Daily Lactobacillus supplementation for 12 weeks upregulates circulating serum alpha-Klotho, attenuates systemic hs-CRP, and improves clinical biomarkers of renal function in patients with diabetic kidney disease.
Probiotic supplementation significantly increased serum alpha-Klotho levels compared to standard care alone in DKD patients.
Systemic inflammation as measured by hs-CRP markedly declined in the probiotic group relative to controls.
Probiotic supplementation was associated with a significant relative decline in serum creatinine compared to controls.
Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) was significantly lower in the probiotic group compared to controls following intervention.
Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly higher in the probiotic group compared to controls after 12 weeks.
HDL cholesterol showed a within-group reduction in both the probiotic and control groups, but there was no statistically significant difference between groups.
No serious adverse events occurred during the 12-week probiotic supplementation trial.
This research suggests that taking a daily probiotic supplement containing two strains of Lactobacillus bacteria for 12 weeks may benefit people with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The study enrolled 80 patients with varying stages of DKD in Egypt and randomly assigned them to either receive the probiotic alongside their standard medical care or standard care alone. After 12 weeks, patients who took the probiotic had notably higher blood levels of a protein called alpha-Klotho, which is associated with slower aging and kidney protection, and substantially lower levels of a key inflammation marker (hs-CRP) compared to those receiving standard care only. The probiotic group also showed improved kidney function across multiple measures: lower serum creatinine (a waste product that builds up when kidneys struggle), lower urinary protein leakage (UACR), and higher eGFR (a measure of how well the kidneys filter blood). These findings point to a potential role for the gut-kidney connection — the idea that improving gut bacteria balance may help reduce kidney-damaging inflammation and slow kidney decline in people with diabetes. This research suggests that Lactobacillus supplementation could be a safe, well-tolerated add-on to standard care for DKD patients, with no serious side effects observed in this trial. However, the study was relatively small (80 patients), open-label (meaning participants and providers knew who received the probiotic), and conducted over only 12 weeks, so larger and longer trials would be needed to confirm these findings and determine whether the benefits are sustained over time.
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Upload Your LabsMohamed A, Abdel Mohsen W, Abdelsattar H, Hussein H, Behairy M, Saeed S. (2026). Impact of probiotic supplementation on serum klotho levels and inflammatory status in patients with diabetic kidney disease.. The Egyptian journal of immunology. https://doi.org/10.55133/eji.330404