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Lee, Moon, Kwon, Jung, Seo, Baec, Lee, and Kim: Effect of a Probiotic Preparation (VSL#3) in Patients with Mild to Moderate Ulcerative Colitis
Original Article
Alimentary Tract
The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology

The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology 2012; 60(2): 94-101.

Published online: 22 August 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4166/kjg.2012.60.2.94

Effect of a Probiotic Preparation (VSL#3) in Patients with Mild to Moderate Ulcerative Colitis

Ji Hyun Lee, Gyoo Moon1, Hyeok Jin Kwon, Woo Jin Jung, Pyoung Ju Seo, Tai Yoon Baec, Ju Hyeong Lee2, Hyun Shig Kim

Digestive Endoscopic Center, Seoul Song Do Colorectal Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

1Department of Gastroenterology, Hanam Song Do Colorectal Hospital, Hanam, Korea.

2Songdo Biocell Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.

Correspondence to: Gyoo Moon, Department of Gastroenterology, Hanam Song Do Colorectal Hospital, 362 Deokpung 2-dong, Hanam 465-803, Korea. Tel: +82-31-793-2882, Fax: +82-31-795-0933, chelsia3@empal.com

Received 9 February 2012       Revised 14 May 2012       Accepted 14 May 2012

Copyright © 2012 The Korean Society of Gastroenterology

(open-access):

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Background/Aims

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic disease that characteristically has a relapsing and remitting course. Probiotics might possibly induce remission in the treatment of active UC. Aims of our study were to assess the efficacy of VSL#3 on clinical response and colonic tissue cytokine concentration changes in patients with active UC.

Methods

Twenty-four eligible patients with mild to moderate UC received open-label VSL#3 4 sachets daily in 2 divided doses for 8 weeks. The disease activity pre- and post-VSL#3 therapy was assessed by ulcerative colitis disease activity score and colonic tissue cytokine profiling done at baseline and at week 8.

Results

Twenty-four patients (mean age, 43.7 years; range, 20-70 years; male/female, 15/9) were enrolled and 2 patients did not have the final endoscopic assessment. A total of 22 patients were analyzed. Intent to treat analysis demonstrated remission in 45.8% of subjects (n=11); partial response in 20.8% (n=5); no change or worse in 25.0% (n=6) of subjects. The mean ulcerative colitis disease activity index (UCDAI) scores decreased from 7.09±1.81 to 1.45±1.29 in patients with a remission (p<0.001). The mean endoscopic scores had also significantly decreased from 1.91±0.54 to 0.63±0.50 in patients with a remission (p<0.001). The concentrations of colonic cytokines did not change significantly during treatment in patients with a remission.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that VSL#3 is effective in achieving clinical responses and remissions in patients with mild-to moderately active UC, further supporting the potential role in UC therapy.

Keywords: Probiotics, Ulcerative colitis, Cytokines

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1
Bar diagrams showing (A) ulcerative colitis disease activity index (UCDAI) scores and (B) endoscopic scores before and after administration of VSL#3 for each responding group (*p<0.001, **p=0.011). Two patients did not complete the final endoscopic assessment.
kjg-60-94-g001
Fig. 2
Bar diagrams showing the colonic cytokine profile before and after administration of VSL#3 for each responding group in (A) tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, (B) interferon (IFN)-γ, (C) interleukin (IL)-12, and (D) IL-10. *p<0.05. Two patients did not complete the final colonic tissue sampling.
kjg-60-94-g002
Table 1
Ulcerative Colitis Disease Activity Index15
kjg-60-94-i001
Table 2
Patient Demographic and Baseline Characteristics
kjg-60-94-i002

Values are presented as mean±SD or n (%).

Table 3
Clinical and Laboratory Findings before Administration of VSL#3 for Each Group
kjg-60-94-i003

Values are presented as median (range).

UCDAI, ulcerative colitis disease activity index; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-α; IFN-γ, interferon-γ; IL-12, interleukin-12; IL-10, interleukin-10.

Notes

Financial support: This research was supported by the Korea Institute of Medicine.

Conflict of interest: None.

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