Synergistic effect of anti-Helicobacter pylori urease immunoglobulin Y from egg yolk of immunized hens and Lactobacillus johnsonii No.1088 to inhibit the growth of Helicobacter pylori in vitro and in vivo.

Helicobacter pylori is a pathogenic bacterium that infects the stomach, causing chronic gastritis; and it is also considered to be related to the occurrence of gastric cancers. Although some eradication regimens including multiple antibiotics have been developed, the emergence of resistance to antibiotics becomes problematic. Therefore, other approaches to compensate or augment the effects of standard regimens are needed. In this study, we examined the possible synergistic effects of anti-H. pylori urease IgY and Lactobacillus johnsonii No.1088 (LJ88) both in vitro and in vivo. Anti-H. pylori urease IgY was purified from egg yolks laid by the hens immunized with urease purified from H. pylori. LJ88 is a unique strain of lactic acid bacterium isolated from human gastric juice, and it has been reported to inhibit H. pylori both in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro mixed culture study showed that anti-H. pylori urease IgY augmented the anti-H. pylori activity of LJ88 against both clarithromycin-sensitive and -resistant H. pylori strains. In a germ-free mice infection model, combined administration of daily anti-H. pylori urease IgY and weekly living LJ88 significantly reduced H. pylori infections, whereas either monotherapy did not. In an in vivo human gut microbiota-associated mice model, not only daily administration of living LJ88 but also heat-killed one significantly reduced an H. pylori infection in the stomach when combined with anti-H. pylori urease IgY. The extent of reduction of the stomach H. pylori by such a combination therapy was larger than that reported for LJ88 monotherapy. These results taken together revealed a synergistic effect of anti-H. pylori urease IgY and living or heat-killed LJ88, thus suggesting that such a combination might be a promising therapy to possibly compensate and/or augment standard anti-H. pylori regimens.

Evaluation of lozenges containing egg yolk antibody against Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipains as an adjunct to conventional non-surgical therapy in periodontitis patients: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: In a previous pilot study, one-time application of anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipain egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) into scaling and root planing (SRP)-treated periodontal pockets showed profound improvement of clinical and bacteriological parameters in patients with chronic periodontitis. The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of daily use of lozenges fortified with the antibody as an adjunct to non-surgical therapy in patients with periodontitis. METHODS: Sixty-four patients with periodontitis were divided randomly into a test and a placebo group. The groups were treated by SRP followed by a daily use of lozenges containing either specific IgY against P. gingivalis gingipains (test) or a sham-immune IgY (placebo). Gingival bleeding index (GBI), probing pocket depth (PD) and quantitation of P. gingivalis in the gingival pockets were assessed at baseline and 8 weeks after the initiation of treatment and compared by using Wilcoxon signed rank test, Mann-Whitney U-test or t test. RESULTS: Both groups showed significant improvement of all parameters at 8 weeks post treatment (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in reduction of GBI (P < 0.001) and P. gingivalis cell counts (P < 0.05) in the test group compared with the placebo group. The reduction of PD was greater in the test group compared with the placebo group although there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The adjunctive use of lozenges containing IgY antibody against gingipains from P. gingivalis resulted in clinical and microbiological benefits in the treatment for chronic periodontitis. Additional investigations are needed to examine if the IgY brings benefits to case patients who do not receive SRP.

Anti-cell-associated glucosyltransferase immunoglobulin Y suppression of salivary mutans streptococci in healthy young adults.

BACKGROUND: The authors evaluated the suppressive effects of lozenges containing egg yolk antibodies (that is, immunoglobulin Y [IgY]) against Streptococcus mutans cell-associated glucosyltransferase (CA-gtf) on oral colonization by mutans streptococci (MS) in healthy young adults. METHODS: In a five-day double-masked placebo-controlled trial, young adult participants self-administered lozenges containing anti-CA-gtf IgY (Ovalgen DC, GHEN, Gifu-City, Japan) or a placebo at prescribed times each day. On the basis of bacterial colony counts of saliva cultures, the authors analyzed the pretrial and posttrial differences in levels of MS and total anaerobic bacteria among participants in the treatment (anti-CA-gtf IgY) and placebo groups and a control group. RESULTS: Salivary MS scores in participants in the treatment group decreased significantly (P < .001), and the mean anaerobic bacterial count in the treatment group was not statistically different before and after the trial. In the placebo and control groups, posttrial changes in median MS scores and total salivary anaerobic bacterial counts were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study show that lozenges containing anti-CA-gtf IgY can suppress oral colonization by MS in healthy young adults. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Lozenges containing anti-CA-gtf IgY may help reduce dental caries risk in humans.

Enhancement of chicken resistance against Escherichia coli infection by oral administration of Bifidobacterium thermophilum preparations.

Three types of Bifidobacterium thermophilum extract were prepared and fed to 2-wk-old chickens to evaluate their usefulness in enhancing the defense activity of the chickens against pathogenic Escherichia coli. All three preparations resulted in significant reduction (P < 0.05) of E. coli numbers in the lungs of the treated chicken groups compared with the control nontreated group. Besides, improvement in the survival rate was observed in the treated chicken groups, especially the one administered the enzyme-digested B. thermophilum extract sample. Concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocytes from the latter group demonstrated significantly higher proliferation activity compared with those from the control group. These results suggest that oral administration of B. thermophilum preparations may be used to enhance the resistance of chickens against E. coli infection.