Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
TRENDS IN PEDIATRICS, cilt.6, sa.4, ss.225-232, 2025 (ESCI)
Background: The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of a synbiotic in addressing recurrent abdominal pain in children, including functional abdominal pain, and to assess its impact on serum levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Methods: We included 80 patients diagnosed with Functional Abdominal Pain Not Otherwise Specified according to the Rome IV criteria and divided the sample into two groups: the synbiotic group (Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium lactis, chicory inulin) (Group 1) and the placebo group (Group 2). We inquired about pre-intervention and post-intervention symptoms in both groups and measured their blood cytokine levels. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 23 for Windows. Results: The 80 patients with functional abdominal pain had a mean age of 11.48 +/- 3.86 years. The groups were compared for the severity of symptoms before and after the intervention, and no statistical difference was found (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between the synbiotic group and the placebo group in terms of pre-intervention serum pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory cytokine levels (TNF alpha, IFN gamma, IL-10, TGF beta, IL-13), and no statistically significant difference was determined after 8 weeks of synbiotic or placebo administration (p>0.05). A comparison was made of pre-treatment and post-treatment cytokine levels in each group. The most significant finding was the substantial increase in IL-13 levels post-treatment in the synbiotic group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In the present study, no differences were found between the symbiotic and placebo groups with regard to functional abdominal pain symptoms or serum cytokine levels. However, a significant increase in IL-13 levels was detected after treatment in the symbiotic group. There is a need for further research on the optimal dosage and duration of synbiotic application, the type of probiotic that should be administered, and its effect on cytokine levels in functional gastrointestinal diseases.