Probiotics in allergic rhinitis

Probiotics are live microorganisms used as supplementary food, usually lactic acid bacteria that can change either the composition and/or the metabolic activities of the gut microbiota modulating the immune system in a way that benefits the person's health. Aim: to review the use of Probiotics (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) in allergic rhinitis patients. Materials and Methods: Pubmed original articles were used as data source. Results: results indicate that probiotics, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium appear to prevent allergy recurrences, alleviate the severity of symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients with allergic rhinitis. This happens because of the immune system modulation through the induction of cytokine production which cause a dominant TH1 response in allergic patients by modulating the TH1/TH2 balance effect. Conclusion: The use of probiotic bacteria could be an effective and safe way to prevent and/or treat allergic rhinitis, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, clinical studies using probiotics and dietary intervention should be the focus of future research to enable a more widespread use.