Effect of Oral Probiotics Use in HR-HPV Clearance, a Retrospective Study

Purpose: This study investigates the effects of oral administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus on the clearance of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) and cervical cytology outcomes. Patients and Methods: In this retrospective observational study, histology results were analyzed from patient files and pathology reports of 218 patients who were positive for cervical HR-HPV DNA and had no evidence of high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesions. The study group (n=105) consisted of patients who had used V-Flora oral capsules containing L. rhamnosus and zinc for three months. We compared HR-HPV DNA and cervical cytology results between the study and control groups at 6 and 12 months. Results: No significant differences were found in HR-HPV clearance or cervical cytology results between users and non-users of L. rhamnosus at both 6 and 12 months (6 months hazard ratio: − 0.0228, 95% CI: − 0.1623 to 0.1167, p=0.777 and 12 months hazard ratio: − 0.1165, 95% CI: − 0.3467 to 0.1088, p=0.295) . The hazard ratios and p-values indicate no significant impact on HR-HPV clearance or cytology outcomes, including in patients who remained HPV positive after 6 months (hazard ratio: − 0.1167, 95% confidence interval: − 0.3500 to 0.1165; p=0.333) . Conclusion: The anticipated beneficial effects of oral administration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus on HR-HPV clearance and cervical cytology outcomes were not demonstrated in this study. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.