Probiotics improve the efficacy of standard triple therapy in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Probiotics improve the efficacy of standard triple therapy in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori: a meta-analysis Christine S M Lau,1,2 Amanda Ward,2 Ronald S Chamberlain1–4 1Department of Surgery, Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ, USA; 2Saint George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, West Indies; 3Department of Surgery, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, Gilbert, AZ, USA; 4Department of Surgery, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA Introduction: Helicobacter pylori colonization is present in half of the world’s population and can lead to numerous gastrointestinal diseases if left untreated, including peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Although concurrent triple therapy remains the recommended treatment regimen for H. pylori eradication, its success rate and efficacy have been declining. Recent studies have shown that the addition of probiotics can significantly increase eradication rates by up to 50%. This meta-analysis examines the impact of probiotic supplementation on the efficacy of standard triple therapy in eradicating H. pylori. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar (time of inception to 2016) to identify all published randomized control trials (RCTs) assessing the use of probiotics in addition to triple therapy for the treatment of H. pylori. Searches were conducted using the keywords “probiotics”, “triple therapy”, and “Helicobacter pylori”. RCTs comparing the use of probiotics and standard triple therapy with standard triple therapy alone for any duration in patients of any age diagnosed with H. pylori infection were included. H. pylori eradication rates (detected using urea breath test or stool antigen) were analyzed as-per-protocol (APP) and intention-to-treat (ITT). Results: A total of 30 RCTs involving 4,302 patients APP and 4,515 patients ITT were analyzed. The addition of probiotics significantly increased eradication rates by 12.2% (relative risk [RR]