Background
Methods
Literature search
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Data extraction
Assessment of risk of bias
Statistical analysis
Results
Studies included in the meta-analysis
Study | Country | Recruitment | Sample size/probiotic | Probiotic | Dosage (CFU/D) | Duration of treatment (W) | Outcome measure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sinn et al. [30] | Korea | Single-centre | 40/20 |
L. acidophilus-SDC 2012, 2013
| 4 × 109 | 4 | Response (reduction scores) |
Hong et al. [31] | Korea | Single-centre | 70/36 |
Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4; Bifidobacterium lactis AD011; Lactobacillus acidophilus AD031; and Lactobacillus casei IBS041
| 4 × 1010 | 8 | Response (reduction scores) |
Guglielmetti et al. [32] | Germany | Multi-centre | 122/60 | Bifidobacterium bifidum MIMBb75 | 109 | 4 | Response (>50 % relief); Pain/bloating (a 7-point Likert scale) |
QoL (SF-12) | |||||||
Michail et al. [33] | USA | Single-centre | 24/15 |
VSL #3
| 9 × 1010 | 8 | Pain/bloating (GSRS) |
QoL (QoL questionnaires) | |||||||
Ringel et al. [34] | USA | Single-centre | 33/17 |
L-NCFM and B-LBi07
| 2 × 1011 | 8 | Response (relief of symptoms) |
Dapoigny et al. [35] | France | Multi-centre | 50/25 | L. casei variety rhamnosus (LCR35) | 6 × 108 | 4 | Response (reduction scores) |
Pain/bloating (VAS) | |||||||
QoL (GIQLI) | |||||||
Ducrotté et al. [36] | India | Multi-centre | 214/108 | L. plantarum 299v (DSM9843) | 1010 | 4 | Response (good and excellent overall efficacy) |
Pain/bloating (VAS) | |||||||
Cui et al. [37] | China | Single-centre | 60/37 |
Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus acidophilus
| 6 × 107 | 4 | Pain/bloating (rating score) |
Cha et al. [38] | Korea | Single-centre | 50/25 |
Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, and Streptococcus thermophiles
| 1010 | 8 | Response (relief of symptoms) |
Pain/bloating (VAS) | |||||||
QoL (a 5-point Likert scale) | |||||||
Amirimani et al. [39] | Iran | Multi-centre | 72/41 | Lactobacillus reuteri (Biogaia®) | 1011 | 4 | Pain/bloating (questionnaire) |
Begtrup et al. [40] | Denmark | Single-centre | 131/67 |
Lactobacillus para- casei ssp paracasei F19, Lactobacillus acidophilusLa5 and Bifidobacterium Bb12
| 5 × 1010 | 24 | Response (relief of symptoms) |
Pain/bloating (GSRS) | |||||||
QoL (HRQOL-questionnaire) | |||||||
Ko et al. [41] | Korea | Single-centre | 26/14 |
Probiotics mixture containing 7 species (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, and Streptococcus thermophiles)
| 1010 | 8 | Response (reduction scores) |
Pain/bloating (VAS) | |||||||
QoL (a 5-point Likert scale) | |||||||
Roberts et al. [42] | UK | Single-centre | 179/88 |
Bifidobacterium lactis, S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus
| 2.5 × 1010 | 12 | Response (relief of symptoms) |
Pain/bloating (a 6-point Likert scale) | |||||||
QoL (the Birmingham Symptom Score) | |||||||
Yoon et al. [43] | Korea | Single-centre | 49/25 |
Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Streptococcus thermophiles.
| 1010 | 4 | Response (relief of symptoms) |
Pain/bloating (a 10-point numerical scale) | |||||||
Abbas et al. [44] | Pakistan | Single-centre | 72/37 |
S. boulardii
| 3 × 109 | 6 | Pain/Bloating (a 4-point numerical scale) |
Lorenzo et al. [45] | Spain | Multi-centre | 71/47 |
L. plantarum and P. acidilactici (I.31)
| 3 × 109--6 × 109 | 6 | Response (relief of symptoms) |
QoL (a standardized score ranging from 1–100) | |||||||
Ludidi et al. [46] | Netherlands | Single-centre | 40/21 |
Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus
| 5 × 109 | 6 | Response (MMS) |
Pain/bloating (a 5-point Likert scale) | |||||||
Urgesi et al. [47] | Italy | Single-centre | 52/26 |
Bacillus coagulans (Colinox®)
| 4.5 × 109 | 4 | Response (a 4-point Likert scale) |
Pain/bloating (VAS) | |||||||
Rogha et al. [48] | Iran | Single-centre | 56/23 |
Bacillus coagulans
| 4.5 × 108 | 12 | Pain/bloating (a 7-point numeric scale) |
Sisson et al. [49] | UK | Single-centre | 186/124 |
Symprove containing four strains of bacteria: Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Enterococcus faecium
| 1010 | 12 | Response (IBS-SSS) |
Pain/bloating (IBS-SSS) | |||||||
QoL (a 100-point numerical scale) | |||||||
Wong et al. [50] | Singapore | Single-centre | 42/20 |
VSL #3
| 4.5 × 1011 | 6 | Pain/bloating (SBDQ) |