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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2022; 26(04): e744-e752
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1749370
Systematic Review

Role of Probiotics in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews

Haissan Iftikhar 
1   Department of Otolaryngology, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan
,
Muhammad Ozair Awan 
2   Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan
,
Muhammad Sohail Awan 
2   Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan
,
Khawaja Mustafa 
2   Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan
,
Jai K. Das 
3   Division of Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
,
Shahzada Khuram Ahmed 
4   Department of Otolaryngology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Abstract

Introduction Allergic rhinitis (AR) is estimated to affect up to 30% of the world population. With the rise in cases, newer treatment modalities have been explored. Probiotics have shown to reduce symptoms of AR and improve quality of life. A few systematic reviews have been published aiming to assess the role of probiotics in AR.

Objectives To consolidate the recent evidence with an overview of systematic reviews by extracting data regarding subjective outcomes (from quality of life questionnaires, the Total Nasal Symptom Score, the Total Ocular Symptom Score, the Daily Total Symptom Score, the incidence of AR, and the Rhinitis Total Symptom Score) and objective outcomes (levels of antigen-specific immunoglobulin E [IgE], total IgE, interleukin 10 [IL-10], interferon gamma [IFNG], eosinophil, and the T helper 1/T helper 2 [Th1/Th2] ratio).

Data Synthesis We conducted a literature search on the PubMed, EBSCO CINAHL, EBSCO Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source, and Cochrane Library up to April 14, 2020. The qualitative assessment was performed using the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR-2) tool. A total of 419 titles were screened, and 3 systematic reviews met our eligibility criteria. Probiotics in the treatment of AR have been shown to improve quality of life, the total nasal and ocular symptom scores, the daily total symptom scores and Th1/Th2 ratio. No difference was ascertained for rhinitis total symptom score, and the rates of antigen-specific IgE, total IgE, IL-10, INFG and eosinophil.

Conclusion The present review showed that there is considerable evidence that probiotics are useful in the treatment of AR. Further randomized trials targeting the limitations of the currently-available evidence can help ascertain the usefulness of probiotics in cases of AR.

Keywords

allergic rhinitis - probiotics - nasal symptom score - quality of life - rhinosinusitis

Financial Support

The authors declare that they have not received financial support regarding the performance of the present study.




Publication History

Received: 30 October 2021

Accepted: 17 April 2022

Article published online:
17 June 2022

© 2022. Fundação Otorrinolaringologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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