The goal of a study published in JAMA Dermatology was to determine whether a mixture of oral probiotics is safe and effective in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) symptoms and to evaluate its influence on the use of topical steroids in a young population.

This was a 12-week randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled interventional trial, conducted in the year 2016 at an outpatient hospital in Spain. The study enrolled 50 children aged 4-17 years of age with moderate atopic dermatitis. Participants were givena daily capsule containing freeze-dried powder with 109 total colony-forming units of the probiotic strains of Bifidobacterium lactis CECT 8145, B longum CECT 7347, and Lactobacillus casei CECT 9104 and maltodextrin as a carrier, or placebo (maltodextrin-only capsules), for twelve weeks.

The results showed that the mean reduction in the SCORAD index in the probiotic group was 19.2 points greater than in the control group. A change of −83% was recorded in the probiotic group and −24% in the placebo group. There was a significant reduction in the use of topical steroids to treat flares in the probiotic arm compared to the control arm.

It was inferred that the mixture of probiotics was effective in reducing SCORAD index and reducing the use of topical steroids in patients with moderate AD.

Source: JAMA Dermatology. 2018;154(1):37-43. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.3647