ABSTRACT

The aim of this study were to determine the amount of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei, which are considered to have protective roles among the host-gut microbiota due to their probiotic properties, by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and to compare between adult patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and healthy individuals.

Between January 2014 and October 2014, a total of 106 stool samples comprising those of 53 adult patients who were diagnosed with T1DM and those of 53 healthy individuals who presented to an endocrinology clinic were included in the study. DNA was isolated from the stool samples and analyzed with specific primers for L. acidophilus and L. casei by real-time PCR. Statistical analyses, such as Mann-Whitney U test, were used to determine the difference among patients with T1DM and healthy individuals.

The mean age of patients with T1DM and healthy individuals participating in the study was 32.87±12.68. A statistically significant difference was observed in the body mass index (BMI) and levels of HbA1c and fasting blood sugar of patients with T1DM when compared to those of the healthy individuals (p<0.001). Conversely, no statistically significant difference was observed in the amount of L. acidophilus and L. casei detected in the gut of patients with T1DM when compared to that detected in the gut of healthy individuals (p>0.05).

This study was the first to determine and compare the amounts of L. acidophilus and L. casei in the gut of patients with T1DM and healthy individuals. The amount of these bacteria with known probiotic activities is not different among patients with T1DM and healthy individuals, and there is no change in the amount of these bacteria in both the reciprocal triggering cycle of T1DM and gut microbiota. This situation needs to be clarified with comprehensive studies.

Keywords: L. acidophilus, L. casei, gut microbiota, real-time PCR, type 1 diabetes