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Current Pharmaceutical Design

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1381-6128
ISSN (Online): 1873-4286

Probiotics in Intestinal and Non-Intestinal Infectious Diseases – Clinical Evidence

Author(s): K. Hatakka and M. Saxelin

Volume 14, Issue 14, 2008

Page: [1351 - 1367] Pages: 17

DOI: 10.2174/138161208784480162

Price: $65

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that certain probiotic strains can be useful in improving human health. The use of probiotics has received attention as a natural way of restoring bodys normal microbiota, and an alternative and inexpensive way of preventing or treating infectious diseases without side effects. The best-documented clinical application of probiotics comes from trials on the treatment of gastrointestinal infections, mainly infectious diarrhoea. The enhancement of local as well as systemic immune responses by probiotics also offers new opportunities for probiotics in preventing infections at distal mucosal surfaces, such as those in the oral cavity, respiratory and urogenital tracts. The underlying mechanisms of probiotics are still unclear, but may include strengthening of the non-immunological gut barrier, interference with pathogen adhesion and growth inhibition, and the enhancement of the local mucosal immune system in the gut, as well as of the systemic immune response.

Keywords: Probiotics, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, gastrointestinal, oral, respiratory, urogenital, infection


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