Evidence mapPaperPMID 33794784Full record

Trial reportBMC gastroenterology2021

A randomised placebo controlled trial of VSL#3

Pui Lin Chong, David Laight, Richard J Aspinall, Antony Higginson, Michael H Cummings

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC gastroenterology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
38citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
7.4field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

38 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 70 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. Gut Microbiota and Liver Health: Meta-Analysis ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025
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  18. Microorganisms · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Pui Lin ChongAcademic Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, UK. linachong1@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7747-4162
David LaightSchool of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.
Richard J AspinallDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, UK.
Antony HigginsonRadiology Department, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, UK.
Michael H CummingsAcademic Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, UK.
Queen Alexandra Hospital · GBRaja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital · BNUniversity of Portsmouth · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk irrespective of conventional risk factors. The role of gut-liver interaction is implicated in its development. We investigated the effects of VSL#3

methodsA randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept study was undertaken. Patients with NAFLD were randomly allocated to take 2 sachets VSL#3

resultsThirty-five patients completed the study (28 males and 7 females) with a mean age of 57 ± 8 years, body mass index of 32.6 ± 5.0 kg/m

conclusionsThis is the first study to evaluate the effect of VSL#3

trial registrationISRCTN05474560 ( https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN05474560 ) Registered 9 August 2012 (retrospectively registered).

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesInsulin ResistanceNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseProbioticsAgedBiomarkersDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHeart Disease Risk FactorsHumansLiverMaleMiddle AgedRisk FactorsBiomarkersBiomarkersFatty liverProbiotic

Identifiers

PMID33794784
PMCPMC8015038
OpenAlexW3145092578

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.