Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31375426›Full record

Trial reportEBioMedicine2019

Soluble fibre supplementation with and without a probiotic in adults with asthma: A 7-day randomised, double blind, three way cross-over trial.

Rebecca McLoughlin, Bronwyn S Berthon, Geraint B Rogers, Katherine J Baines, Lex E X Leong, Peter G Gibson, Evan J Williams, Lisa G Wood

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in EBioMedicine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 60 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
60citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
4.6field-weighted citation impact, top 4% 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

60 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 110 citations in OpenAlex.

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  14. Article
  15. Asthma endotypes and theratypes.Chinese medical journal pulmonary and critical care medicine · 2026
    Review
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  20. [Research progress on the relationship between gut microbiota and childhood bronchial asthma].Zhongguo dang dai er ke za zhi = Chinese journal of contemporary pediatrics · 2025
    Review
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

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Rebecca McLoughlinPriority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Bronwyn S BerthonPriority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Geraint B RogersSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Microbiome & Host Health Programme, South Australia, Australia; College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, South Australia, Australia.
Katherine J BainesPriority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Lex E X LeongSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Microbiome & Host Health Programme, South Australia, Australia; Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, SA Pathology, South Australia, Australia.
Peter G GibsonPriority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia; Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Evan J WilliamsPriority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Lisa G WoodPriority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: lisa.wood@newcastle.edu.au.
Hunter Medical Research Institute · AUFlinders University · AUJohn Hunter Hospital · AUSouth Australia Pathology · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSoluble fibre modulates airway inflammation in animal models. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of soluble fibre supplementation, with and without a probiotic, on plasma short chain fatty acids (SCFA), airway inflammation, asthma control and gut microbiome in adults with asthma.

methodsA randomised, double-blinded, placebo controlled 3-way cross-over trial in 17 subjects with stable asthma at the Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, Australia. Subjects received 3 × 7 day oral interventions in random order; soluble fibre (inulin 12 g/day), soluble fibre + probiotic (inulin 12 g/day + multi-strain probiotic >25 billion CFU) and placebo. Plasma SCFA, sputum cell counts and inflammatory gene expression, asthma control gut microbiota, adverse events including gastrointestinal symptoms were measured.

findingsThere was no difference in change in total plasma SCFA levels (μmol/L) in the placebo versus soluble fibre (Δmedian [95% CI] 16·3 [-16·9, 49·5], p = 0·335) or soluble fibre+probiotic (18·7 [-14·5, 51·9], p = 0·325) group. Following the soluble fibre intervention there was an improvement in the asthma control questionnaire (ACQ6) (∆median (IQR) -0·35 (-0·5, -0·13), p = 0·006), sputum %eosinophils decreased (-1.0 (-2·5, 0), p = 0·006) and sputum histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9) gene expression decreased (-0.49 (-0.83, -0.27) 2

interpretationSoluble fibre supplementation for 7 days in adults with asthma did not change SCFA levels. Within group analysis showed improvements in airway inflammation, asthma control and gut microbiome composition following inulin supplementation and these changes warrant further investigation, in order to evaluate the potential of soluble fibre as a non-pharmacological addition to asthma management. FUND: John Hunter Hospital Charitable Trust.

Indexed as

Dietary FiberDietary SupplementsProbioticsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAsthmaBiomarkersCross-Over StudiesFatty Acids, VolatileFemaleGastrointestinal MicrobiomeHumansMaleMiddle AgedTreatment OutcomeBiomarkersDietary FiberFatty Acids, VolatileAsthmaFree fatty acid receptorsHistone deacetylasesInflammationInulinSCFAsSoluble fibre

Identifiers

PMID31375426
PMCPMC6712277
OpenAlexW2964608225

What OpenQuestion 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 OpenQuestion graph.