Lactofiltrum as a factor of enhancement of skin bactericidal function

State of normal micro flora is one of the most important indices of human health. Disorder of the normal micro flora composition might cause evolution of diseases as well as manifestation of asymptomatic diseases. The article is devoted to valuation of influence of the home medical product Lactofiltrum, which is an additional source of food fibre (hydrolyzed lignin) and prebiotic (lactulose), on composition of staphylococci, one of the main agents of conditioned pathogenic microbiocenosis of skin.

Though population of microbes on skin is constantly changing due to continual contact with the environment, reproduction of microorganisms is limited by natural agents of organism resistance, such as: immunoglobulins of A and G classes, transferrin, lysozyme, organic acids and other antimicrobials, and also low Ph level and low skin temperature.

For evaluation of non-specific skin resistance, test on immune adhesion of staphylococci is successfully applied. Its change may reflect the level and reciprocity between such important resistance components as immunoglobulin and complement of blood plasma. Determination of quantitative composition of normal micro flora is also an important part of evaluation of natural organism resistance because degradation of germicidal skin function is accompanied by increase of Skin Automicro Flora (AMFS) level. Disbalance of skin normal micro flora manifests itself, in particular, via excessive proliferation of coagulase-negative staphylococci in comparison to control test. As it was noted during previous investigations of people suffering from psoriasis, staphylococci (along with human papilloma virus (HPV) revealed in disease sites) can act as super antigens which stimulate indigenous immune cells and subsequently launch cascade of cytokine reactions resulting in intensive proliferation of keratinocytes.

Consequently, staphylococcus is one of the main agents of conditioned pathogenic microbiocenosis of skin and determination of their composition plays important role in evaluation of natural organism resistance.

The abovementioned data testify reasonability of timely correction of AMFS; its methods require further optimization and can be applied for primary and secondary precautions against disordered natural resistance of organism. In addition, rationality of the proposed method of elimination of skin troubles can be measured including determination of indices characterizing microbial density on skin.

Lactofiltrum considerably surpasses other enter sorbents; it is presented in the form of tablets which are easier to measure, and are divested of its specific taste and smell unlike gel or powder; besides it is well tolerated.

Thus, according to data provided by L.D. Kalyuzhnaya and co-authors, after administration of Lactofiltrum (per os, for children under 3 years of age ½ of tablet 3 times a day; 3-12 years of age – 1 tablet per day; 12-18 years of age – 2 tablets 3 times a day 1-1.5 hour before meal; course takes 10-14 days) during monotherapy of 26 children (6-18 years of age) suffering from atopic dermatitis of medium severity (24-62 particles according SCORAD index), by the second day of treatment, diarrheal evidences had disappeared, and bowel movement had normalized; and by 10-14 day, pathological process had passed into light run of the disease with substantial cutback of internal sensations; besides, no side effects were noted.

A research was carried out where 30 women of 25-27 years of age (average age 25.6 years old) of the main group and 30 women of the reference group (healthy donors of the same age who had taken no participation in the treatment) were subjects to investigation.

Material for investigation was a scrape from healthy skin. Material samples were collected with disposable scarifiers. Quantitative evaluation of the presented agents of staphylococcus was performed involving method of agaric imprints where ‘Bactotests’, disposable germ-free plastic micro cups of 10 sm2, were used.

In the main group of women under investigation they took imprints from spots of healthy skin. In the reference group they took imprints from the same biotope of the right forearm. Imprints were placed in 10% blood agar and on the Columbia environment by Baio Merieyx enterprise. Time of application constituted 40 seconds. The inoculations were incubated in thermostat at a temperature 37Co during 48 hours. The grown colonies were counted and dyed according to Gramm. For identification of the pure Staphylococcus culture they ran a test for detection of plasmocoagulase with account of lecithinase, produced in egg yolk salt agar.

According to quantity of evident colonies (extent of skin microbial density) they defined degree of skin automicro flora of the main group and reference group. 4 groups were marked out: 1st group with normal level of AMFS (under 20KFU/imprint); 2nd – with higher level (21-100KFU/imprint); 3rd – with high level (over 100KFU/imprint); 4th – with mountain-high level of AMFS (continuous growth). The research results showed that 9 women (27%) of the main group before administration of Lactofiltrum and 8 women (26.6%) of the reference group had higher level of AMFS proving dramatic decrease of their natural resistance and compensation abilities of skin.

After 30-day administration of Lactofiltrum (2 tablets 3 times a day 1-1.5 hour before meal) 7 (77.7%) of the 9 women (p<0.05) in the main group showed normalization of quantity of Staphylococcus aureus CFU reflecting correction of healthy skin automicro flora (by 3.8 times). Only 2 (22.3%) women of the main group had higher level of AMFS and that differed from quantity of women whose AMFS level elevated after treatment (p<0.05). In the reference group of women who hadn’t administered the product the AMFS level hadn’t changed within the month, and they noted decrease of quantity of Staphylococcus aureus CFU in 8 (26.6%) of women, as it also was a month before. Distinction in quantity between the main group, where 2 women (6.6%) had higher AMFS level after Lactofiltrum administration, and the reference group, where 8 women (26.6%) %) had higher AMFS level, was considerable (p<0.05) (the distinction in quantity between the women in the main group before Lactofiltrum (9 or 27%) and women in the main group after it (2 or 6.6%) was also essential); (p<0.05).

The received data show normalization of quantity of Staphylococcus aureus CFU reflecting correction of healthy skin automicro flora (by 3.8 times) after Lactofiltrum administration.