Lactobacillus GG Available in Culturelle Effective for Atopic Eczema in Infants Resistant to Standard Treatment

Business Wire, June 1, 2005

OMAHA, Neb. -- New University of Helsinki study shows "significant improvement when taking LGG probiotic, as compared to placebo and mix of probiotics" researcher says

Research published in the April 2005 edition of Allergy shows that the probiotic bacteria strain Lactobacillus GG (LGG) - available to consumers in the dietary supplement Culturelle(R) - works effectively in infants on atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome (AEDS), a skin rash that is frequently a manifestation of a food allergy when it occurs in infants. In this large study conducted by University of Helsinki researchers, 230 infants with AEDS under the age of 12 months participated in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Atopic dermatitis (AD), also called atopic eczema, is a condition characterized by a fine, bumpy, red rash that normally occurs on the face, neck and creases of the elbows and knees. The sometimes itchy rash appears as a delayed reaction of the immune system to proteins consumed in an infant's feeding. Standard treatment involves removal of the offending proteins from the diet by using predigested formulas. But in some cases, additional measures may be required.

Dr. M. Viljanen, co-author of the University of Helsinki study, explained, "In previous smaller studies, probiotics, particularly LGG, have been shown to be effective against AEDS in food-allergic infants, especially when cow's milk allergy is suspected"(1)(2)(3)(4)(5). The purpose of the University of Helsinki study, Viljanen said, was to validate previously reported positive effects of LGG in a larger group by comparing the effectiveness of the standard AEDS treatment of an elimination diet and anti-inflammatory skin treatment with the added treatments of LGG alone or with a four-strain probiotic combination product that included LGG as one of the four ingredients.

"All three groups showed improvement in mean SCORAD, a standardized way to assess eczema, due to the dietary and dermatologic treatments. Many cases, however, do not respond to standard treatment. When the groups were subanalyzed for IgE levels, an index of the type and severity of allergic response, the group that had the highest IgE levels showed a significant reduction in SCORAD when taking LGG as compared to both the placebo and LGG mix group," Viljanen said. "This is significant because treatment with LGG may help with AEDS symptoms in IgE-sensitized infants. It also helps to identify the exact mechanism by which LGG works and demonstrates that combining probiotics doesn't necessarily improve efficacy."

Lactobacillus GG is a patented probiotic strain that takes its name from the two doctors who discovered it in 1985: Sherwood L. Gorbach, M.D. and Barry Goldin, Ph.D. According to Gorbach, a renowned probiotic expert who conducted studies on LGG with Goldin, LGG has been proven effective with eczema and other childhood conditions.

"This is an exciting development in LGG research," commented Dr. Gorbach. "This large group study validates the existing body of research on this topic, demonstrating the unique effectiveness of LGG," Gorbach said.

LGG is exclusively available to consumers in Culturelle, a dietary supplement that helps strengthen the body's natural resistance to disease. "LGG makes Culturelle unique as a probiotic," Gorbach explained.

"Most other Lactobacillus strains do not adhere to the intestinal lining. In study after study, LGG has been proven to better withstand stomach acid and form a stronger barrier than other probiotic varieties.

"Just as important," Gorbach continued, "no other probiotic has been or continues to be more thoroughly tested in clinical trials. Culturelle offers consumers an exclusive level of confidence."

Rose J. Young, RN, MS, Clinical Nurse Specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and an expert in probiotic research, has observed many of the hundreds of clinical trials conducted with Culturelle nationally and internationally. "No other probiotic has been proven effective in such stringent and diverse clinical conditions. Culturelle has been demonstrated to be effective with a wide range of conditions," Young said, "including traveler's diarrhea, diarrhea resulting from antibiotic usage, eczema and respiratory infections."

Culturelle is available in retail locations nationwide. For retail locations and more information about Culturelle, visit www.culturelle.com or call 1-888-828-4242.

About Culturelle and ConAgra Functional Foods

Culturelle probiotic dietary supplement containing Lactobacillus GG is manufactured by ConAgra Functional Foods, a division of ConAgra Foods, Inc., a diversified international food company and the manufacturers of Healthy Choice foods and more than 20 other well-known food brands.

1. ISOLAURI, E., ARVOLA, T., MOILANEN, E., and SALMINEN, S. 2000. Probiotics in the management of atopic eczema. Clin. Experiment. Allergy 30 (11): 1604-1610.

2. KALLIOMAKI, M., SALMINEN, S., ARVILOMMI, H., KERO, P., KOSKINEN, P., and ISOLAURI, E. 2001. Probiotics in primary prevention of atopic disease: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet 357, April 7: 1076-1079.