The following journal article is a systematic review that studies if probiotic monotherapy is effective in mitigating H. pylori infections. Helicobacter Pylori is a gram-negative bacteria that resides in the natural flora of the stomach. However, proliferation of this bacteria can cause infection that may ultimately lead to gastric malignancy. The standard for therapy for H. Pylori infection treatment is triple therapy with a proton inhibitor, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin. However, failure rates have increased in recent years due to antibiotic resistance.

The initial search yielded 1, 537 articles. Ultimately, 11 studies were eligible with a total of 517 participants. 114 patients received a placebo treatment while 403 received probiotic therapy. Probiotics eradicated H. pylori in 50 of these cases with a mean eradication rate of 14% (95% Cl 2% – 25%. P = 0.02). Eradication of H. pylori was unsuccessful in 6 of the 11 studies. Eradication rate was further divided by each strain of bacteria. Lactobacilli eradicated H. pylori in 30/235 of the patients with the highest mean eradication rate of 16% (95% Cl 1% – 3%). Probiotics also proved to be more effective than placebo (95% Cl 2.97 – 21.05, p < 0.001). Finally, 3 studies showed adverse events after probiotic administration. 

This study showed that probiotic monotherapy failed to demonstrate effectiveness in eradicating H. pylori infections. However, the study recognizes the benefits of probiotics in that in minimizes adverse events to H. pylori infections, such as diarrhea, does not carry the risk of antibiotic resistance, competes with H. pylori for adhesion to stomach epithelial cells, and interferes with H. pylori urease activity. For this reason, probiotics remains a beneficial adjunct therapy in the treatment of H. pylori infections.