Effects of probiotic on gut microbiota in children with acute diarrhea: a pilot study

Background Acute diarrhea is a common health problem in Indonesia. During acute diarrhea, changes in gut microbiota are marked by decrease beneficial microbes Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and increased pathogenic bacteria Enterobacter and Clostridium. Such microbial imbalances are known as dysbiosis. Treatment with probiotics may help repair dysbiosis, quicken healing time, and decrease complications. Objective To assess for dysbiosis during acute diarrhea, and determine if it can be normalized by probiotic treatment. Methods This placebo-controlled, unblinded clinical trial was performed in Budhi Asih District Hospital, Jakarta, from January to March 2018. Twenty-four children age 6-24 months with acute diarrhea and 12 healthy children were enrolled. First fecal specimen was collected for all subjects and analyzed using non-culture real time PCR to count the population of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterobacter, Clostridium, and all bacteria. Children with diarrhea were assigned to probiotic or placebo treatment for 5 days and the second fecal specimen was analyzed two weeks after the diarrhea subsided. Results Prior to treatment, significant higher amounts of Lactobacillus were observed in children with acute diarrhea than in healthy controls [median (interquartile range/IR): 1.52x103 (1.22x104) vs. 6.87x10 (2.41x102), respectively; proportion in percentage (from total bacteria population): 0.044% vs. 0.003%, respectively]. However, median (IR) Clostridium was significantly higher in healthy controls than in children with acute diarrhea [2.37x102 (4.64x103) vs. 4.67 (1.50x102), respectively (P