Use of Probiotics as Adjunctive Treatment for Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2008-02-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Chronic sinusitis is reported to be one of the most widespread disorders in the United
States. It can be caused by a variety of reasons such as allergy, infection and/or defects in
T-cells which help regulate immune function. Medication and other costs related to treatment
of nasal and sinus infections are estimated to be more than $60 million annually putting a
considerable strain on the economy of health care.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that are normally present in the gut of a healthy
individual. They are also known as "friendly bacteria" and have been used to help maintain
the normal functioning of the immune system. They are safe and are commercially available in
the form of yoghurt, sachets, chewable tablets or flavored capsules. Since a number of nasal
and sinus disorders are related to allergy and improper functioning of the immune system, we
hypothesize that regular use of probiotics may help improve chronic nasal and sinus symptoms
by boosting immune responses.
The project we propose is novel because it would be the first study evaluating the usefulness
of probiotics for the larger population having chronic sinusitis rather than those having
only allergic symptoms. We aim to assess whether regular use of probiotics will help improve
symptoms of chronic sinusitis and will have a greater effect than placebo in this regard.