Elevated blood eosinophils in early infancy are predictive of atopic dermatitis in children with risk for atopy.

Background: Accessible markers to predict the development of atopic diseases are highly desirable but yet matter of debate.

Objective: We investigated the role of blood eosinophils at 4 weeks and 7 months of life and their association with developing atopic dermatitis (AD) in a birth cohort of children with atopic heredity.

Methods: Infant blood samples for eosinophil counts were taken from 559 infants at 4 weeks and from 467 infants at 7 month of life with at least one atopic parent.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of diclofenac 4% spray gel in the treatment of acute uncomplicated ankle sprain.

Objective: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group multicentre study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of diclofenac 4% spray gel for the treatment of acute, uncomplicated ankle sprain.

Methods: Outpatients with acute, uncomplicated, one-sided ankle sprain were randomly assigned to receive diclofenac 4% spray gel or placebo (vehicle) three times daily for 14 ± 1 days. The main efficacy endpoint was the intra-individual response to treatment (≥ 50% decrease in swelling of the injured ankle after a treatment period of ≤ 10 days).

Oral application of bacterial lysate in infancy decreases the risk of atopic dermatitis in children with 1 atopic parent in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Lower prevalence of atopy was found in children with continuous exposure to livestock and thus to microbial compounds. In animal models exposure to endotoxin (LPS) decreases allergic sensitization and airway inflammation.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the effect of orally applied bacterial lysate in infancy on the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) after the treatment phase at 7 months of age.

Randomized controlled treatment trial of irritable bowel syndrome with a probiotic E.-coli preparation (DSM17252) compared to placebo.

Background: Therapy trials with bacterial compounds in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have produced conflicting results and, so far, an E.-coli preparation has not been used.

Methods: Two hundred and ninety-eight patients with lower abdominal symptoms diagnosed as IBS were treated for 8 weeks by the compound Symbioflor-2 (Symbiopharm GmbH, Herborn, Germany), an Escherichia coli product (N = 148), or placebo (n = 150) in a double-blinded, randomized fashion.