According to a comprehensive analysis of existing studies, oral administration of probiotics exhibits significant therapeutic effects in individuals with urticaria (commonly known as hives). In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the major aim of the researchers was to assess the efficacy and safety of probiotics as a treatment option for dermatologic illness urticaria.

To gather relevant information on probiotics treatment, randomized controlled trial (RCT) papers were sourced from multiple databases including CNKI, VIP, ClinicalKey, Springer, SCI-Hub, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, and PubMed. The treatment interventions examined in the study encompassed the oral administration of multiple probiotics, a single probiotic, and a combination of probiotics along with antihistamines. Meta-analysis of the collected data was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software.

Nine RCT papers were analyzed, consisting of 4 papers examining the oral administration of a single probiotic, 3 papers investigating the oral administration of multiple probiotics, and 2 papers exploring the oral administration of probiotics plus antihistamines. The meta-analysis outcomes revealed a noteworthy improvement in the therapeutic impact of the probiotic group compared to the control group (placebo or antihistamines) (relative risk [RR] = 1.09). Furthermore, when contrasted to the placebo group, the therapeutic effect of the single probiotic group demonstrated significant enhancement (RR = 1.11).

In terms of therapeutic effectiveness, the multiple probiotics group did not exhibit a statistically significant difference compared to the placebo group (RR = 1.00). However, the therapeutic effect of the single probiotic + antihistamine group was substantially superior to that of the antihistamine group (RR = 1.13). For the occurrence of adverse reactions, there were no notable differences observed between the probiotic group and the control group.

The utilization of oral probiotics as a treatment approach for urticaria demonstrates notable therapeutic benefits. However, the precise therapeutic effects of administering multiple probiotics and the overall safety of probiotic therapy remain unclear. To gain further clarity, future investigations should focus on conducting large-scale, multi-centered RCTs.