Evidence mapPaperPMID 39174901Full record

SynthesisBMC gastroenterology2024

Efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on liver enzymes, lipid profiles, and inflammation in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Youwen Pan, Yafang Yang, Jiale Wu, Haiteng Zhou, Chao Yang

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC gastroenterology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
39citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
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

39 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Efficacy of interventions with live combinedFrontiers in pharmacology · 2025
    Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Review
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  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. The Gut-Liver Axis in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: From Mechanistic Insights to Precision Therapeutics.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2026
    Review
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  20. Article
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.

Youwen PanNephrology Department, Lai'an County People's Hospital, Chuzhou, 239000, China.
Yafang YangDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, No. 1800, Lihu Avenue, Binhu District, Wuxi, 214000, China.
Jiale WuDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, No. 1800, Lihu Avenue, Binhu District, Wuxi, 214000, China.
Haiteng ZhouKey Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
Chao YangDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, No. 1800, Lihu Avenue, Binhu District, Wuxi, 214000, China. chaoyang@jiangnan.edu.cn.

Funding

Jiangnan University JUSRP123080
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is a contradiction in the use of microbiota-therapies, including probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, to improve the condition of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this review was to evaluate the effect of microbiota-therapy on liver injury, inflammation, and lipid levels in individuals with NAFLD.

methodsUsing Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched for articles on the use of prebiotic, probiotic, or synbiotic for the treatment of patients with NAFLD up to March 2024.

resultsThirty-four studies involving 12,682 individuals were included. Meta-analysis indicated that probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic supplementation significantly improved liver injury (hepatic fibrosis, SMD = -0.31; 95% CI: -0.53, -0.09; aspartate aminotransferase, SMD = -0.35; 95% CI: -0.55, -0.15; alanine aminotransferase, SMD = -0.48; 95% CI: -0.71, -0.25; alkaline phosphatase, SMD = -0.81; 95% CI: -1.55, -0.08), lipid profiles (triglycerides, SMD = -0.22; 95% CI: -0.43, -0.02), and inflammatory factors (high-density lipoprotein, SMD = -0.47; 95% CI: -0.88, -0.06; tumour necrosis factor alpha, SMD = -0.86 95% CI: -1.56, -0.56).

conclusionOverall, supplementation with probiotic, prebiotic, or synbiotic had a positive effect on reducing liver enzymes, lipid profiles, and inflammatory cytokines in patients with NAFLD.

Indexed as

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseasePrebioticsProbioticsSynbioticsAlanine TransaminaseHumansInflammationLipidsLiverRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAlanine TransaminaseLipidsPrebioticsIndicators of liver injuryMeta-analysisMicrobiota therapyNonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Identifiers

PMID39174901
PMCPMC11342484

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.