Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31203554›Full record

SynthesisDigestive diseases and sciences2019

Efficacy of Probiotics and Synbiotics in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

Liang Liu, Ping Li, Yiqi Liu, Yilian Zhang

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Digestive diseases and sciences, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 65 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
65citing papers in PubMed, 12 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

65 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  3. Efficacy of interventions with live combinedFrontiers in pharmacology · 2025
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  15. MASLD beyond the liver: decoding the gut-genetic-metabolic nexus.Frontiers in gastroenterology (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
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5 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

4 authors.

Liang LiuSchool of Graduate, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Ping LiDepartment of Hepatology, Tianjin Second People's Hospital, Tianjin, China. tjlplxg@163.com.
Yiqi LiuSchool of Graduate, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Yilian ZhangSchool of Graduate, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimExtensive epidemiological evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the primary chronic liver disease worldwide. However, some studies have showed conflicting results on the effects of probiotics and synbiotics supplementation. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effectiveness of the supplementation in subjects with NAFLD.

methodsWe searched systematically PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases up to April 2018 and checked manually the bibliography of the original articles. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.

resultsThis study analyzed 15 randomized, controlled trials involving 782 patients with NAFLD. Probiotics and synbiotics supplementation could significantly improve liver steatosis, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, liver stiffness and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (all P < 0.05). But the supplementation could not ameliorate body mass index (mean difference [MD] = -0.00; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.22 to 0.22, P = 0.99), waist circumference (MD = -0.01; 95% CI -0.03 to 0.02, P = 0.57) and fasting blood sugar (standard mean difference [SMD] = -0.10; 95% CI -0.32 to 0.12, P = 0.39).

conclusionWe present clear evidence for the benefit of probiotics and synbiotics supplementation for liver steatosis, liver enzymes, lipid profiles and liver stiffness in patients with NAFLD.

Indexed as

SynbioticsAlanine TransaminaseAspartate AminotransferasesBlood GlucoseBody Mass IndexCholesterolDietary SupplementsElasticity Imaging TechniquesHumansInsulin ResistanceLipoproteins, HDLLipoproteins, LDLLiverLiver CirrhosisNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseProbioticsAlanine TransaminaseAspartate AminotransferasesBlood GlucoseCholesterolLipoproteins, HDLLipoproteins, LDLTriglyceridesMeta-analysisNonalcoholic fatty liver diseaseProbioticsSynbiotics

Identifiers

PMID31203554

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.