Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27871802›Full record

Trial reportBrain, behavior, and immunity2017

Probiotic normalization of Candida albicans in schizophrenia: A randomized, placebo-controlled, longitudinal pilot study.

Emily G Severance, Kristin L Gressitt, Cassie R Stallings, Emily Katsafanas, Lucy A Schweinfurth, Christina L G Savage, Maria B Adamos, Kevin M Sweeney, Andrea E Origoni, Sunil Khushalani and 2 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 78 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
78citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
7.0field-weighted citation impact, top 3% 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

78 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 163 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  8. Effects ofNutrients · 2024
    Trial
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  20. A New Overview of Sex Bias in Fungal Infections.Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024
    Review

18 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

12 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Emily G SeveranceStanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 1105, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Electronic address: eseverance@jhmi.edu.
Kristin L GressittStanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 1105, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Cassie R StallingsSheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Emily KatsafanasSheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Lucy A SchweinfurthSheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Christina L G SavageSheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Maria B AdamosSheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Kevin M SweeneySheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Andrea E OrigoniSheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Sunil KhushalaniSheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Faith B DickersonSheppard Pratt Health System, Stanley Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Robert H YolkenStanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Blalock 1105, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Sheppard Pratt Health System · USJohns Hopkins University · US

Funding

Project 3P50MH094268 · NIMH · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI SAWA, AKIRA · 2011 to 2020
$19.9M
NIMH NIH HHS P50 MH094268
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The molecules and pathways of the gut-brain axis represent new targets for developing methods to diagnose and treat psychiatric disorders. Manipulation of the gut microbiome with probiotics may be a therapeutic strategy with the potential to relieve gastrointestinal (GI) comorbidities and improve psychiatric symptoms. Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commensal yeast species, can be imbalanced in the unhealthy human microbiome, and these fungal exposures were previously found elevated in schizophrenia. In a longitudinal, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot investigation of 56 outpatients with schizophrenia, we examined the impact of probiotic treatment on yeast antibody levels, and the relationship between treatment and antibody levels on bowel discomfort and psychiatric symptoms. We found that probiotic treatment significantly reduced C. albicans antibodies over the 14-week study period in males, but not in females. Antibody levels of S. cerevisiae were not altered in either treatment group. The highest levels of bowel discomfort over time occurred in C. albicans-seropositive males receiving the placebo. We observed trends towards improvement in positive psychiatric symptoms in males treated with probiotics who were seronegative for C. albicans. Results from this pilot study hint at an association of C. albicans seropositivity with worse positive psychiatric symptoms, which was confirmed in a larger cohort of 384 males with schizophrenia. In conclusion, the administration of probiotics may help normalize C. albicans antibody levels and C. albicans-associated gut discomfort in many male individuals. Studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to address the role of probiotics in correcting C. albicans-associated psychiatric symptoms.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAntibodies, BacterialCandida albicansFemaleGastrointestinal MicrobiomeGastrointestinal TractHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsProbioticsSchizophreniaTreatment OutcomeAntibodies, BacterialAutismFungusGastroenterologyInfectionMental healthSex differences

Identifiers

PMID27871802
PMCPMC5373951
OpenAlexW2553126642

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
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 OpenQuestion graph.