Use of probiotics and similar in pediatric patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review of randomized controlled trials, evaluating the effect of probiotics, prebiotics or symbiotics supplementation on glycemic and inflammatory control in children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM).

DATA SOURCE: The Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE/PubMed), Clinical Trials, Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) databases were searched. Randomized clinical trials of pediatric patients with DM1 using probiotics, prebiotics or symbiotics were included, regardless of year or language of publication. Studies that did not evaluate glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were excluded. Metabolic results (HbA1c, total insulin dose and C-peptide) and inflammatory control [interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)] during probiotic supplementation or similar, related to modification of the intestinal microbiota, were analyzed. PROSPERO ID: CRD42022384485.

DATA SYNTHESIS: Five studies were selected for a systematic review. Regarding metabolic markers, only one of the articles that analyzed HbA1c showed a significant decrease (p=0.03) in the intervention group. One study identified a reduction in the total dose of insulin and increased C-peptide levels. Regarding the evaluation of inflammatory parameters (IL-10, TNF-α, INF-γ), there were no statistical relevant modifications.

CONCLUSIONS: Current data from the literature were not conclusive in identifying an improvement in glycemic control and did not observe changes in inflammatory parameters with the use of probiotics, prebiotics or symbiotics in pediatric patients with T1DM.