Effects of synbiotic supplementation on the pulmonary manifestations and anthropometric measurements in children with cystic fibrosis- a randomized clinical trial

Introduction: Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) exhibit changes in their intestinal microbial profile which may result in poorer clinical outcomes. Symbiotic supplements which have both prebiotic and probiotic properties may have role in ameliorating pulmonary exacerbations. However, there have been a limited number of studies conducted to support this claim. The aim of this study was to evalute the effect of synbiotic supplementation on pulmonary exacerbation and body mass index (BMI) in CF patients. Methods: A double-blind, parallel design randomized clinical trial was conducted in children with CF. Forty children were assigned to receive either two synbiotic supplements or placebo each day for 6 months. Main outcomes were the number of pulmonary exacerbations, the frequency of hospitalization and BMI z-score changes over 6 months. Results: There were no significant differences in the number of pulmonary exacerbation (P = 0.92), duration and number of hospitalization (P = 0.91 and P = 0.98, respectively) between groups during the intervention. The synbiotic also did not have a significant effect on forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1, P = 0.22) and BMI z-score (P = 0.77). Conclusions: The synbiotic had no significant effect on pulmonary and anthropometric outcomes in children with CF. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.