Author/Editor     Mičetić-Turk, Dušanka; Šikić-Pogačar, Maja
Title     Klinična uporaba probiotikov v pediatriji
Translated title     Clinical use of probiotics in pediatrics
Type     članek
Source     Zdrav Vestn
Vol. and No.     Letnik 80, št. 12
Publication year     2011
Volume     str. 933-43
Language     slo
Abstract     The use of probiotics, which was until recently a part of the alternative medicine context, is nowadays a medical hit. Pro of that intestinal microflora is an important part of the intestinal immune and non-immune system represents the basic context of probiotics. These are living microorganisms added to food in sufficient amount for improving intestinal flora and favourably influencing health. The most important mechanisms of probiotic activity are synthesis of antimicrobial agents, use of nutrients necessary for growth of pathogenic flora, inhibition of pathogenic bacterial adhesion, toxins and toxin receptors modification, activation of the immune system by increasing immu no globulin secretion and cytokine production (interleukin -10 and transforming growth factor- TGF), and decreasing the production of cytokines, tumor necrotizing factor- TNF-alpha, interferon, and others. Numerous studies in paediatrics have been conducted in the last 20 years with the purpose to define the role of probiotics in different diseases- their use in the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic gastrointestinal diseases as well as of other diseases and disorders, such as atopies, respiratory infections, and others. The use of probiotics is generally estimated as safe since the used microorganisms are the same as those found in the digestive system of a healthy person. In paediatrics the most intense research on probiotics has been performed in treating acute gastroenetrocolitis where their positive effect has already been proved. There are only few studies confirming the effect of probiotics in other gastrointestinal diseases although the results are promising. The research was focused on a few probiotic strains only and therefore the results cannot be generalized. The purpose of the article is to present the current state of probiotic use and their effectiveness in gastrointestinal and certain non-gastrointestinal disorders in childhood.
Summary     Uporaba probiotikov, ki je do še nedavnega sodila v kontekst alternativne medicine, je danes velik medicinski hit. Dokazi, da je črevesna mikroflora pomemben del intestinalne imunološke in neimunološke obrambe, so osnova koncepta probiotikov. To so živi mikroorganizmi, dodani hrani v zadostni količini, ki vplivajo na izboljšanje črevesne flore in vplivajo na zdravje. Najpomembnejši mehanizmi delovanja probiotikov so sinteza protimikrobnih snovi, poraba hranil, ki so potrebna za rast patogene flore, inhibicija adhezije patogenih bakterij, modifikacija toksinov in toksinskih receptorjev, aktivacija imunskega sistema z zvišanjem tvorbe sekrecijskih imunoglobulinov in citokinov (interlevkin 10 in transforming growth factor - TGF) ter zmanjšanjem tvorbe citokinov, faktorja tumorske nekroze-TNF-alfa, interferona idr. V pediatriji potekajo v zadnjih 20 letih številne raziskave z namenom opredeliti vlogo probiotikov pri različnih bolezenskih stanjih, preprečevanju in zdravljenju akutnih in kroničnih gastrointestinalnih bolezni in prav tako drugih bolezni in motenj, kot so atopije, okužbe dihal in drugo. Uporaba probiotikov je splošno ocenjena kot varna, saj so uporabljeni mikroorganizmi enaki tistim, ki se nahajajo v prebavilih zdravega človeka. V pediatriji so probiotike najintenzivneje raziskovali pri zdravljenju akutnega gastroenterokolitisa, za katerega je njihova unčikovitost tudi dokazana. Raziskav, ki potrjujejo učinkovitost probiotikov pri drugih gastrointestinalnih boleznih, je malo, čeprav so rezultati obetavni. Raziskovali so delovanje le nekaterih probiotičnih sevov, zato rezultatov ni mogoče posploševati. Namen članka je prikazati trenutno stanje glede uporabe probiotikov in njihove učinkovitosti pri gastrointestinalnih in nekaterih negastrointestinalnih motnjah v otroški dobi.
Descriptors     HYPERSENSITIVITY
BIFIDOBACTERIUM
CHILD
LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS
GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASES