, Scotto Di Santillo L, Sequino G, Serraino EM, Spahiu I, Spanò G,
Stabile C, Stagni G, Stellin M, Tassi S, Tomacelli G, Tombolini A, Valenzise V, Zirone A

A probiotic mixture in patients with upper respiratory diseases: the point of view of the otorhinolaringologist

J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2020 Nov-Dec;34(6 Suppl. 1):5-10.

Authors

M Gelardi¹, I La Mantia², L Drago³, G Meroni³, S E Aragona⁴, G Cupido⁵, C Vicini⁶, C Berardi⁷, G Ciprandi⁸; Italian Study Group on Upper Respiratory Infections: Albanese G, Anni A, Antoniacomi G, Artoni S, Asprella G, Azzaro R, Azzolin A, Balduzzi A, Barbarino I, Berardi C, Bertetto BI, Bianchi A, Bianco N, Bonanno A, Bordonaro C, Brindisi AM, Bucolo S, Bulzomì AG, Caligo G, Capaccio P, Capelli M, Capone A, Carboni S, Carluccio G, Casaula M, Cassano M, Cavaliere M, Ciabattoni A, Conti A, Cordier A, Cortellessa F, Costanzo M, Cupido F, D’Ascanio L, Danza C, D’Auria C, De Ciccio M, De Luca C, D’Emila M, Dessi R, Di Lullo A, D’Urso M, Falcetti S, Falciglia R, Fera G, Ferrari G, Ferraro SM, Fini O, Fiorella M, Floriddia A, Asprea F, Fusco C, Fuson R, Gallo A, Gambardella T, Gambardella G, Giangregorio F, Gramellini G, Ierace M, Ingria F, La Paglia A, Lanza L, Lauletta R, Lavazza P, Leone M, Lovotti P, Luperto P, Maniscalco F, Marincolo I, Martone R, Melis A, Messina A, Milone V, Mirra N, Montanaro SC, Muià F, Nacci A, Nardello E, Paderno L, Padovani D, Palma A, Paoletti M, Pedrotti I, Petrillo F, Piccolo M, Pinto P, Policarpo M, Raguso M, Ranieri A, Romano G, Rondinelli M, Russo C, Scotto Di Santillo L, Sequino G, Serraino EM, Spahiu I, Spanò G, Stabile C, Stagni G, Stellin M, Tassi S, Tomacelli G, Tombolini A, Valenzise V, Zirone A⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
² Unit of Otolaryngology, Department of General Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
³ Microbiology Department, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
⁴ Center of Regenerative Medicine, Humanitas Mater Domini, Castellanza (VA), Italy.
⁵ ENT Department, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
⁶ ENT Department, Forlì-Faenza Hospital, Italy, University of Ferrara e Bologna.
⁷ ENT Department, Istituto Clinico Città Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
⁸ Allergy Clinic, Casa di Cura Villa Montallegro, Genoa, Italy.
⁹ The Italian Study Group on Upper Respiratory Infections.

PMID: 33426860

Abstract

Upper respiratory infections are widespread in clinical practice. Antibiotics are frequently used in the management of patients with airways infection. However, antibiotics can induce intestinal and respiratory dysbiosis that, in turn, worsens respiratory symptoms. Moreover, respiratory infections per se can cause dysbiosis. Consequently, probiotics may counterbalance the disturbed microbiota. The current clinical experience evaluated the efficacy and safety of an oral nutraceutical containing a probiotic mixture with Lactobacillus plantarum LP01 (1 billion of living cells), Lactobacillus lactis subspecies cremoris LLC02 (800 million living cells), and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies delbrueckii LDD01 (200 million living cells), in 2928 outpatients with an upper respiratory infection and treated with antibiotics. Patients took one stick/daily for four weeks. Simultaneously, 2877 patients with an upper respiratory infection and treated with antibiotics were recruited as control. This probiotic mixture significantly diminished the presence and the severity of respiratory symptoms at the end of the probiotic course and, more evidently, after a 3-month follow-up. In conclusion, the current clinical experience suggested that this probiotic mixture may be considered an effective and safe therapeutic option in managing patients with an upper respiratory infection and treated with antibiotics.

Keywords: antibiotics; mucosal microbiota; probiotics; randomized study; upper respiratory infection.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Dysbiosis
Humans
Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus plantarum
Probiotics*
Respiratory Tract Diseases*

Supplementary concepts

Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis