The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the efficacy of administering a multistrain probiotic in adult human subjects suffering from allergic rhinitis and evaluate both symptomatology through validated questionnaires and gut microbiota modification during and after treatment.
Adult subjects (18-60) with documented allergic rhinitis will be assigned to placebo or probiotic groups and take either placebo or probiotic dietary intervention for 8 weeks. Total nasal symptom score (TNSS), Rhinitis Control Assessment Test (RCAT), Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniRQLQ) will be compared over 12 weeks between the two treatment groups. In addition, serological markers (Eosinophil count, Total IgE and Eosinophilic cationic protein) and gut microbiota features will be evaluated over a 12 week period.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
60
8-week daily administration
8-week daily administration
Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Ferrara
Cona, Ferrara, Italy
Total nasal symptom score (TNSS)
Total nasal symptom score (TNSS) measuring nasal congestion, runny nose, nasal itching and sneezing on a scale of 0-12 will be compared over 8 weeks between the two treatment groups + after 4 weeks from the end of trial.
Time frame: over 8 weeks + 4 week after the end of trial (follow-up)
Rhinitis Control Assessment Test (RCAT)
Time frame: over 8 weeks + 4 week after the end of trial (follow-up)
Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniRQLQ)
Time frame: over 8 weeks + 4 week after the end of trial (follow-up)
Gut Microbiota changes on fecal samples
Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and computational profiling with the tools in bioBAkery3. MetaPhlAn3.0 and HUMAnN3.0 will be used for taxonomic and functional profiling. Only the species showing a non-zero abundance in ≥5% of the samples will be considered in the cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis. P-values will be corrected for multiple hypothesis testing with Benjamini-Hochberg FDR procedure, and the longitudinal analysis was performed using a linear mixed-effects model.
Time frame: over 8 weeks + 4 week after the end of trial (follow-up)
Serological markers
ECP, Eosinophil count, total IgE
Time frame: over 8 weeks + 4 week after the end of trial (follow-up)
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