The objective of the study, carried out by South Korean scientists, was to examine whether adding probiotics to the standard three-component diet (proton pump inhibitor + two antibiotics) increased the chances of successful eradication of Helicobacter pylori.

In a study of 347 patients infected with H. pylori, were randomized to receive a three-component eradication regimen H. pylori in combination with yogurt, or only eradication therapy. The eradication treatment consisted of the appointment of a proton pump inhibitor 2 times a day + clarithromycin 500 mg 2 times a day + amoxicillin 1 g 2 times a day for 7 days. Patients in the study group received yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus HY2177, Lactobacillus casei HY2743, Bifidobacterium longum HY8001 and Streptococcus thermophilus B -1 for 3 weeks, from the first day of eradication treatment. A urease breath test with a carbon atom marked C13 was performed at least 4 weeks after the end of a three-component eradication treatment. Between groups, the frequency of successful eradication H. was compared. pylori, patient adherence to prescribed treatment and the incidence of adverse events.

When analyzing the patient population to be treated, the frequency of eradication H. pylori in the group using yogurt was 79.2% (133 of 168 patients) and 72.1 % in the control group (129 out of 179 patients) (p = 0.124). However, when analyzed according to the protocol, the success rate for eradication was 87.5% (133 out of 152 patients) and 78.7% in the control group (129 out of 164 patients) (p = 0.037) in the group using yogurt. The most common adverse events were metallic taste in the mouth (11.8%) and diarrhea (8.6%). The frequency of adverse events in the study group was higher than in the control group (41.1% vs 26.3%, p = 0.003), however, most of the adverse events were of mild or moderate intensity, and the groups did not differ in severity of adverse events (p = 0.401).

Thus, adding H. pylori yogurt to standard three-component eradication therapy containing lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and thermophilic lactic streptococci does not reduce the incidence of adverse events during this treatment, however, achieving a higher eradication rate H. pylori with the concomitant use of probiotics, according to the analysis according to the protocol, requires additional research in this area.