The efficacy of probiotics supplementation for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#adult #humans #dermatitis-atopic #quality-of-life #treatment-outcome

The efficacy of probiotics supplementation for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Li et al., 2022 | J Dermatolog Treat | Meta Analysis

Citation

Li Yajia, Zhang Beisi, ... Shen Minxue. The efficacy of probiotics supplementation for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Dermatolog Treat. 2022-Sep;33(6):2800-2809. doi:10.1080/09546634.2022.2080170

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of certain evidence for the therapeutic efficacy of probiotics for adult atopic dermatitis (AD). METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database were searched for relevant studies, and randomized controlled trials of AD describing treatment with single/mixed probiotic therapy were included. Changes in outcomes were calculated by standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Relative efficacies of the probiotics were ranked by the surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA). RESULTS: Nine studies with a total of 402 participants, including 208 AD patients who received probiotic treatments and 194 controls, were considered during the current analysis. A reduction in disease severity for probiotic supplementation compared to controls in both the short term (SMD: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.02-1.25) and the long term (SMD: 1.57; 95% CI: 0.66-2.49). There was a significant improvement in long-term quality of life after probiotic supplementation compared with controls (SMD: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.39-1.09). A mixture of L. salivarius (LS01) and Bifidobacterium (BR03) was found the highest probability of the best supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: Probiotic supplementation decreases clinical severity and improves the quality of life among adult AD patients. The mixture of LS01 and BR03 appeared optimal.

Key Findings

Nine studies with a total of 402 participants, including 208 AD patients who received probiotic treatments and 194 controls, were considered during the current analysis. A reduction in disease severity for probiotic supplementation compared to controls in both the short term (SMD: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.02-1.25) and the long term (SMD: 1.57; 95% CI: 0.66-2.49). There was a significant improvement in long-term quality of life after probiotic supplementation compared with controls (SMD: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.3

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population adult ad
Sample Size 402
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Adult
  • Humans
  • Dermatitis, Atopic
  • Quality of Life
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Probiotics
  • Severity of Illness Index

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review, Journal Article
  • Vertical: probiotics-skin

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09