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Bifidobacterium longum with Fructo-Oligosaccharide (FOS) Treatment in Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

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Abstract

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) describes patients with chronic liver disease or cirrhosis who have no clinical symptoms of brain dysfunction but perform worse on psychometric tests compared with healthy subjects. The pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy is controversial although ammonia has been found to induce cerebral dysfunction. Increased intestinal ammonia production is due to bacterial urease activity and the production of other toxin methabolities, such as mercaptans, thioles. This study assesses the clinical efficacy of Bifidobacterium longum plus fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) in the treatment of MHE. A total of 60 cirrhotic patients were randomly and equally divided into two groups receiving Bifidobacterium+FOS (17 males, 13 females; mean age, 46±11 years) or placebo (16 males, 14 females; mean age, 45±12 years), respectively. All patients underwent clinical and laboratory assessment psychometric tests and automated EEG analysis: neurophysiological assessment, liver function assessment, amd neuropsychological assessment. After 90 days of treatment, fasting NH4 serum levels were significantly decreased (P=0.003), performance on Trail Making Test-A was significantly decreased (P=0.000), performance on Trail Making Test-B was significantly decreased (P=0.000), performance on the symbol digit modalities test was significantly improved (P<0.05), performance on block design was significantly improved (P=0.000), and performance on the MMSE test was significantly improved (P=0.000). We conclude that the improvement in biochemical and neuropsychological tests of the group treated with Bifidobacterium longum+FOS are interesting and merit further, close examination.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Senescence, Urological and Neurological Sciences, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 69, 95126, Catania, Italy

    Mariano Malaguarnera, Filippo Greco, Gloria Barone & Maria Pia Gargante

  2. Department of Microbiology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy

    Michele Malaguarnera & Maria Antonietta Toscano

Authors
  1. Mariano Malaguarnera
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  2. Filippo Greco
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  3. Gloria Barone
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  4. Maria Pia Gargante
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  5. Michele Malaguarnera
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  6. Maria Antonietta Toscano
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Correspondence to Mariano Malaguarnera.

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Malaguarnera, M., Greco, F., Barone, G. et al. Bifidobacterium longum with Fructo-Oligosaccharide (FOS) Treatment in Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Dig Dis Sci 52, 3259–3265 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-006-9687-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-006-9687-y

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