| Objective To observe the efficacy of probiotics in adjunctive treatment of bronchial asthma by modulating gut microbiota and explore its potential mechanisms. Methods A total of 76 newly diagnosed patients with mild-to-moderate bronchial asthma treated at Baotou Central Hospital between November 2023 and March 2025 were randomly divided into two groups: the conventional treatment group (n=38) and the combined probiotic treatment group (n=38). Post-treatment comparisons were made between the two groups regarding symptom resolution time, Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores, lung function, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels, serum inflammatory cytokines, complement levels, and other indicators. Faecal samples were collected for 16S rDNA sequencing of gut microbiota. Results Baseline characteristics showed no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared to the conventional treatment group, the combined probiotic group exhibited significantly shorter resolution times for asthma symptoms and lung rales (P<0.001), significantly higher ACT scores, FEV1, and PEF (P<0.001), and significantly lower FeNO levels (P<0.001). Additionally, IL-6, TNF-α, and complement C3 levels were significantly reduced (P<0.001), while IL-10 levels were significantly increased (P<0.001). 16S rDNA sequencing revealed no significant changes in gut microbiota richness or diversity in the conventional treatment group before and after treatment (P>0.05), whereas the combined probiotic group showed a significant increase in gut microbiota richness and diversity (P<0.01). Correlation analysis between gut microbiota and inflammatory markers demonstrated that?Faecalibacterium?and?Bifidobacterium?abundance were negatively correlated with TNF-α levels (P<0.05), while?Escherichia-Shigella, and?Streptococcus?abundance were positively correlated with TNF-α levels (P<0.05).?Streptococcus?and?Klebsiella?abundance were positively correlated with IL-6 levels (P<0.05).?Escherichia-Shigella?and?Streptococcus?abundance were negatively correlated with IL-10 levels and positively correlated with complement C3 levels (P<0.05).?Conclusion:?Probiotics may help improve asthma symptoms by influencing gut microbiota to modulate immune balance. |
