SynthesisFrontiers in immunology2023
Probiotics fortify intestinal barrier function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.
Synthesis in Frontiers in immunology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 119 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
119 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 137 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Probiotics and Their Functional Role in Mitigating Antinutrient Effects In Vivo-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effects of probiotics and synbiotics on liver enzymes, glucose and lipid metabolism, and inflammatory markers in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- The Effects of Prebiotic Dietary Fibers, Probiotics, and Synbiotics on Gut Permeability and Immunity: A Systematic Review.Iranian journal of medical sciences · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of probiotics in the treatment of pediatric asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of probiotics as a complementary treatment for urticaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in microbiology · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of probiotic treatment on patients and animals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2024Pooled it
- ReFerm® a Fermented Oat Gruel Composition, Improves Colonic Barrier Function and Modulates Tricellulin Expression in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2026Trial
- Effects of perioperative probiotic supplementation on postoperative gastrointestinal recovery in elderly hip fracture patients: a randomized controlled trial.BMC anesthesiology · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Probiotic Formulation for Patients With Bipolar or Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.Schizophrenia bulletin · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Rethinking probiotics: breaking theGut microbes · 2026Review
- Postbiotic Metabolites: Therapeutic Potential, Industrial Applications, Market Dynamics, and Regulatory Frameworks.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2026Review
- Article
- Intestinal Epithelial-Protective Effects ofJournal of microbiology and biotechnology · 2026Article
59 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Probiotics play a vital role in treating immune and inflammatory diseases by improving intestinal barrier function; however, a comprehensive evaluation is missing. The present study aimed to explore the impact of probiotics on the intestinal barrier and related immune function, inflammation, and microbiota composition. A systematic review and meta-analyses were conducted. Methods: Four major databases (PubMed, Science Citation Index Expanded, CENTRAL, and Embase) were thoroughly searched. Weighted mean differences were calculated for continuous outcomes with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), heterogeneity among studies was evaluated utilizing I2 statistic (Chi-Square test), and data were pooled using random effects meta-analyses. Results: Meta-analysis of data from a total of 26 RCTs (n = 1891) indicated that probiotics significantly improved gut barrier function measured by levels of TER (MD, 5.27, 95% CI, 3.82 to 6.72, P < 0.00001), serum zonulin (SMD, -1.58, 95% CI, -2.49 to -0.66, P = 0.0007), endotoxin (SMD, -3.20, 95% CI, -5.41 to -0.98, P = 0.005), and LPS (SMD, -0.47, 95% CI, -0.85 to -0.09, P = 0.02). Furthermore, probiotic groups demonstrated better efficacy over control groups in reducing inflammatory factors, including CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6. Probiotics can also modulate the gut microbiota structure by boosting the enrichment of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Conclusion: The present work revealed that probiotics could improve intestinal barrier function, and alleviate inflammation and microbial dysbiosis. Further high-quality RCTs are warranted to achieve a more definitive conclusion. Clinical trial registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=281822, identifier CRD42021281822.
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Registered trials
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.