Abstract
Background: Allergic rhinitis is one of the most prevalent manifestation of allergy, affecting over 15% of the population worldwide. Recent published clinical studies have shown that specific probiotics can improveallergic rhinitis clinical symptoms. Findings: In this study, thirty one adult volunteers suffering from allergic rhinitis were enrolled in a crossover study evaluating the efficacy of the consumption of a product containing either L. paracasei-fermented milk or the placebo. Transcriptomic analysis was performed on unstimulated PBMC after each treatment period and analysis was adjusted for the crossover design. No differences were observed between PBMCs from probiotic treated allergen challenged allergic patients and PBMCs from placebo treated allergen challenged allergic patients. Conclusion: This study shows that, in the blood compartment, PBMCs mRNA levels are too stable to mirror the changes of symptoms and alteration of cytokine expressions observed after a treatment with L. paracasei.