A randomized double-blind trial on perioperative administration of probiotics in colorectal cancer patients

AIM:To investigate whether probiotic bacteria,given perioperatively,might adhere to the colonic mucosa, reduce concentration of pathogens in stools,and modulate the local immune function. METHODS:A randomized,double-blind clinical trial was carried out in 31 subjects undergoing elective colorectal resection for cancer.Patients were allocated to receive either a placebo(group A,n=10),or a dose of 10 7 of a mixture of Bifidobacterium longum(BB536) and Lactobacillus johnsonii(La1)(group B,n=11),or the same mix...