(14) reported
the effects of probiotics on gingival inflammation and
the production of inflammatory cytokines. During the
two weeks of intervention, the gingival crevicular fluid
volume decreased significantly in the probiotic group,
whereas no significant changes were observed in the
placebo group. The levels of TNF-α and IL-8 also
decreased in the probiotic group. However, these effects
were temporary and the levels returned to the baseline
after the probiotics had been withdrawn. It is known that
probiotics can regulate the expression of phagocytosis
receptors in the neutrophils of healthy individuals (15)
and enhance natural killer cell activity (16). They have
also been shown to modulate the immune response via adaptive immunity (17). However, the exact regulatory