The therapeutic role of live combined bifidobacterium,lactobacillus and enterococcus in alcoholic liver disease

ZHANG Dong; HAO Xiu-xian; YANG Ting; LOU Yuan-gui

doi:10.3760/cma.j.issn.1673-4777.2011.05.020

Abstract：Objective To investigate the character of bowel flora and the therapeutic role of live combined bifidobacterium,lactob-acillus and enterrococcus(LCBLE)in alcoholic liver disease(ALD).Methods Sixty-six adult males admitted with a diagnosis of ALD were enrolled in this randomized,clinical study in 32 weeks.Patients were randomized to 7 days of LCBLE plus standard therapy and standard therapy(abstinence,hish caloric,protein low fat diet.vitamins,etc)only.Stool cultures and liver enzymes were performed before the trail and were repeated after the therapy.Results Compared to healthy controls,ALD patients had significantly reduced numbers of bifidobacteria.1actobacilli,and enteroeocci.Liver enzymes were significantly elevated in the alcohofic group compared to the healthy control group,indicating that these patients did have alcohol-induced liver injury.After 7 days of therapy of LCBLE,ALD patients had significantly increased quantity of bifidobacteria,lactobacilli and enterococci compared to the standard therapy arm.Despite similar values at study initiation,patients treated with LCBLE had significandy lower AST and ALT activity at the end of treatment than those treated with standard therapy alone.In a subgroup of 26 subjects with diagnosis alcoholic hepatitis,therapy of LCBLE was associated with a significant reduction in liver enzymes and TB. In this subgroup,there was a mean AST reduction in the LCBLE therapy compared with the standard therapy arm.Conlusions ALD patients have significantly altered bowel flora compared to healthy controls.Short-term oral supplementation with LCBLE is associated with restoration of the bowel flora and improvement in alcohol-induced liver injury than standard therapy alone.