POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF PROBIOTIC BACTERIA FOR IMMUNODEFICIENT PATIENTS

Probiotic bacteria provide a variety of health benefits to immunocompe tent hosts; however, their use in immunodeficient patients may pose pr oblems. Some probiotics are closely related to bacteria that are oppor tunistic pathogens and can transfer antibiotic resistance genes. Intes tinal bacteria have recently been associated with inflammatory and aut oimmune diseases in immunodeficient hosts; similar problems may arise if probiotics are fed to immunodeficient patients. The safety, efficac y, benefits and costs of feeding probiotic bacteria to immunodeficient patients needs to be carefully considered and fully researched to ass ure they will not cause infectious, inflammatory or autoimmune disease s in these susceptible hosts.