Volume 128, Issue 3, Pages 541-551 (March 2005) Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in irritable bowel syndrome: Symptom responses and relationship to cytokine profiles  Liam O’Mahony, Jane McCarthy, Peter Kelly, George Hurley, Fangyi Luo, Kersang Chen, Gerald C. O’Sullivan, Barry Kiely, J. Kevin Collins, Fergus Shanahan, Eamonn M.M. Quigley  Gastroenterology  Volume 128, Issue 3, Pages 541-551 (March 2005) DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2004.11.050 Copyright © 2005 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 Composite Likert scale and VAS scores. Comparison of the effects of placebo, L salivarius UCC4331, and B infantis 35624 on a composite score of IBS symptoms. The scores are derived from the sum of scores for abdominal pain/discomfort, bloating/distention, and bowel movement difficulty. Note the significant reduction in composite scores throughout the treatment period and into the washout phase for subjects treated with B infantis 35624 but not with L salivarius UCC4331 or placebo. *P < .05 vs placebo; all comparisons adjusted for any differences in baseline symptom score. Gastroenterology 2005 128, 541-551DOI: (10.1053/j.gastro.2004.11.050) Copyright © 2005 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions

Figure 2 Abdominal pain scores on the Likert scale. Comparison of the effects of placebo, L salivarius UCC4331, and B infantis 35624 on abdominal pain/discomfort in IBS. Note the significant reduction in pain/discomfort score during most weeks of the treatment phase and into the washout phase among patients treated with B infantis 35624; for those randomized to L salivarius UCC4331, a significant benefit was evident at week 2 alone. *P < .05 vs placebo; all comparisons adjusted for any differences in baseline symptom score. Gastroenterology 2005 128, 541-551DOI: (10.1053/j.gastro.2004.11.050) Copyright © 2005 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions

Figure 3 Bloating scores on the Likert scale. Comparison of the effects of placebo, L salivarius UCC4331, and B infantis 35624 on bloating/distention in IBS. Note the significant reduction in bloating/distention during weeks 2, 5, and 6 for those randomized to B infantis 35624; there was no significant benefit for those randomized to L salivarius UCC4331. *P < .05 vs placebo; all comparisons adjusted for any differences in baseline symptom score. Gastroenterology 2005 128, 541-551DOI: (10.1053/j.gastro.2004.11.050) Copyright © 2005 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions

Figure 4 Bowel movement difficulty scores on the Likert scale. Comparison of the effects of placebo, L salivarius UCC4331, and B infantis 35624 on bowel movement difficulty in IBS. Note the significant reduction in bowel movement difficulty during weeks 2, 3, and 5–7 for those randomized to B infantis 35624; there was no significant benefit for those randomized to L salivarius UCC4331. *P < .05 vs placebo; all comparisons adjusted for any differences in baseline symptom score. Gastroenterology 2005 128, 541-551DOI: (10.1053/j.gastro.2004.11.050) Copyright © 2005 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions

Figure 5 PBMC IL-10/IL-12 ratio. Comparison of PBMC IL-10/IL-12 ratios at baseline and following therapy with placebo, L salivarius UCC4331, and B infantis 35624 with that of a normal control period. Note the abnormal baseline ratio in subjects with IBS, with a normalization of this ratio following the administration of B infantis 35624 alone. Gastroenterology 2005 128, 541-551DOI: (10.1053/j.gastro.2004.11.050) Copyright © 2005 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions