Effects of probiotics on gut microflora, immune function and inflammatory index in patients with critical cerebral infarction

Objective To observe the effects of probiotics on gut microecology, immune function, and inflammatory index in patients with critical cerebral infarction. Methods A total of 70 patients with critical cerebral infarction treated in our hospital from January 2015 to January 2019 were retrospectively studied.They were randomly divided into a control group(n=35)receiving routine treatment and an observation group(n=35)receiving routine treatment added to capules containing live Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus for 4 weeks.The changes of gut microflora, immune function and inflammatory index were compared between the two groups. Results The number of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Enterococcus colonies were significantly increased and the colony count of yeast was decreased in the observation group after treatment versus pre-treatment(P 0.05). The level of CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were significantly higher in observation group than in the control group(P<0.05), and the level of CD8+ was lower in observation than in the control group(P<0.05)after treatment.The levels of hemoglobin(Hb), total protein(TP), albumin(Alb), interleukin(IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)were decreased in the two groups, but the decrement of the levelsof IL-6 and TNF was more marked in the observation group than in the control group(P<0.05), However, the levels of Hb, TP, A1b in the observation group were lower tan those in te control group(all P<0.05). Conclusions Probiotics can significantly improve the intestinal flora and immune function, release the deterioration of nutritional status, and inhibit the inflammatory response in patients with critical cerebral infarction, which is worthy of clinical promotion. Key words: Brain infarction; Immune function; Inflammation