Evaluating the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of oral Candida infection: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to assess the impact of probiotics on oral Candida infection using an evidence-based medicine approach.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of oral Candida infection were retrieved from databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP Database, Wanfang Database, and China Biomedical Literature Database, up until December 2022. Two researchers independently conducted data extraction and quality assessment. Meta-analysis of the extracted data was performed using the statistical software RevMan 5.4. The study included a total of 12 trials, comprising 4 in English and 8 in Chinese, with 1029 subjects (537 in the experimental group and 492 in the control group).

RESULTS

Results indicated that probiotics effectively treated oral Candida infection [OR = 7.80, 95% CI (4.78, 12.75), P < 0.001], reduced the detection rate of oral Candida [OR = 0.06, 95% CI (0.01, 0.57), P = 0.01], and lowered the recurrence rate after cure [OR = 0.21, 95% CI (0.12, 0.35), P < 0.001]. These effects were observed in studies using probiotics both with and without antifungal agents, though a more consistent benefit was reported in studies using combination therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Probiotics demonstrated a significant impact on the treatment of oral Candida infection by reducing oral Candida colonization and minimizing recurrence rates post-cure.