Administration of Bifidobacterium breve Decreases the Production of TNF-α in Children with Celiac Disease

Increasing evidence suggests that not only genetics, but also environmental factors like gut microbiota dysbiosis play an important role in the pathogenesis of celiac disease (CD). The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of two probiotic strains Bifidobacterium breve BR03 and B. breve B632 on serum production of anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) and pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in children with CD. The study was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial that included 49 children with CD on gluten-free diet (GFD) randomized into two groups and 18 healthy children in the control group. The first group (24 children with CD) daily received B. breve BR03 and B632 (2 x 10(9) colony-forming units) and the second group (25 children with CD) received placebo for 3 months. TNF-alpha levels were significantly decreased in the first group after receiving B. breve for 3 months. On follow-up, 3 months after receiving probiotics, TNF-alpha levels increased again. Children with CD who were on GFD for less than 1 year showed similar baseline TNF-alpha levels as children who were on GFD for more than 1 year. IL-10 levels were in all groups of patients below detection level. Probiotic intervention with B. breve strains has shown a positive effect on decreasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha in children with CD on GFD.