MICROBIOLOGY SYNERGISM BETWEEN TEAR SUBSTITUTES AND SYMBIOTIC TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

GIUSEPPE CHISARI¹, LIBORIO RAMPELLO², ELEONORA MARGHERITA CHISARI³, VITO EMANUELE CATANIA⁴, CARMEN GRECO⁵, EDOARDO STAGNI⁴, CLARA GRAZIA CHISARI²

¹ Centre of Ocular Microbiology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania - ² Department of Neurosciences - University of Catania - ³ Department of Education - University of Catania - ⁴ Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”- University of Catania - ⁵ Research Center “The Great Senescence” Hospital of Cannizzaro, University of Catania

The tear film consists of a set of heterogeneous substances (lipids, proteins, mucin and water) combined in order to form a highly organic tropism structure specialized in the defense of the ocular surface. Dry Eye Disease (DED) is characterized by discomfort, visual disturbance, constant irritation, foreign body sensation, and blurred vision. We evaluate in this preliminary report the effect of supplementation with symbiotic Maxiflor on tear film in DED patients. We recruited 40 patients (27 females and 13 males, age 51.5 ± 11. 1) showing signs of discomfort and / or dry eyes (burning, foreign body sensation, dryness or itching). Following the run-in period subjects were randomized in two groups: group A (N°20 subjects) and group B (N°20 subjects). Group A (control) treated only with substitute tear and group B treated with substitute tear + mixture (symbiotic). The data obtained in the two study groups A and B were, respectively the following: Schirmer 10.1±0.2 vs 12.7±0.4 (p< 0.001); Schirmer II 3.6±0.1 VS 4.6±0.2 (p<0.001); Fluorescein in break-up time (TF BUT) 4.1±0.3 vs 6.5±0.2 (p<0.001). Culture test showed initial bacterial growth in 18 out of 40 samples tested in group “A” (control), corresponding to 45.0%; whereas bacterial culture was found positive after treatment in 14 out of 40 tests, equal to 35.0%, in group “B” (symbiotic). A reduction of 16 to 12 strains of aerobic and anaerobic isolates from 10 to 6 has been found. The present study shows that the administration of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus may represent a successful treatment in ameliorating DED.