The Efficacy and Role of Probiotics for Maintenance of Remission in Crohn’s Disease: A Meta-Analysis and Survey

Abstract

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease whose pathogenesis involves disturbances of the gastrointestinal microbiota. As the prevalence of CD increases, the need for a more effective and safe treatment is integral. Probiotics have been reported to be beneficial for numerous gastrointestinal diseases, providing health benefits and considering the microbial characteristics of CD’s pathogenesis. However, our knowledge of the efficacy of probiotic therapy in preventing relapse in CD is limited. How gastroenterologists have incorporated probiotics into their practice or probiotics observed implications for patients with CD has not been assessed. A quantitative survey was distributed to determine how gastroenterologists perceive and use probiotic-based therapies in CD practice. The second objective was to conduct a meta-analysis of the efficacy of probiotics for maintaining remission and preventing clinical and endoscopic relapse in CD. Performing a meta-analysis and survey will examine the role of probiotics in CD treatment. Surveyed gastroenterologists cited that probiotics have an adjunctive role and have been observed to alleviate common CD symptoms. Probiotics seem effective in reducing the relapse rate, specifically those of the multi-strain variety are more likely to be effective in maintaining CD remission. Further research with larger trials is required to replicate and solidify this efficacy. The meta-analysis only assessed the efficacy of probiotics as a maintenance treatment as measured by the risk of relapse; thus, no evidence supports probiotics’ ability to induce remission. The results of the meta-analysis and survey indicate that probiotics cannot treat CD without accompanying conventional drug therapies; nevertheless, independent of treatment capacities, probiotics still yield health benefits for CD patients.