Pro/synbiotics reduce systemic inflammation and improve gut health in Kenyan infants: An open label, randomized, 4-arm, phase II trial.
- 2026-06
- Cell reports. Medicine 7(6)
- Mary Iwaret Otiti
- Micah June
- Alloys K'Oloo
- Miriam Chomba
- James Dodd
- Yutian Luo
- Raymond Kiu
- Lindsay Hall
- Duolao Wang
- Kephas Otieno
- Simon Kariuki
- Feiko O Ter Kuile
- Stephen Allen
- PubMed: 42208544
- DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102834
Study Design
- Type
- Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
- Population
- infants with birthweight ≥2000 g in Homa Bay County, western Kenya
- Methods
- open-label, randomized, four-arm, phase II clinical trial; live, multi-strain Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillaceae pro/synbiotics from 0 to 6 months
- Blinding
- Open-label
- Duration
- 6 months
- Funding
- Unclear
Environmental enteric dysfunction, universal in young children exposed to poor sanitation and hygiene, impairs growth and development through malabsorption and as a driver of chronic systemic inflammation (CSI). In an open-label, randomized, four-arm, phase II clinical trial, infants with birthweight ≥2000 g in Homa Bay County, western Kenya receive live, multi-strain Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillaceae pro/synbiotics from 0 to 6 months. CSI (plasma α1-acid glycoprotein >1 g/L) at age 6 months (primary outcome) occurs in 60/138 (43%) controls versus 4/144 (3%; risk ratio [RR], 0.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02-0.17) infants in the Labinic synbiotic arm, 3/132 (2%; RR = 0.05; 95% CI, 0.02-0.16) in the Lab4b synbiotic arm, and 3/141 (2%; RR, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.02-0.15) in the Lab4b probiotic arm. Biomarkers of gut health and growth hormones also improve, and no serious adverse events are attributed to the interventions. Pro/synbiotics safely and markedly reduce CSI in a highly disadvantaged population, warranting further investigation of health impacts. The trial is registered at https://pactr.samrc.ac.za; identifier: PACTR202003893276712.