Advances in the knowledge and clinical applications of lactic acid bacteria as probiotics in the urogenital tract

MARIA ELENA NADER-MACIAS; CLARA SILVA DE RUIZ; VIRGINIA OCAÑA; MARIA SILVINA JUAREZ TOMAS

Current Women Health Research

Benthan Science Publishers

Año: 2008 vol. 4 p. 240 - 257

1573-4048

Probiotics, defined as live microorganisms administered in high numbers to produce a physiological effect in the host, are being applied more and more frequently for the prevention or treatment of many clinical situations, with different targets both in human beings and animals. The urogenital tract is one of these targets, mainly by the high incidence of infective situations in all-ages women that produce enormous costs to the health systems all over the world. The high morbidity and mortality rates are a consequence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and/or physiological situations that affect the adult or young women, and also potentially the newborn in pregnant women. In this paper, a summary of all the probiotic products available in the market is included, reviewing all the clinical trials published to prove the efficacy of such products. Also, the revision of the animal models used to test their preventive or therapeutic effect, the pharmacokinetics of such products, or to understand the mechanisms that support the beneficial or probiotic effect is performed. The minimal characteristics of the so-called “probiotic microorganisms” or “probiotic products” are summarized, as a way to help to the understanding of the clinical application of such products. At the end, the interactions of lactic acid probiotics with the host at molecular level and with the mucosal and systemic immune system are actualized, trying to point out which are the vacancies areas in this specific ecological niche to direct further investigations.