Probiotic Products May Have Anti-inflammatory Effects

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What else may probiotics do in adults?

Probiotic bacteria, defined as living microorganisms that have

beneficial effects on human health, have mostly been studied in the

prevention and treatment of different gastrointestinal diseases and

allergies. Probiotic products, however, are usually consumed by the

general, healthy population but not much is known what kind of effects

they have on the immune system in healthy adults. It is not clear how

probiotics exert their health effects, but one of the most probable

action mechanisms is the modulation of immune responses via the gut's

mucosal immune system.

The study, performed by the groups of Dr Korpela, Professor Vapaatalo

and Professor Julkunen, will be published on April 7, 2008, in the

World Journal of Gastroenterology.

This study investigated the immunomodulatory effects of probiotics

bacteria in healthy adults. It was found that probiotics have an

anti-inflammatory potential seen as a decrease in serum CRP levels and

as a reduction in bacteria-induced production of proinflammatory

cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Understanding of the specific immunomodulatory effects of probiotics

may help in designing future probiotics for targeted purposes. As the

effects in the present study were investigated in healthy adults, the

real impact of probiotics on inflammatory variables warrants further

evaluation during inflammatory processes and in individuals suffering

from various types of inflammatory or autoimmune diseases.

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This research was carried out in collaboration with University of

Helsinki (Finland), Valio Research Centre (Finland), and the National

Public Health Institute (Finland). Part of the study was funded by the

Academy of Finland.

Reference: Kekkonen RA, Lummela N, Karjalainen H, Latvala S, Tynkkynen

S, Järvenpää S, Kautiainen H, Julkunen I, Vapaatalo H, Korpela R.

Probiotic intervention has strain-specific anti-inflammatory effects

in healthy adults. World J Gastroenterol 2008; 14(13): 2029-2036

http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/14/2029.aspCorrespondence to: Riitta

Korpela PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Helsinki, Institute of

Biomedicine, Pharmacology, PO Box 63, 00014 University of Helsinki,

Finland. riitta.korpela@... Telephone: +358-10-3813026 Fax:

+358-10-3813019

About World Journal of Gastroenterology