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Study finds potential benefits of probiotics for patients with ESRD
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AUSTIN, Texas — There are potential benefits of probiotics regarding inflammation, uremic toxins and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with end-stage renal disease, according to a poster presented at the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings.
The study found a significant reduction in serum C-reactive protein (CRP) from baseline to post-probiotic course, with a standardized mean difference (SMD).
“[A] decrease in CRP was decreasing inflammation total in the body, hopefully leading to better outcomes in [end-stage renal disease] ESRD patients,” study co-author Spencer T. Hatch, DO, of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, told Healio Nephrology.
The analysis evaluated the effects of probiotics on inflammation, uremic toxins and GI symptoms in patients with ESRD. Previously, probiotics have been shown to reduce uremic toxins and increase lifespan in uremic rats, according to the study abstract.
“It’s a meta-analysis of many different studies about the effects of probiotics and all the inflammatory markers with end-stage renal disease,” Hatch said. “So, we looked at several different studies. We ended up having 178 end-stage renal disease patients that were in total in all the studies.”
Investigators found no significant changes in serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha or albumin with SMDs of -0.32 and 0.16, respectively. They saw a significant decrease in protein-bound uremic toxins and improvement in overall GI symptoms. The SMDs of these measures were -0.61 and -1.04, respectively. – by Jake Scott and Kristine Houck, MA, ELS
Reference:
Hatch ST, et al. Poster 214. Presented at: National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings; April 10-14, 2018; Austin, Texas.
Disclosures: The authors reported no relevant financial disclosures.