The effectiveness of treatment with probiotics in Helicobacter pylori eradication: results from an umbrella meta-analysis on meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Background and aims: The purpose of this umbrella meta-analysis was to quantitatively summarize meta-analyses of randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies regarding the effects of probiotic supplementation on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication. Methods: A thorough search of the electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar was carried out from the inception up to May 2022. For the evaluation of overall effect sizes, the pooled relative risk (RR) or odds ratio (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. The random-effects model was used for the meta-analysis. Results: Overall, 18 eligible studies (47 278 participants in total) were included in the study. The findings revealed that probiotics have a beneficial impact on H. pylori eradication (pooled ES_RR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.14, p < 0.01, and ES_OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.70, 2.03, p < 0.01). Greater effects on H. pylori eradication were observed when higher doses (>10 × 10¹⁰ CFU) and mixed strains were supplemented. Conclusion: The present umbrella meta-analysis suggests that supplementation with probiotics may be considered as an efficient approach to ameliorate H. pylori complications, particularly probiotics with higher CFUs and mixed strains.